Treatments for Alcohol Addiction - Aversion Therapy

Question 1

What is aversion therapy?

Answer 1

A form of behaviour therapy based upon the principles of classical conditioning

Question 2

What is the aim of aversion therapy?

Answer 2

Aimed at changing or removing undesirable behaviours by creating an association between the undesirable behaviour and a stimulus designed to bring about an aversive response

Question 3

Where does aversion therapy take place?

Answer 3

For alcohol addiction is usually administered in a clinical setting and under supervision

Question 4

What may clients of aversion therapy first have to undergo before treatment?

Answer 4

Clients may first have to undergo detoxification before treatment starts

Question 5

What is disulfiram?

Answer 5

An emetic drug

Its effects are only triggered when a small amount of alcohol is consumed

Question 6

How does disulfiram work?

Answer 6

Disulfiram stops oxidisation of alcohol so toxins build in the body causing nausea

Question 7

What are the effects of disulfiram?

Answer 7

Patient would experience nausea, shortness of breath, vomiting, throbbing headache for a period of 30 minutes of several hours

Combination of disulfiram with alcohol which produces these symptoms

Question 8

How does an association develop between alcohol and disulfiram?

Answer 8

Only takes one drink to produce reaction and for user to become sick

Eventually alcohol will be associated with aversive response of nausea and headache and patient will no longer find drinking alcohol enjoyable

Important patients also given non-alcoholic drinks at times they don’t feel nauseous so their response isn’t generalised to all drinks

Question 9

How long does disulfiram last for?

Answer 9

Absorbed slowly and may last for two weeks after initial intake

No tolerance to disulfiram, and the longer it is taken the stronger the effects

Disulfiram isn’t given if alcohol has been consumed in the last 12 hours

Question 10

How often are aversion therapy sessions?

Answer 10

Client will receive regular aversion therapy sessions as part of a treatment program that also includes counselling

Session are roughly once every two weeks

Each session lasts for up to an hour and involves repeating this process many times in order to build association

Question 11

What is the supporting evidence/strengths of aversion therapy as a treatment for alcohol addiction?

Answer 11

Howard (2001)

Frawley & Smith (1992)

Eclectic approach

Covert sensitisation

Question 12

What is the refuting evidence/weaknesses of aversion therapy as a treatment for alcohol addiction?

Answer 12

Smith et al (1997)

Ethical issues

Social control

Underlying issues

Question 13

Why is Howard (2001) supporting evidence for aversion therapy as a treatment for alcohol addiction?

Answer 13

Howard treated 82 alcohol dependents with an emetic drug for 10 days

After this treatment, the subjects stated that they felt they would be able to resist drinking due to the therapy thus supporting the effectiveness of aversion therapy

Question 14

Why is Frawley & Smith (1992) supporting evidence for aversion therapy as a treatment for alcohol addiction?

Answer 14

Frawley & Smith found good success rates when aversion therapy is used to treat alcoholism with 81% of alcohol abusers abstaining for at least 6 months following treatment and 71% still abstinent after 20 months

Question 15

Why is an eclectic approach a strength of aversion therapy as a treatment for alcohol addiction?

Answer 15

Detox is required first to ensure the drinker doesn’t experience sudden withdrawal which can be life-threatening

Drinker then receives medication combined with counselling to address both their physical and psychological issues

Question 16

Why is covert sensitisation a strength of aversion therapy as a treatment for alcohol addiction?

Answer 16

Principles of aversion therapy have been adapted so that the drug addict isn’t actually made to feel physically sick using emetic drugs.

Instead they are asked simply to imagine feeling sick

This version of therapy is known as covert sensitisation is therefore viewed as more ethical

Question 17

Why is Smith et al (1997) refuting evidence for aversion therapy as a treatment for alcohol addiction?

Answer 17

Smith gave clients either emetic aversion or electrical aversion and found that although after six months the treatment appeared to have been successful, by 12 months the majority of those treated relapsed

Refuting long term effectiveness of aversion therapy

Question 18

Why is ethical issues a weakness of aversion therapy as a treatment for alcohol addiction?

Answer 18

Aversion therapy as a treatment for alcohol abuse requires the client to undergo detoxification first which is likely to result in unpleasant withdrawal symptoms

However, for many, the alternative is worse as sustained alcohol abuse will seriously impair health

Question 19

Why is social control a weakness of aversion therapy as a treatment for alcohol addiction?

Answer 19

Aversion therapy often criticised on ethical grounds due to the power of those administering the therapy over their clients

Although clients are usually asked for their permission for the therapy to go ahead, as it is wider society which determines what behaviour is acceptable, the client may feel pressued to accept the treatment

Question 20

Why is underlying issues a weakness of aversion therapy as a treatment for alcohol addiction?

Answer 20

Aversion therapy doesn’t address the causes of addiction and is therefore prone to have high rates of relapse over time

e.g. if the addiction is caused by personal or social issues these may still be there and the individual may not have learned coping skills to deal with these

Therefore, aversion therapies are most effective when combined with other treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy or social support