Aversion therapy with alcoolism: a review of the litterature
In the present paper, alcoholism has been viewed as a learned behavior. Correspondingly it was shown that learning principles offered a potent source on which to base the restoration of moderate or abstinence responses. Three aversion models of therapy: the classical, the punishment and the avoidance models have been described and the evolution of their application to alcoholism has been reviewed in detail. The survey also attempted to relate the transition from abstinence to moderate drinking as a possible means of maximizing the effects of therapy. Despite optimistic results reported with aversion therapy, it should be borne in mind that the rate of recovery remains within the 40 to 60 per cent range thus disclosing a yet substamtial rate of failure. Another flaw to be underlined and which is seldomly signalled in the literature is the fact that the true problem of alcoholism has only been tackled superficially when recollecting the fact that only a feeble percentage of alcoholics seek rehabilitation. In response to the first argument, one plausible recommendation might be to orient conditioning therapy models to incorporate additional variables of the kind that would operate on motivational factors. By way of example, it is obvious that moderation training offers a more suitable adjustment mechanism. Also, as some authors have indicated, it is essential that tangible and equally gratifying substitutes be made available to the alcoholic as a means of alleviating anxiety. In relation to the second disadvantage, we might attempt a more idealistic suggestion, namely, that of an educational program which would aim at teaching a person how to drink according to a socially defined criterion before any experience of, or without reference to alcoholism as such.
Alcoolisme, Traitement, Thérapie d'aversion
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