Aversion Therapy “Aversion therapy uses the behavioral approach principles that new behavior can be 'learnt ' in order to overcome addictions, obsessions or, violent behavior (Behavioral Psychology 2015).” In simple terms, the basis of Aversion Therapy is to be able to get rid of a habit or behavior that one wishes to no longer have. This is done by learning how to associate pain, discomfort, or suffering with said behavior or habit one would like to get rid of. Some very common examples of habits that one would seek to get rid of are smoking, violence, alcoholism, gambling, over eating, pornography, and many other undesirable habits one might have. (Behavioral Psychology 2015) It is believed that Aversion therapy is questionable in it’s success for the long term, according
Such as, how far is to far when you speak about the physical and mental harm that is acquired by the patient? Which method of treatment should be used for corresponding behavioral problems and habits? How effective will the therapy be long term? Is Aversion therapy right, or wrong? In my opinion, I think that Aversion therapy is the right thing to do in certain circumstances. With any type of therapy, it is important that all options are discussed with the patient. With any type of therapy or treatment there are going to be side effects. It is up to the patient to determine if the side effects out weigh the potential success of any method of therapy. From the research that I have done, if Aversion therapy was an option I would start with the electrical shock treatment. Electrical shock treatment of Aversion therapy is the easiest type of treatment to control and can be administered to ones self safely along with being the most cost efficient method of therapy. Overall, I see no reason as to why Aversion therapy should not be administered to those who would like to purge what ever behavior or habit they would
In this treatment, “clients are repeatedly exposed to objects or situations that produce anxiety, obsessive fears, and compulsive behaviors, but they are told to resist performing the behaviors they feel so bound to preform” (Comer, 2015). Individuals going through this treatment will often find it extremely difficult to resist the urge to preform these compulsions, or behaviors, therefor the therapist will often be the first to set this example. This treatment can be conducted in an individual, or group
...tized to it. Aversive conditioning involves replacing an old, positive response to a stimulus with a new, negative one. An example of this is instead of feeling relaxed after smoking a cigarette, a therapist might make a patient feel another negative emotion like embarrassment or fear. The last method of behavioral therapy is operand conditioning, which has been used for years and is simply rewarding someone for good behavior and withdrawing the reward for bad.
Just imagine for a moment that you have a cynophobia or the fear of dogs, would this be how you would feel. Driving down the road the oil light comes on. "I must stop the car to add more oil or I will damage the car engine. This looks like a good place to pull over. I'll just stop in front of this house. The oil is in the trunk, so I'll pop the top first, then get the oil out of the trunk. OK, I have the oil, but what if there is a dog at this house. Hurry, I have to hurry. A dog might come running out and bark at me any minute. Just get the oil in the engine. I can't my hands are shaking. Don't worry, there is no dog. Just get the oil in the engine. I don't care if I spill it, just get some in the engine. Take another look around, is there a dog anywhere. OK, the oils in, now hurry get back in the car. I can't breath. I'm safely back in the car, now just take a minute and breath. When will my hands stop shaking." This is how a person with a phobia of dogs might feel. There is no dog around anywhere in sight, but the thought of a dog running at them barking is enough to cause a panic attack. In "Exploring Psychology" David G. Myers defines phobia as "an anxiety disorder marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation" (432). This paper will explore the history, causes, effects, and treatment of Phobias.
The procedures leading to the acquisition and elimination of agoraphobia are based on a number of behavioural principles. The underlying principle is that of classical conditioning. Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which a stimulus acquires the capacity to evoke a response that was originally evoked by another stimulus (Weiten, 1998). Eliminating agoraphobia is basically achieving self-control through behaviour modification. Behaviour modification is systematically changing behaviour through the application of the principles of conditioning (Weiten, 1998). The specific principle used here is systematic desensitisation. The two basic responses displayed are anxiety and relaxation, which are incompatible responses. Systematic desensitisation works by reconditioning people so that the conditioned stimulus elicits relaxation instead of anxiety. This is called counterconditioning. Counterconditioning is an attempt to reverse the process of classical conditioning by associating the crucial stimulus with a new conditioned response (Weiten, 1998). This technique's effectiveness in eliminating agoraphobia is well documented.
Behavioral therapy is a treatment that helps change self destructing behaviors. It also involves changing the behavior to reduce the dysfunction and to improve the quality of life. Medical professionals use this type of therapy to replace bad habits with good ones. The therapy can also help you cope with difficult situations. Behavior therapy has a wide range of techniques that can be used to treat a person. Behavior therapy breaks down into three disciplines, which are; applied behavior analysis, cognitive behavior therapy, and social learning theory. Applied behavior analysis focuses on operant conditioning, and cognitive behavior therapy focuses on thoughts and feelings.
