Category: Science Articles

“It’s easy to quit smoking. I’ve done it hundreds of times.”

Whoever came up with that gag may have said it in jest, but there’s truth in it. Millions of people quit smoking every day using a variety of methods. The majority though, pick it right up in less than 24 hours.

Smoking is a tough nut to crack, and behavioral scientists have been trying to come up with a solution for a long time.

One particular clinical study (Chapman, Smith, Layden, 1971) focused on the use of punishment and self-management training to help smokers quit their habit.

Clinical study: Just 5 sessions of small electric jolts help smokers break habit

In the study, 23 adults who had been smoking from 4 to 48 years, and from 14 to 60 cigarettes a day, were treated with small electric jolts for a number of sessions.

During the sessions, participants were asked to look at cigarette advertisements and to smoke their favorite brand of cigarettes. While performing these activities, they would receive unpleasant electric jolts.

However, they were not given a jolt when putting out a cigarette.

Additionally, participants were trained in routines and techniques for self-control.

Results: 21 out of 23 participants quit smoking and still clear of habit 2 weeks after treatment

Out of the 23 participants, 21 managed to quit their habit completely in as little as 5 sessions, and stick to zero cigarettes up to two weeks later.

Considering the dismal success rate for other smoking-cessation methods out there, the results of this experiment are very encouraging. There are also numerous other studies where treatment via electric jolts has successfully helped people kick a long-standing smoking habit.

Additionally, over the past 80+ years, scientists have been using this approach to treat a variety of other habits such as chronic marijuana use, heroin addiction, alcoholism, overeating, and gambling.

Bibliography

Chapman, R. F., Smith, J. W., & Layden, T. A. (1971). Elimination of cigarette smoking by punishment and self-management training. Behaviour Research And Therapy, 9(3), 255–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(71)90011-8

Nowadays, modern science understands most of the workings of the body. However, there are still odd challenges that require unorthodox or unusual solutions, as in the case of a 14-year-old boy suffering from a chronic cough.

Boy suffers from mysterious, persistent cough, causing him to be expelled from school

The cough started normally enough as a result of a cold. But once the cold had been cured, the cough persisted. A series of tests, medication, and eventually psychological help failed to produce any results.

Soon, the boy became a target for derision by both school mates and teachers. He was eventually expelled from school for disturbing class, and not allowed to return until he had his cough under control.

Finally, he was admitted to CARIH, the Children’s Asthma Research Institute and Hospital. Further tests proved definitively that the boy was not asthmatic.

So, doctors suggested the use of aversion therapy, which involves giving the patient mild electric jolts to stop compulsive behavior. It is a technique that has been used successfully for over 80 years.

In fact, it’s not uncommon for the unwanted behavior to disappear completely within just 5 sessions of treatment, with no relapse whatsoever.

In this boy’s case however, the results were nothing short of astonishing.

Treatment has immediate effect — cough is gone after a single mild electric jolt

The boy was first monitored to assess the frequency of his cough, which was found to occur 22 times in one hour.

Next, it was intended for the boy to receive an electric jolt to the wrist after every cough. Surprisingly though, following the first cough and single electric jolt, the boy’s coughing disappeared completely.

The boy did not cough for the rest of the day, nor the next. In fact, he was sent home and returned to school and resumed his studies normally.

More importantly, a follow-up assessment 21/2 years later found the boy still symptom-free and doing well at school, having just made the Dean’s list for the first time in his academic career.

Besides curing compulsive behaviors, electric jolts have also been found incredibly effective in breaking habits such smoking, alcoholism, overeating, and gambling.

Bibliography

Creer, T. L., Chai, H., & Hoffman, A. (1977). A single application of an aversive stimulus to eliminate chronic cough. Journal Of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 8(1), 107–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7916(77)90116-1

It is an established belief that those who have suffered from alcoholism can never go back to drinking socially in moderation.

Someone who has broken free of alcoholism knows it takes tremendous effort, will-power and support to do so, and that one drink is all it takes to go spiralling back into the habit.

A study (Lovibond, Caddy, 1970) from the University of New South Wales set out to dispel this belief, and succeeded beyond expectations.

Electric jolts give alcoholics an “inbuilt stop mechanism” allowing them to drink socially in moderation without giving up alcohol completely

In 1970, two researchers designed a program aimed at training alcoholics to drink socially and in moderation.

The purpose of the treatment was to provide alcoholics with “an inbuilt stop mechanism which will assist [their] own efforts at self-control” (Lovibond, Caddy, 1970).

In the first phase, the 31 volunteers were trained to recognize their own blood alcohol level (BAC) according to their state and symptoms. This skill would help them determine a “limit” beyond which it would not be acceptable to continue drinking.

