Aversion Therapy Uses and Effectiveness

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Does Aversion Therapy Work?Types of Aversion TherapyUses for Aversion TherapyEffectivenessPitfalls and Criticisms of Aversion TherapyThings to Consider Before Trying Aversion Therapy

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

How Does Aversion Therapy Work?

Types of Aversion Therapy

Uses for Aversion Therapy

Effectiveness

Pitfalls and Criticisms of Aversion Therapy

Things to Consider Before Trying Aversion Therapy

Close

Aversion therapy is a type ofbehavioral therapythat involves repeat pairing an unwanted behavior with discomfort.For example, a person undergoing aversion therapy to stop smoking might receive an electrical shock every time they view an image of a cigarette. The goal of the conditioning process is to make the individual associate the stimulus with unpleasant or uncomfortable sensations.

People naturally tend to avoid pain and seek pleasure. When a behavior activates the reward center in the brain, people experience feelings of pleasure and are more likely to repeat the behavior again in the future, even if it is something that isn’t healthy or adaptive.

At a Glance

During aversion therapy, the client may be asked to think of or engage in the behavior they enjoy while at the same time being exposed to something unpleasant such as a bad taste, a foul smell, or even mild electric shocks.

Once the unpleasant feelings become associated with the behavior, the hope is that unwanted behaviors or actions will begin to decrease in frequency or stop entirely.

How long it takes for aversion therapy to be effective can vary depending on the behavior and the situation. Research suggests that you may begin seeing some results after around four treatments.

There are a variety of different types of aversion therapy. Some of these include:

Aversion therapy can be used to treat a number of problematic behaviors including the following:

Aversion therapy is most commonly used to treat drug andalcohol addictions.A subtle form of this technique is often used as a self-help strategy for minorbehavior issues.

In such cases, people may wear an elastic band around the wrist. Whenever the unwanted behavior or urge to engage in the behavior presents itself, the individual will snap the elastic to create a slightly painful deterrent.

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How Effective Is Aversion Therapy?

The overall effectiveness of aversion therapy depends upon a number of factors, including:

Generally, aversion therapy tends to be successful while it is still under the direction of a therapist, but relapse rates are high.

Once the individual is out in the real world and exposed to the stimulus without the presence of the aversive sensation, it is highly likely that they will return to the previous behavior patterns.

Aversion therapy has shown some success in the treatment of alcohol use problems. In one study, around 60% of participants were still sober a year after treatment.

The results for other health concerns, including obesity and smoking, have been less promising. Attempts to create negative associations among smokers have been unsuccessful, so professionals in thesmoking cessationfield have largely abandoned this approach. It has also been ineffective in treating obesity and other lifestyle behaviors.

One of the major criticisms of aversion therapy is that it lacks rigorous scientific evidence demonstrating its effectiveness.It can be helpful in some cases, but appears to be largely ineffective in others.

Ethical issues over the use of punishments in therapy are also a significant concern.

Practitioners have found that in some cases, aversion therapy can increase the anxiety that actually interferes with the treatment process. In other instances, some patients have also experienced anger and hostility during treatment.

The Harms Association With Aversion Therapy

In some instances, serious injuries and even fatalities have occurred during the course of aversion therapy. Aversion therapy has also been misused to create tremendous harm toLGBTQIA+ people.

Conversion therapy is a form of aversion therapy that seeks to alter people’s sexual orientation and behaviors through punishments and aversive stimuli. This practice is traumatic and unethical. It has been directly linked to lasting harm to people subjected to it, including increased risks for anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicide.

The American Psychological Association opposes these sexual orientation change and gender identity change efforts.The practice is banned for minors in 20 U.S. states, and research has shown that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that efforts to change a person’s sexual orientation are effective.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you are considering aversion therapy to treat a problematic behavior such as alcohol use or other issue, there are some important things to consider beforehand.

First and foremost, it’s important to find a therapist who is trained and experienced with this practice. If you are treating an alcohol use problem, for example, you should work with a mental health professional with training and expertise in treating addictions.

