Have you ever tried to break a habit, only to find yourself falling back into the same old routine? Aversion therapy is a unique approach that aims to help people overcome unwanted behaviors by associating them with something unpleasant.
Aversion therapy isn’t a quick fix, but it can be a powerful tool that can help some people break free from unwanted behaviors.
What is Aversion Therapy?
Aversion therapy is a type of behavioral therapy that aims to discourage unwanted behaviors by associating them with unpleasant experiences. It’s usually guided by a mental health professional.
Courtney Sonntag, A Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), says that “a therapist can help you work through such concerns, as it’s a collaborative treatment based on the relationship between the therapist and the individual. Therapy can give you support, validation, coping skills, and strategies to change your perspective and your behaviors. It can also give you a corrective emotional experience.”
Aversive conditioning is a broader term that refers to any process that uses unpleasant stimuli to stop unwanted behaviors. For example, a child might learn to avoid touching hot stoves after experiencing the pain of touching one.
Aversion therapy isn’t about punishment or causing pain. Instead, it focuses on creating a mental connection that naturally discourages unwanted behavior.
How Does it Work?
In 2021, around 41.7 million adults in the United States took a step toward improving their mental health by receiving treatment or counseling. This represents a significant increase in the number of people seeking help, highlighting the growing awareness of the importance of mental well-being. One of the tools that can be helpful in this process is aversion therapy.
Aversion therapy works based on classical and operant conditioning. This occurs when we learn to associate one thing with another. For example, if you hear a bell right before you get food, you might start to salivate when you hear the bell, even if there’s no food around.
Aversion therapy tries to do the same thing but with negative associations. By pairing an unwanted behavior with something unpleasant, you can learn to avoid that behavior.
What are Some Types of Aversion Therapy?
There are several different types of aversion therapy techniques. Here are a few examples:
Medication-based Aversion Therapy
Certain medications, like disulfiram (Antabuse) used to treat alcohol dependency, can trigger unpleasant physical sensations, such as nausea or vomiting when you engage in the behavior you’re trying to stop, such as drinking. This can make you less likely to do that behavior again.
Sensory Aversion Therapy
This form of aversion therapy involves pairing the unwanted behavior with something that tastes or smells bad. For example, someone trying to stop someone who chews on pens might put a bitter-tasting substance on their pen.
Electrical Aversion Therapy
This controversial approach involves giving mild electrical shocks as an aversive stimulus. However, it’s rarely used these days because there are other, less risky ways to do aversion therapy.
What does Aversion Therapy Treat?
The use of aversion therapy can be a helpful tool for addressing a range of behaviors that someone may want to change, including:
Smoking
For those struggling to quit smoking, aversion therapy can involve pairing the act of smoking with unpleasant sensations, such as a mild electric shock or a bitter taste in the mouth. This negative association can help individuals develop an aversion to smoking, making it less appealing and reducing the likelihood of relapse.
Substance Use Disorder
Aversion therapy can be used to address substance abuse, including those involving alcohol abuse, opioids, nicotine, and other drugs. By pairing a substance with unpleasant experiences, individuals can develop a negative association with the drug or drinking alcohol, reducing their cravings and decreasing its use.
Nail Biting
Aversion therapy can involve applying bitter-tasting substances to the fingernails. This unpleasant taste can serve as a deterrent, discouraging individuals from continuing the bad habit of biting their nails and promoting healthier habits.
Compulsive Hair Pulling
Aversion therapy can help address trichotillomania or compulsive hair pulling. By pairing hair pulling with unpleasant stimuli, such as mild electric shocks or unpleasant sounds, individuals can develop a negative association with the behavior, reducing the urge to pull their hair.
Overeating
In cases of overeating, aversion therapy can involve pairing food with unpleasant experiences, such as nausea-inducing drugs or unpleasant tastes. By associating overeating with these negative sensations, individuals can develop a reduced desire for excessive food consumption.
Gambling
Aversion therapy can be used to treat gambling addiction by pairing the act of gambling with an unpleasant stimulus, such as a mild electric shock, a loud noise, or an unpleasant smell. This makes gambling less appealing and reduces the desire to gamble.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Aversion therapy can be used to help people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) manage their compulsive behaviors by pairing the obsessions with unpleasant stimuli, such as a mild electric shock or an unpleasant taste. This can help to reduce the anxiety associated with the obsessions and make the compulsions less likely to be carried out.
How Effective is it?
The effectiveness of aversion therapy varies depending on the specific behavior being treated, the treatment method, and the person engaging in treatment. It is generally most effective when combined with other treatment forms, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or medication. This is because aversion therapy can help to create a negative association with the unwanted behavior, but it does not necessarily address the underlying reasons for the behavior.
Sometimes, there is only a short-term improvement. Also, some people may respond well to the negative associations created by the therapy, while others may experience minimal or no change in their behavior.
Pitfalls and Criticisms of Aversion Therapy
Courtney Sontag states that different aversion therapy techniques can be used for a variety of mental health concerns, such as addictions, eating disorders, and phobias; however, it’s important to note that this form of therapy has faced some criticism. It’s crucial to acknowledge its potential drawbacks and ethical concerns.