In the second phase, the participants were instructed to drink their favorite alcoholic beverage. Once their BAC passed the “limit” determined in phase 1, they would randomly start to receive unpleasant electric jolts every time they drank.

75% of patients lose their desire to drink past 3 glasses in as little as 6 sessions — Results maintained up to 50 weeks later

Within 6 – 12 sessions, 75% of the patients gained the ability to drink in a controlled fashion and only rarely exceeding their “limit”.

Additionally, 11% experienced considerable improvement in their control of alcohol consumption, while another 10% improved moderately.

Some of the participants were contacted up to 50 weeks after treatment and were found to have maintained their control on moderate drinking.

Most importantly, the successful participants experienced a “dramatic improvement in [their] general health, well-being and self-respect” (Lovibond, Caddy, 1970) and lost their desire to continue drinking beyond three or four glasses.

80+ years of data show how electric jolts can help break alcoholism and other persistent habits

Media and society constantly bombard us with messages about how drinking is a social norm. This social conditioning, together with the instant gratification of alcohol and its withdrawal symptoms, makes Alcoholism one of the hardest addictions to break.

Considering all this, a 75% success rate is staggering. However, this figure is neither surprising nor unheard of in the field of “aversion therapy” — the method used in the research quoted earlier.

Over the past 80+ years, many other studies have found electric jolts effective against alcoholism.

These electric jolts have also helped chronic marijuana users, heroin addicts as well as many people with habits such as smoking, alcoholism, overeating, and gambling.

 

Bibliography

Lovibond, S., & Caddy, G. (1970). Discriminated aversive control in the moderation of alcoholics’ drinking behavior. Behavior Therapy, 1(4), 437–444. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0005-7894(70)80069-7

There is a very old and telling practice in certain communities — when a child tells a lie or speaks something foul, the parent or guardian will force-wash the child’s mouth with soap. The practice is meant to show the child that such filthy words should be cleansed from one’s mouth.

However, the unpleasant taste of the soap (which in olden days was particularly disgusting), serves as an added repulsive element.

Interestingly, for the past 80+ years, science has been using different variations of this method to break habits, and the results have been formidable.

The method is called “Aversion Therapy”.

Disclaimer: Pavlok does not recommend you wash your mouth or anyone else’s mouth with soap.

An approach that can effectively break a wide range of habits and addictions

Various forms of aversion therapy have been used to break all sorts of habits, addictions and compulsive behavior.

A study from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Vargas, Adesso, 1976) compared the effectiveness of three alternative types of aversion therapy on chronic nail biters: electric jolt, negative practice, and bitter substance. All groups experienced an increase in nail growth.

Another study (Hallam, Rachman, Falkowski, 1972) focused on curing chronic alcoholism by using small electric jolts. As a result, a staggering 60% of the participants had quit drinking by the end of the treatment, and reported repugnance towards the sight and smell of alcohol even after 4-8 weeks.

Clinical studies have also found this approach effective against chronic marijuana addiction (Smith, Schmeling, Knowles, 1988) and heroin use (Lubetkin, Fishman, 1974).

Breaking your own habits — Which method to use?

There is research (Lazarus, 1968) that indicates certain habits might be easier to break when using a specific type of aversion. So, a bitter taste might be more effective in breaking habits that deal with taste, such as overeating or alcoholism. On the other hand, electric jolts might work better on “tactile” activities such as compulsive hand washing.

However, certain methods are more practical than others.

Let’s say you wanted to stop biting your nails. There are quite a few products out there that you could apply to your nails to give them a foul taste.

Unfortunately, these come with quite a few mixed reviews and a fair share of horror stories — people breaking into rashes, suffering from bouts of vomiting, or getting blisters in their mouths.

Additionally, some of these products contain allergens such as Benzophenone, which was named Contact Allergen of the Year by the American Contact Dermatitis Society’s 2014.

 

Bibliography

Retrieved May 24, 2015, from https://www.edermatologynews.com/single-view/benzophenones-named-2014-contact-allergen-of-the-year/cb086f7e351cccbcfd9dbf5fa806762b.html

Hallam, R., Rachman, S., & Falkowski, W. (1972). Subjective, attitudinal and physiological effects of electrical aversion therapy. Behaviour Research And Therapy, 10(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(72)90002-2

Lazarus, A. A. (1968). Aversion Therapy And Sensory Modalities-Clinical Impressions. Perceptual And Motor Skills, 27(1), 178–178. https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.1968.27.1.178

Lubetkin, B. S., & Fishman, S. T. (1974). Electrical aversion therapy with a chronic heroin user. Journal Of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 5(2), 193–195. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7916(74)90113-x

