Therapeutic Disapproval Techniques: Goals, Illustrations, and Disputes
Aversion therapy (AT) is an intriguing behavioral tactic, where unwanted behaviors or habits are paired with an unpleasant experience in hopes of dissolving these undesirable actions. Nicknamed "deterrent therapy" or "aversive conditioning", this strategy commonly pops up as a treatment for behaviors linked to addiction, such as smoking and alcohol use disorder (AUD).
However, AT remains a contentious approach in the mental health field, with ethical concerns lingering over its long-term effectiveness. Let's dive in and explore its purpose, applications, examples, and the heated debates that surround it.
Purpose of Aversion Therapy
AT seeks to create an unpleasant association with an unwanted behavior or habit, discouraging or even eliminating it. This method may target a range of behaviors, including nail biting, tobacco smoking, AUD, gambling addiction, and more.
Examples abound in the aversion therapy realm:
- Emetic Counter Conditioning: A form of AT that can help reduce alcohol cravings in people with AUD. During multiple sessions, a participant takes a medication that induces nausea and vomiting while tasting various alcoholic beverages. Eventually, they learn to associate drinking with the cringe-worthy feeling of nausea or being sick.
- Graphic Warning Labels: Mandatory in 118 countries, graphic warning labels on cigarette packages feature grisly images of smoking's potential health consequences, such as rotten lungs and cancerous growths. They work as AT by making smoking synonymous with the unpleasant experience of witnessing disturbing or upsetting images.
- Rapid Smoking: Involves puffing on a cigarette every few seconds, triggering unpleasant sensations meant to reduce nicotine dependence. However, a 2016 review suggests that this method is not an effective long-term treatment for those eager to quit smoking.
- Rubber Band Aversion Therapy: Used for treating obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), participants wear a rubber band on their wrist and snap it whenever an obsessive thought comes to mind. The aim is to connect the pain of the rubber band with the obsessive thought, ultimately resulting in fewer obsessive thoughts. However, a 2010 review notes that this therapy is ineffective for OCD.
Does Aversion Therapy Work?
Research indicates that AT may reduce addictive behaviors in the short term. For instance, a small 2017 study examining the effects of ECC on alcohol-related brain activity in 13 people with AUD found that participants reported alcohol aversion or avoidance at 30 and 90 days after treatment, with 69% still sober 12 months later. Brain scans revealed significant reductions in craving-related activity, suggesting ECC could potentially be an effective treatment for AUD, though more research is needed to confirm the long-lasting effects.
However, AT's efficacy varies across conditions and addictive behaviors, with research pointing to less success for nicotine addiction or overeating, illustrating the technique's inconsistent applicability.
Controversies Surrounding Aversion Therapy
While some mental health professionals appreciate AT's potential, others view it as ethically questionable due to its use of distressing or painful stimuli. The practice has a dark past, as conversion therapy – a form of AT previously employed to "treat" homosexuality – was considered a mental health disorder until 1973 and forcibly imposed on many individuals, often against their will. Today, some practitioners still engage in conversion therapy, prompting calls for its legal ban in all U.S. states.
Frequently Asked Questions
The success rate of AT depends on the specific condition being addressed, with no reliable long-term success rates available. A 2016 review showed that AT is not an effective long-term treatment for nicotine addiction or overeating. Side effects of AT include pain, discomfort, nausea, vomiting (in the case of emetic counter conditioning), and fear or anxiety as a learner anticipates the negative stimulus.
Conclusion
Aversion therapy introduces the idea of pairing an undesirable behavior or habit with an unpleasant experience to deter the behavior. By understanding its examples, purpose, and controversies, we gain a deeper appreciation for the complexities and debates surrounding this behavioral therapy. While AT may offer short-term relief, its long-term effectiveness remains uncertain, and ethical concerns persist, prompting the search for alternative, more sustainable therapeutic solutions.
- Aversion therapy (AT) is a behavioral approach used to address unwanted behaviors, such as alcohol use disorder (AUD), gambling addiction, and nail biting, by creating an unpleasant association with the behavior.
- Emetic Counter Conditioning is a form of AT used to reduce alcohol cravings in people with AUD, by inducing nausea and vomiting while they taste various alcoholic beverages during multiple sessions.
- Graphic warning labels on cigarette packages are mandatory in 118 countries and work as aversion therapy by associating smoking with the unpleasant experience of witnessing disturbing images.
- Rapid smoking and Rubber Band Aversion Therapy are methods used for treating nicotine addiction and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), respectively, but a 2016 review suggests that rapid smoking is not an effective long-term treatment for smoking cessation, while a 2010 review notes that rubber band aversion therapy is ineffective for OCD.
- Research indicates that AT may reduce addictive behaviors in the short term, but the efficacy varies across conditions, with less success for nicotine addiction or overeating.
- There are ethical concerns surrounding aversion therapy due to its use of distressing or painful stimuli, as conversion therapy – a form of AT previously employed to "treat" homosexuality – was considered a mental health disorder until 1973 and forcibly imposed on many individuals, often against their will.
- To conclude, while aversion therapy may offer short-term relief, its long-term effectiveness remains uncertain, and ethical concerns persist, prompting the search for alternative, more sustainable therapeutic solutions in the field of psychology, psychiatry, and health-and-wellness, particularly in the context of mental health and therapies-and-treatments.