Discomfort and Unpleasantness
Aversion therapy often involves pairing unwanted behaviors with unpleasant stimuli, such as electric shocks, nausea-inducing drugs, or bitter tastes. These unpleasant experiences can cause discomfort, anxiety, and even fear in someone who is undergoing treatment.
Risk of New Problems
In some cases, aversion therapy can lead to the development of new undesirable behaviors. For instance, if someone is treated for smoking cessation with electric shocks, they might develop a fear of electricity or anxiety in social situations where smoking is prevalent.
Ethical Considerations
Some consider aversion therapy a punishment and raise ethical concerns. Critics argue that aversion therapy violates individual autonomy and can cause psychological harm. They question the morality of using negative reinforcement to change behavior, especially when other treatment options might be available.
Things to Consider Before Trying Aversion Therapy
Aversion therapy can help with behaviors you want to change. Still, it’s crucial to consider the benefits and drawbacks before deciding to try it. Here are some important things to think about if you’re wondering if aversion therapy treatment program is right for you.
How Problematic is the Behavior?
First, think about how impactful the behavior is that you want to change. If it’s not a big problem and doesn’t bother you too much, aversion therapy might not be the best choice.
Dealing with Discomfort
Aversion therapy can be uncomfortable. You might feel mild electric shocks, taste something bitter, or smell something unpleasant. You need to be ready to feel uncomfortable to help create a negative association with the behavior you want to change.
While aversion therapy can be a valuable tool for addressing certain unwanted behaviors, it’s important to recognize that it’s not the only treatment method available. A range of alternative approaches can effectively help you modify your behavior and achieve positive change.
Other Treatment Options
Before choosing aversion therapy, look at other ways to get help. Talking to a therapist, and trying different types of therapy or medicine might be better for your situation. They can help you figure out what’s best for you and guide you through the process if aversion therapy is a good idea.Here are some alternatives to aversion therapy:
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
CBT is an effective form of psychotherapy that focuses on identifying and modifying distorted thinking patterns and behaviors that contribute to unwanted behaviors. CBT therapists work with you to understand the underlying thoughts and beliefs that drive your actions, and they teach strategies to challenge these negative patterns and develop more adaptive and helpful ones.
Medication
For certain unwanted behaviors, particularly those associated with addictive behaviors or mental health conditions, medication may be prescribed to help manage symptoms and reduce cravings.
Support Groups
Support groups offer valuable encouragement, understanding, and shared experiences for individuals struggling with unwanted behaviors. They provide a safe and supportive environment where individuals can connect with others who share similar challenges, offer mutual support, and learn from each other’s experiences.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness-based therapy (MBT) helps you focus on the present moment and accept your thoughts and feelings without judgment, reducing anxiety by replacing avoidance behaviors with self-compassion and acceptance of emotions.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) teaches you to accept uncomfortable thoughts and feelings instead of trying to control them, allowing you to focus on living a meaningful life and all its ups and downs.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback provides real-time feedback on your body’s reactions to anxiety, helping you learn to manage your anxiety symptoms.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational interviewing involves talking to someone and helping them find their own reasons for wanting to change. It can help you figure out what you want to change, set realistic goals for yourself, and overcome any doubts you have about making changes.
Contingency Management
Contingency management involves providing positive reinforcement, such as rewards or incentives, for desirable behaviors and reducing or eliminating reinforcement for unwanted behaviors. For example, a gambling addict receives vouchers for groceries or transportation if they abstain from gambling for a specified period.
Functional Analysis
Functional analysis helps therapists understand why people do the things they do. By figuring out what triggers an unwanted behavior and what rewards people get from it, therapists can create a plan to change the behavior.
Habituation Training
Habituation training is a learning technique that involves repeated exposure to a feared stimulus to reduce the fear response gradually. The goal is to reduce the emotional response to the stimulus and diminish the behavior’s intensity or frequency.
Stress Management Techniques
Stress can worsen unwanted behaviors, so adding stress management techniques to your routine, such as relaxation exercises, mindfulness practices, and sleep hygiene, can help reduce stress levels and promote overall well-being.
Lifestyle Modifications
Making healthy lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise, a balanced diet, and adequate sleep, can improve an individual’s overall physical and mental health, which can contribute to reducing unwanted behaviors.
The choice of treatment approach depends on the specific unwanted behavior, its severity, your needs and preferences, and if you have any underlying mental health conditions. Combining different treatment approaches for a more comprehensive and effective approach to behavior modification is often beneficial.
Who Should Avoid Aversion Therapy?
Aversion therapy is not for everyone. It’s important to avoid it in certain situations, especially if you:
- Have a serious mental health condition, such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD.
- Are a child or adolescent.
- Are pregnant.
- Feel pressured to undergo the therapy.
- Have a history of trauma.
- Have a history of abuse.
- Have suicidal thoughts.
- Have untreated medical conditions.
If you have an undesired behavior that you would like to treat, talking to a qualified healthcare provider is the best way to figure out how to move forward.
Key Takeaways
When considering aversion therapy, it’s crucial to weigh its pros and cons carefully. The discomfort and potential for new issues mean talking to your doctor or therapist is essential to see if it’s right for you.
Keep in mind other approaches, like mindfulness-based therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and biofeedback. Exploring these options with a licensed therapist can help you find the one that best aligns with your needs and values.