Mcguire, R. J., & Vallance, M. (1964). Aversion Therapy by Electric Shock: a Simple Technique. Bmj, 1(5376), 151–153. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.1.5376.151

Smith, J. W., Schmeling, G., & Knowles, P. L. (1988). A marijuana smoking cessation clinical trial utilizing THC-free marijuana, aversion therapy, and self-management counselling. Journal Of Substance Abuse Treatment, 5(2), 89–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/0740-5472(88)90018-9

Vargas, J. M., & Adesso, V. J. (1976). A comparison of aversion therapies for nailbiting behavior. Behavior Therapy, 7(3), 322–329. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0005-7894(76)80058-5

24 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder.

Some people don’t care what others think about them. They live their lives serene and self-assured. Nothing seems to touch them.

For others, it’s not so easy. Social expectations, peer pressure and media indoctrination often burden us with unrealistic self-expectations. These factors can bring us to a point where we feel we aren’t good enough, throwing us into a destructive vicious cycle.

Statistics (ANAD, 2015) show a terrifying picture:

• Up to 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder) in the U.S.
• Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.
• In a survey of 185 female students on a college campus, 58% felt pressure to be a certain weight, and of the 83% that dieted for weight loss, 44% were of normal weight.

If 44% are of normal weight, 56% fall outside the “normal weight” category. So why are 83% dieting for weight loss? Why are 58% feeling pressured to be a certain weight?

22-year-old woman suffering from eating disorder had started inducing vomiting at age 14 for fear of gaining weight

A clinical study (Kenny, Solyom, 1971) published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, deals with the case of a 22-year-old woman who had been suffering from compulsive vomiting for 8 years.

The disorder started when she was just 14 years old. Concerned about being “plump” and gaining weight, she started inducing vomiting by gagging after large meals.

At first she considered the experience “pleasurable”. However, as the frequency of her vomiting increased to once a week, she realized her behavior was unhealthy and became concerned.

Despite her efforts not to vomit, the episodes actually increased in frequency. Instead of just after heavy meals, she was now vomiting after most meals and snacks.

By the time she sought treatment, she was vomiting an average of three times a day and this had taken a heavy toll on her job, health and overall life.

Electric jolts help young woman overcome compulsion to vomit in just 15 brief sessions

During the treatment sessions, the young woman was asked to visualize the compulsive process over eight steps, starting with the consumption of a large meal and ending with vomiting.

Once the woman had successfully visualized the step, she would signal the therapist who would send an unpleasant electric jolt to her middle finger.

As the sessions progressed, she found it increasingly harder to visualize each step. She also felt less compelled to vomit.

Finally, after 15 sessions she was asked to try her best to stop completely. She found it was easy to stop.

Furthermore, after three months of follow-up, the compulsive vomiting had not returned, and the woman felt confident in her ability to regulate her eating behavior.

Many other cases of compulsive behavior such as scratching and hair pulling successfully treated using electric jolts

The clinical study mentioned above is just one of many such studies spanning 80+ years of research into what is called Aversion Conditioning. It consists of using unpleasant electric stimulation to treat cases of compulsive behavior such as scratching, hand washing and hair pulling.

Researchers have also successfully used it to cure habits such as smoking, alcoholism, overeating, and gambling, as well as addictions including the chronic use of marijuana and heroin.

Humanity is plagued by a big bad list of habits, but these electric jolts could very well be the key to ridding us of these parasites.

 

Bibliography

ANAD. Retrieved May 17, 2015, from https://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/

Kenny, F. T., & Solyom, L. (1971). The treatment of compulsive vomiting through faradic disruption of mental images. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 105(10), 1071.

As efforts to decriminalize marijuana continue, we have more benefits than just being able to smoke pot — we can research its effects on the brain, too.

Cannabis is federally classified as a Schedule I drug, which means that it’s not only illegal, but it’s also considered to have no medical use whatsoever. That makes it unlawful to study anything involving pot, even in a clinical setting.

But this 2015 study takes advantage of Colorado’s recent marijuana legalization to observe its effect on smokers. And it doesn’t look pretty.

57 students at the University of Colorado were selected because they smoked pot more than twice a week. Their smoking and study habits were observed for two weeks.

The study found significant negative correlations between marijuana use and academic motivation. Not only that, but minutes spent smoking was found to be a direct negative predictor of GPA. Specifically, heavy smokers had a GPA over 7% lower than non-smokers.

So while marijuana legalization has been a long time coming, that means our understanding of its effects on cognitive processes has been stalled as well. Before you light up to celebrate when decriminalization comes to you, take a look at the science that comes with it.