It is also essential to be aware of other behavior change alternatives that can be helpful. Some options you might consider include:

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11 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Aversion conditioning. APA Dictionary of Psychology.Elkins RL, Richards TL, Nielsen R, Repass R, Stahlbrandt H, Hoffman HG.The neurobiological mechanism of chemical aversion (emetic) therapy for alcohol use disorder: an fMRI study.Front Behav Neurosci. 2017;11:182. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00182Keller NE, Hennings AC, Dunsmoor JE.Behavioral and neural processes in counterconditioning: past and future directions.Behav Res Ther. 2020;125:103532. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2019.103532Sangu M.Electrical aversion therapy. In:Reference Module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology. Elsevier; 2017:B9780128093245053000. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-809324-5.05304-9Elkins RL, Richards TL, Nielsen R, Repass R, Stahlbrandt H, Hoffman HG.The neurobiological mechanism of chemical aversion (emetic) therapy for alcohol use disorder: An fMRI study.Front Behav Neurosci.2017;11:182. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00182ScienceDirect.Aversion therapy.Arlinghaus KR, Foreyt JP, Johnston CA.The issue of aversion in lifestyle treatments.Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016;11(2):119-121. doi:10.1177/1559827616680554American Psychological Association.APA resolution on sexual orientation change efforts.American Psychological Association.Banning sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts.Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. American Psychological Association.Practice Guidelines. American Psychiatric Association.

11 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Aversion conditioning. APA Dictionary of Psychology.Elkins RL, Richards TL, Nielsen R, Repass R, Stahlbrandt H, Hoffman HG.The neurobiological mechanism of chemical aversion (emetic) therapy for alcohol use disorder: an fMRI study.Front Behav Neurosci. 2017;11:182. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00182Keller NE, Hennings AC, Dunsmoor JE.Behavioral and neural processes in counterconditioning: past and future directions.Behav Res Ther. 2020;125:103532. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2019.103532Sangu M.Electrical aversion therapy. In:Reference Module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology. Elsevier; 2017:B9780128093245053000. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-809324-5.05304-9Elkins RL, Richards TL, Nielsen R, Repass R, Stahlbrandt H, Hoffman HG.The neurobiological mechanism of chemical aversion (emetic) therapy for alcohol use disorder: An fMRI study.Front Behav Neurosci.2017;11:182. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00182ScienceDirect.Aversion therapy.Arlinghaus KR, Foreyt JP, Johnston CA.The issue of aversion in lifestyle treatments.Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016;11(2):119-121. doi:10.1177/1559827616680554American Psychological Association.APA resolution on sexual orientation change efforts.American Psychological Association.Banning sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts.Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. American Psychological Association.Practice Guidelines. American Psychiatric Association.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Psychological Association.Aversion conditioning. APA Dictionary of Psychology.Elkins RL, Richards TL, Nielsen R, Repass R, Stahlbrandt H, Hoffman HG.The neurobiological mechanism of chemical aversion (emetic) therapy for alcohol use disorder: an fMRI study.Front Behav Neurosci. 2017;11:182. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00182Keller NE, Hennings AC, Dunsmoor JE.Behavioral and neural processes in counterconditioning: past and future directions.Behav Res Ther. 2020;125:103532. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2019.103532Sangu M.Electrical aversion therapy. In:Reference Module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology. Elsevier; 2017:B9780128093245053000. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-809324-5.05304-9Elkins RL, Richards TL, Nielsen R, Repass R, Stahlbrandt H, Hoffman HG.The neurobiological mechanism of chemical aversion (emetic) therapy for alcohol use disorder: An fMRI study.Front Behav Neurosci.2017;11:182. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00182ScienceDirect.Aversion therapy.Arlinghaus KR, Foreyt JP, Johnston CA.The issue of aversion in lifestyle treatments.Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016;11(2):119-121. doi:10.1177/1559827616680554American Psychological Association.APA resolution on sexual orientation change efforts.American Psychological Association.Banning sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts.Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. American Psychological Association.Practice Guidelines. American Psychiatric Association.

American Psychological Association.Aversion conditioning. APA Dictionary of Psychology.

Elkins RL, Richards TL, Nielsen R, Repass R, Stahlbrandt H, Hoffman HG.The neurobiological mechanism of chemical aversion (emetic) therapy for alcohol use disorder: an fMRI study.Front Behav Neurosci. 2017;11:182. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00182

Keller NE, Hennings AC, Dunsmoor JE.Behavioral and neural processes in counterconditioning: past and future directions.Behav Res Ther. 2020;125:103532. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2019.103532

Sangu M.Electrical aversion therapy. In:Reference Module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology. Elsevier; 2017:B9780128093245053000. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-809324-5.05304-9

Elkins RL, Richards TL, Nielsen R, Repass R, Stahlbrandt H, Hoffman HG.The neurobiological mechanism of chemical aversion (emetic) therapy for alcohol use disorder: An fMRI study.Front Behav Neurosci.2017;11:182. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00182

ScienceDirect.Aversion therapy.

Arlinghaus KR, Foreyt JP, Johnston CA.The issue of aversion in lifestyle treatments.Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016;11(2):119-121. doi:10.1177/1559827616680554

American Psychological Association.APA resolution on sexual orientation change efforts.

American Psychological Association.Banning sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts.

Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. American Psychological Association.

Practice Guidelines. American Psychiatric Association.

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