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Aversion Therapy

a person refuses drugs after aversion TherapyIt can be challenging for a person to modify their behavior. Even seemingly innocuous habits like nail-biting can be a challenge to quit. So, it should come as no surprise that people living with substance use disorder or alcohol addiction often require significant professional interventions to break these habits. Addiction creates physical dependence and changes in brain chemistry, making it hard for a person to quit. One treatment option is aversion therapy. Aversion therapy is a cornerstone of several addiction treatment programs at high-quality centers.

Are you or someone you love living with an addiction? The Arbor Behavioral Healthcare may be the right choice for you. The Arbor Experience is centered around a comprehensive, whole-person approach to behavioral health and addiction recovery. The Arbor Behavioral Healthcare offers a broad continuum of care, including residential, intensive outpatient, and extended sober living programs. There is also a wide variety of amenities to support recovery and community reintegration. Contact The Arbor Behavioral Healthcare at 844.413.2690 today to learn more about our programs and treatment options.

What Does Aversion Mean?

The human brain’s natural tendency is to seek pleasure and reject pain. Addiction alters a person’s brain chemistry and creates a constant craving for drugs or alcohol. The disease also reduces a person’s capacity for self-control.

Aversion therapy operates on principles of behavioral conditioning. It trains the brain to associate the substance or behavior with painful or unpleasant feelings.

What Is Aversion Therapy and How Does It Work?

In short, aversion therapy cultivates a sense of disgust towards the behavior or habit the client is seeking to curb. Aversion therapy works by exposing the client to the substance or behavior at the center of their addiction (thinking about an alcoholic drink, for example). At the same time, the client is subjected to an unpleasant stimulus; these could include:

  • Emetics, which are medications that induce nausea or vomiting
  • Pharmaceuticals that produce undesirable side effects when they interact with alcohol or a particular addictive substance
  • Imaginal stimuli, or the use of unpleasant imagery
  • Sensory stimuli, or unpleasant smells, tastes, or touch
  • Electric shocks

Aversion therapy is one tool of many in behavioral healthcare and addiction recovery. Aversion therapy can help a person resist the opportunity to indulge in their alcohol or drug addiction at the moment that they are confronted with the opportunity to do so. But it’s crucial to consider aversion therapy within a broader treatment context. For example, a dual diagnosis program can address co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders. This therapy treats the root cause of addiction and gives clients tools for managing the many interdependent dimensions of mental health, addiction, and overall wellness.

A Wide Variety of Treatment Is at the Heart of the Arbor Experience

There is no single addiction treatment option that will work for everyone. That’s why The Arbor Behavioral Healthcare offers a broad range of treatment options designed to cater to the whole person and their families. We utilize a variety of treatment modalities for drug and alcohol addiction. The Arbor Behavioral Healthcare also provides personalized approaches to nutritional support, physical wellness, and co-occurring mental health issues.

The Arbor Behavioral Health is 100% dedicated to supporting anyone and everyone. We offer a therapeutic approach as big as Texas itself, with treatments including equine and art therapies and support groups for clients’ families. No matter where you are in your recovery journey, cutting-edge addiction treatment is available to you now. Contact The Arbor Behavioral Healthcare today at 844.413.2690 to learn more about our luxury facilities and familial treatment context. Our intake team will be happy to get you or someone you love the help you need quickly and discreetly.