Therapeutic Approach Causing Aversion: Objectives, Illustrative Cases, and Disputes
Keepin' It Real: A Quick Guide to Aversion Therapy
Aversion therapy (AT) is a type of behavioral treatment that links nasty stuff with crappy behaviors you wanna ditch. Some call it "aversive conditioning" or "deterrent therapy." It's mostly used to help people kick bad habits like smoking or fight alcohol use disorders (AUD).
However, AT's not as popular as other treatments for substance abuse problems. There's been a lot of controversy about it, and some mental health professionals think it's wrong. Questions linger about its long-term effectiveness as a treatment for substance use disorders.
What's the point of aversion therapy?
AT works by linking up bad behaviors with yucky experiences so you'll want to avoid them.
What behaviors can AT tackle?
Examples of behaviors that AT might help with include:
- nose-picking
- smoking
- AUD, including excessive drinking and alcohol addiction
- gambling addiction
Examples of aversion therapy
Check out these AT examples:
Vomit swapping
Vomit swapping (aka Emetic counter conditioning, or ECC) may help cut alcohol cravings in people with AUD. Over several ECC sessions, you take meds that make you barf, then take a sip of booze. Over time, you'll learn to associate drinking with the chill vibe of being sick.
Gross labeling
Gross labeling might be familiar if you've seen cigarette packages with pics of diseased lungs or cancerous tumors. These labels pair smoking with yucky images, making it a type of AT.
Lightning-quick puffing
Lightning-quick puffing, or rapid smoking, involves huffing on a cigarette every few seconds to trigger unpleasant feelings that make smoking intolerable. The idea's to help you quit smoking by reducing nicotine dependence.
According to some research, rapid smoking isn't effective as a long-term smoking cessation tool.
Rubber band therapy
Rubber band therapy (RBAT) is a treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). You wear a rubber band around your wrist and snap it when you get a wicked thought. The idea's that by pairing pain with bad thoughts, you'll learn to associate them with discomfort and experience fewer thoughts over time. But, a 2010 review suggests RBAT isn't effective for treating OCD.
Does aversion therapy truly work?
Research suggests that AT can decrease addictive behaviors in the short term. For example, one small 2017 study showed that ECC might be an effective treatment for AUD. Participants reported less interest in alcohol and fewer drinking episodes after completing the treatment. However, more research is needed to determine if these effects last long term.
Why's aversion therapy so controversial?
Some mental health professionals view AT as unethical because it involves using pain as a method of therapy. Others argue that it may not address the root causes of addictive behaviors and could have negative side effects.
Aversion therapy has a long history of controversy. In the past, it was used as "conversion therapy" to change a person's sexual orientation, which was once considered a mental health disorder. The practice of conversion therapy is still happening today, and some experts believe it should be outlawed in all U.S. states.
Frequently asked questions
The success rate of AT varies depending on the condition you're dealing with. No reliable success rates are available. However, a 2016 review notes that AT does not seem to be an effective long-term treatment for nicotine addiction or overeating.
Side effects of AT depend on the method used. Possible side effects include pain or discomfort, nausea and vomiting (for ECC), fear or anxiety as you get used to the negative stimulus, and more.
The skinny on aversion therapy
Aversion therapy aims to link negative consequences with bad behaviors to help you ditch them.
Examples of AT include ECC, rapid smoking, and rubber band therapy. Some research suggests that ECC may be an effective short-term treatment for AUD, but more research is needed to determine if these effects last long term.
Some mental health professionals consider this form of treatment ineffective and unethical because it may cause psychological distress or physical pain.
If you're curious about AT, it's essential to have a chat with a mental health professional to weigh the benefits against the risks and discuss whether this approach is right for you.
- While psychology and psychotherapy may not directly involve aversion therapy, it is a type of treatment rooted in the field of science, focusing on the reduction of addictive behaviors.
- Aversion therapy can potentially address a variety of behaviors, such as smoking, alcohol use disorders (AUD), gambling addiction, and even obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), through methods like emetic counter conditioning, rubber band therapy, and rapid smoking.
- The effectiveness of aversion therapy in long-term treatment varies depending on the specific condition, with no reliable success rates available for nicotine addiction or overeating according to some studies.
- Aversion therapy continues to be a controversial treatment in the field of mental health and health-and-wellness due to concerns about its potential for causing psychological distress and physical pain, as well as its questionable long-term effectiveness and inappropriate usage for certain practices like conversion therapy.
- When considering aversion therapy, discussing the potential benefits and the risks, as well as whether this approach is appropriate for your specific situation, with a licensed mental health professional is essential.
