Aversion Therapy

Aversion Therapy

This therapy is based on the principles of classical conditioning. A naturally unpleasant stimulus (unconditionaed stimulus) produces a negative response (unconditioned response). The unconditioned response is added to addictive behaivour which is the natural stimulus and a conditioned response is learned. The outcome is that the individual associates the addictive behaviour with the unpleasant response rather than the pleasure that theyr used to gain from partaking in addictive behaviour. 

Antabuse 

This is used to treat alcohol addicition. The individual is given antabuse to act as the aversive stimulus. In a normal situation alcohol is broken down by the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, however, when antabuse is introduced the enzyme is stopped and can no longer break down alchol, causing an build up of acetaldehyde in the body. 

This build up can cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms such as sweating, heart palpitations, headaches and vomiting. These reactions can occur within minutes of alcohol being consumed and can last for hours. Once the association between alcohol and the negative symptoms has been made the individual will avoid drinking alcohol and in some cases may avoid…