Therapeutic Aversion: Objectives, Illustrations, and Disputes
Aversion Therapy (AT) is all about curbing undesirable behaviors by linking them with an unpleasant experience, aiming to deter these behaviors over time. Some folks call it "aversive conditioning" or "deterrent therapy."
This treatment method mostly pops up in situations involving addiction-related behaviors, like smoking or alcohol use disorder (AUD). While it's an option, it's less common compared to other treatment methods for substance use disorders.
AT isn't always a walk in the park, and it's stirred up quite a bit of controversy. Questions about its long-term effectiveness and ethical implications linger.
The purpose of Aversion Therapy
Aversion therapy works through repetition, pairing an undesirable behavior with an unpleasant experience to create an association that makes the behavior less appealing.
What behaviors can Aversion Therapy treat?
AT could potentially help tackle behaviors such as:
- nail biting
- smoking
- AUD
- gambling addiction
Examples of Aversion Therapy
Here are some real-world examples of AT:
Emetic Counter Conditioning
Emetic Counter Conditioning (ECC) is an AT method designed to reduce alcohol cravings in people with AUD. During multiple sessions, medicine is administered to induce nausea and vomiting, then they taste and swallow various alcoholic beverages. The idea is that drinking alcohol becomes linked with the gross feeling of nausea or vomiting.
Graphic warning labels
Graphic warning labels on cigarette packs, mandatory in 118 countries, feature images of the potential health consequences of smoking – heavy lung damage and tumors. They function as a form of AT by associating smoking with negative, upsetting images.
Rapid smoking
Rapid smoking requires puffing on a cigarette every few seconds, triggering unpleasant sensations that make smoking less tolerable. The goal is to help reduce nicotine dependence. However, studies show that rapid smoking is not an effective long-term treatment for quitting smoking.
Rubber Band Aversion Therapy
Rubber band aversion therapy (RBAT) is a therapy used to treat OCD. In RBAT, a rubber band is worn around the wrist, and it's snapped whenever an obsessive thought pops up. Over time, the idea is that the associated pain deters obsessive thoughts. But, RBAT isn't an effective treatment for OCD, according to a 2010 review.
Does Aversion Therapy work?
Research suggests that Aversion Therapy can reduce addictive behaviors temporarily.
One 2017 study found that ECC significantly reduced craving-related brain activity and increased alcohol aversion in participants with AUD. Six months later, some participants showed less alcohol consumption compared to before treatment.
However, research on the long-term effectiveness of Aversion Therapy for addiction-related behaviors is relatively thin. For instance, a 2016 review suggests that Aversion Therapy may not be an effective long-term treatment for nicotine addiction or overeating.
Controversy and ethical concerns
Some mental health professionals argue that Aversion Therapy is unethical because it involves punishment as a treatment approach. Questions about consent, the ethics of deliberate distress, and long-term impacts continue to swirl around this treatment method.
Conversion therapy, an extreme form of Aversion Therapy that aimed to "treat" homosexuality, has a dark history. It was previously considered a mental health disorder treatment until 1973, and people were often forced into it against their will or chose it based on feelings of shame or guilt. To this day, some mental health practitioners still engage in this harmful practice.
FAQs
The success rate of Aversion Therapy varies depending on the behavior being treated. There aren't any reliable success rates available. A 2016 review indicated that Aversion Therapy does not seem to be an effective long-term treatment for nicotine addiction or overeating.
The side effects of Aversion Therapy can include:
- pain or discomfort
- nausea and vomiting (with ECC)
- fear or anxiety as a person learns to anticipate the negative stimulus
In summary, Aversion Therapy involves pairing an undesirable behavior with an unpleasant experience in an attempt to deter the behavior. While some research indicates short-term benefits, the long-term effectiveness of Aversion Therapy is questionable – especially for nicotine addiction, overeating, or other addiction-related behaviors. Many mental health professionals consider this form of treatment ineffective and unethical due to concerns about causing psychological distress or physical pain.
- Aversion Therapy (AT) aims to curb undesirable behaviors by linking them with an unpleasant experience, deterring these behaviors over time.
- AT could potentially help tackle behaviors such as nail biting, smoking, AUD, gambling addiction, among others.
- Emetic Counter Conditioning (ECC) is an AT method designed to reduce alcohol cravings in people with AUD by inducing nausea and vomiting during sessions involving alcoholic beverages.
- Graphic warning labels on cigarette packs, mandatory in 118 countries, function as a form of AT by associating smoking with negative, upsetting images of health consequences.
- Research suggests that Aversion Therapy can reduce addictive behaviors temporarily, but its long-term effectiveness is questionable, especially for nicotine addiction or overeating.
- Some mental health professionals argue that Aversion Therapy is unethical because it involves punishment as a treatment approach, raising concerns about long-term impacts, consent, and deliberate distress.
- In 2022, science and mental health practitioners continue to debate the effectiveness and ethical implications of Aversion Therapy, including in relation to other alternatives such as psychotherapy, psychiatry, psychology, and various health-and-wellness therapies and treatments.
