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Aversion therapy, Self-management for addiction - Coggle Diagram
Aversion therapy
Alcoholism, drug addictions, and smoking can be treated with aversion therapy. Treatments for different types of addiction using aversion therapy might not all be the same.
Alcoholism may be treated by making the person nauseous when they see triggers associated with alcohol. Nicotine addiction may be treated by forcing the person to consume a large amount of smoke, making them sick.
Electric shocks can be used to treat gambling addictions. People with the addiction write out all of the gambling behaviors they have on cards along with non gambling behaviors. The gambler reads out the cards. When they read a gambling related phrase, they receive a mild but painful shock. Unconditioned stimulus is the shock, unconditioned response is pain. Gambling related phrases become associated with pain.
Weakness: There are ethical concerns that participants of aversion therapy might be harmed from either induced vomiting or shock therapy.
Weakness: Participants must be devoted enough to complete the treatment. If addicts abandon the therapy, then it wont work.
Poor long term effectiveness. McGonaghy (1991) found that aversion therapy was much more effective in reducing gambling behavior and cravings after one month than after one year. In nine years, the therapy appeared to be no longer effective.
Holistic approach to treatment. Aversion therapy can be combined with other treatments such as CBT to provide a more holistic approach to treatment.
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