One of the characteristics of a phobia is a feeling that is greater than the fear of a situation or object with an exaggeration of the danger associated with the said situation or even object. This persistent fear often leads to an anxiety disorder that leads an individual to develop mechanisms that ensure one avoids the object or situation that triggers the occurrence of the phobia. Phobias can have highly debilitating effects on an individual including the development of depression, isolation, substance abuse, and even suicide. Many people take phobia for granted however, it is clear that it has the potential to impair the quality of life for both the affected and the people around them. The fact that many of the phobias are manageable using
In order to treat the fear you must treat it with relaxation while in the presence of the feared situation. The first step in Wolpe’s study was to focus on relaxing your body. He recommended a process that involves tensing and relaxing various groups of muscles until a deep state of relaxation is achieved (Wolpe,264). The second stage was to develop a list of anxiety-producing situations that are associated with the phobia. The list would descend with from the least uncomfortable situation to the most anxiety producing event you can imagine. The number of events can vary from 5 to 20 or more. The final step is to desensitize, which is the actual “unlearning” of the phobia. Wolpe told his patients that no actual contact with the fear is necessary, and that the same effectiveness can be accomplished through descriptions and visualizations(Wolpe,265). Wolpe’s participants are told to put themselves in a state of relaxation which they are taught. Then, the therapist begins reading the first situation on the hierarchy they have made up. If the patient stays relaxed through the first situation the therapist continues to the next until the state of relaxation is broken. If they feel a slight moment of anxiety they are to raise their index finger until the state of relaxation is restored. The average number
...ontrolled exposure to feared situations and stimuli. Relapse prevention methods focus on consolidating and generalizing treatment gains over time.
The text defines avoidance learning as the process of learning to stay away from aversive stimulus. (Ormrod, 2012 pg. 71) Well no kidding, people tend to avoid things that cause them pain, anxiety, or frustration. I learned when I was very young to not stick a key into an electrical outlet. That memory is still very vivid and I can almost feel the shock and see the spark when I think about it. However, avoidance learning is more than just avoiding pain or anxiety; avoidance learning requires a couple of parts. First, in order to “learn” avoidance you need to have bad experience, ie aversive stimuli. (Ormrod, 2012) Then a connection needs to be made, whether it be conscious or not, real or not, logical or not, some connection between what happened to you and the cause or at least the warning signs that the “bad” thing is going to happen again. (Ormrod, 2012) This warning sign or feeling that if you do whatever action something bad will happen to you is labeled as a pre-aversive stimulus. (Ormrod, 2012) For ...
For example, the fear of dentists can leave people suffering from it willing to risk the health of their teeth in order to avoid having to go through an exam or procedure (MacKay 2). There are a variety of treatments ranging from psychotherapy to even medication. Phobias are treatable conditions that can be reduced and even terminated. Symptoms of phobias vary from mild feelings of anxiety to full panic attacks. The closer the person with the phobia gets to their feared object, the greater the fear will be (Cause of phobias 2). This puts in perspective the mindset of someone who struggles with a phobia goes
The benefit of this fact is that we can change the way we think to feel and act better even if our situation does not change. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is considered among the most rapid in terms of results obtained. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the important role of thinking in how we feel and your perception of the world around. This article explains that cognitive-behavioral therapy and exposure therapy go hand and hand together and is proven to be significantly effective when treating social phobia across the board. Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps to diminish the belief that negative social events are more likely to occur than positive social events associated with social phobia. The Cognitive-behavioral therapy accounts for the relation between the predictor and the criterion treatment of social phobia. As a patient is able to change the negative cognitions into positive adaptive reasoning associated with their avoidant personality disorder, patients are able to be more objective to the exposure therapy
Human behavior is complex and difficult to predict and control. Many theories of behavior modification exist today with an abundance of research to support claims, but which one is most effective? Past research provides support for the effectiveness of systematic desensitization as well as flooding and fading when used to treat phobias. (Ost, 1978, p. 379, Rudestam & Bedrosian, 1977, p. 23). Systematic desensitization is in essence Guthrie’s threshold technique. Guthrie theorized that repeatedly exposing a stimulus that elicits an unwanted response, fist at a low intensity as to not elicit the unwanted response, with gradual increases in intensity, would
Richmond, Raymond. “Systematic Desensitization.” A Guide to Psychology and its Practice. Web. 15 May 2014.
Treatment is available and extremely helpful for those suffering with a phobia. Medications and therapy both work well in the majority of cases. In a majority of cases a portion of the therapy is dedicated to causal exposure to the phobia. The exposure is gradually increased until the individual is comfortable in the situation without experiencing an anxiety attack. Group therapy is also beneficial as the individual is exposed to other suffering through the same fears.
Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT) is also often paired with systematic desensitization. CBT is focused on regaining control of reactions to stress and stimuli, ultimately reducing the feeling of helplessness (Palazzolo, 2014). One specific case of Psychotherapeutic Treatment for Aquaphobia takes a closer look at the break down of how systematic desensitization would be applied. Initially, the patient would be given information on their phobia, making it seem as unthreatening as possible and by showing them that they are not alone, as this disorder is common and that there is a cognitive approach to treat their condition. You first explain to the patient step by step the therapy that is going to take place. You ask them to carefully watch themselves throughout each situation and take notice at what parts they find challenging or lead them to avoidance. It is also suggested that the patients rates her anxiety during those situations on a scale from 1-10. The duration of this therapy would be approximately 13 sessions, meeting once a week for 30-45 minutes. The first three sessions are centered around their life and story of their disability, the diagnosis and the analysis of the disorder while working out a review of each sessions and what their ultimate goal