Though everyone has habits, it is important to break those harmful ones to yourself or others. Finding ways to stop yourself from potentially dangerous habits that can be addictive, such as smoking or drinking, can be difficult. Through professional help, such as therapy, you can get relief from the burden of an addictive habit.

Some people find help in aversion therapy to help quit something they are having trouble quitting. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about psychiatric services in Virginia, contact Insight Into Action Therapy at 703.935.8544.

What is Aversion Therapy?

Aversion therapy is primarily used for:

• Addiction
• Bad Habits
• Gambling
• Smoking

The point of aversion therapy is to condition a person to associate a bad habit with something uncomfortable. A therapist will show a picture of whatever the client is craving and use some stimuli to affect what is being shown negatively. Stimuli such as a shock or some chemical are often used during sessions.

While in a therapy session, you might be given a shock or a medication that makes you feel sick every time you see an alcoholic beverage to dissuade you from wanting to drink. However, that might not be possible outside of a doctor’s office. Some people create their stimuli at home to prevent a relapse. One example is a person wearing a rubber band and using it to snap on their wrist when they are about to partake in a bad habit.

Benefits of Aversion Therapy

The main benefit of aversion therapy is that you will no longer be interested in a bad habit once it has taken effect as it has become associated with something negative. Not only will you have to worry about temptations, but you will also no longer feel any compulsion either.

Another benefit of aversion therapy is that it is easy to practice at home and in a treatment program. You can use items that you already have or are easily accessible to continue the practice and prevent a relapse.

Why it is Important to Stick with Aversion Therapy

It is a good idea to continue with therapy even after you start to have adverse reactions to a bad habit, as the stimuli used by a professional will most likely be more effective. It is very easy to fall into old habits, so continuing to see a therapist and finding a stimulus that you can use at home is the best way to prevent yourself from having to start over.

You might want to consider coming up with different coping skills along with aversion therapy to make sure that you reduce the chances of returning to a bad habit as much as possible. Talk with your therapist to develop ideas that will best keep you on track outside of therapy.

Find the Therapy Necessary at Insight Into Action Therapy

Finding the motivation and willpower to quit a bad habit is difficult and demanding. At Insight Into Action Therapy, we provide our clients with the best treatment programs to give the best results. Whatever it is you are trying to stop, we will be there every step of the way to ensure that you see success. Please note that as we are an LGBTQ-friendly facility, we only offer aversion therapy for addictions.

Aversion therapy is just one approach you’ll find on offer throughout our treatment programs. Our outpatient center offers many other treatment programs for substance use and mental health disorders, including relapse prevention, group therapy, and dual diagnosis treatment. To speak with our team about all of our programs, contact us at 703.935.8544.