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84.2% of chronic cannabis users break habit

Marijuana — It’s your choice, but in case you want to quit…

This article is not intended to lecture people on whether they should smoke marijuana or not.

Rather, it is aimed at those who are chronic marijuana users, who would like to quit, but are finding it difficult to break the habit.

It describes the results of an experiment where researchers used small, harmless, electric jolts to help chronic marijuana users quit their habit.

If you — or anyone you know — are struggling with a marijuana-smoking habit and are looking to quit, this article will point you in the right direction.

Guess what… Marijuana is addictive too

It is estimated that 9 percent of people who use marijuana become dependent on it.[1][7]

For daily users the number jumps up to anywhere between 25 and 50 percent.[5][6]

Additionally, chronic marijuana users who are trying to quit, often experience withdrawal symptoms. These include irritability, mood and sleep difficulties, decreased appetite, cravings, restlessness, and/or various forms of physical discomfort.

These symptoms peak within the first week after quitting, and last up to 2 weeks.[3][4]

If you’ve ever tried quitting even the tiniest habit, you know how difficult it can be, even if you’re not suffering from withdrawal symptoms.

Clinical trial — Small electric jolts help chronic marijuana users quit habit

In a clinical trial (Smith, Schmeling, Knowles, 1988), a group of volunteer, adult, chronic marijuana users, underwent five sessions of conditioning, utilizing THC-free marijuana.

The 5 sessions took place over five days and were followed by three weekly sessions in self-management counseling.

The participants had been users for an average of 13.7 years and smoked an average of 3.4 marijuana cigarettes daily.

During the session, participants were asked to smoke a THC-free marijuana joint normally. During the process, they were randomly given small, electric jolts which they described as “uncomfortable but not painful”.

Additionally, participants were given a device to wear around the wrist outside treatment sessions. Every time marijuana smoking came to mind, they were to use the device to create discomfort and further condition themselves to stay away from the habit.

The five sessions were followed up by three weekly sessions of group therapy.

100% of participants quit marijuana within just 5 days — 84.2% of participants still clean 1 year later

By the end of the sessions, all participants had quit marijuana completely.

Participants were given follow-up interviews 6 months and 12 months following the treatment. Those who had relapsed were given additional aversion sessions.

As a result, at the 12 month follow-up interview, a stunning 84.2% were still completely clean of their marijuana-smoking habit.

References

Anthony, J. C., Warner, L. A., & Kessler, R. C. (1994, 12). Comparative epidemiology of dependence on tobacco, alcohol, controlled substances, and inhalants: Basic findings from the National Comorbidity Survey. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2(3), 244-268. doi: 10.1037//1064-1297.2.3.244
Budney, A., Roffman, R., Stephens, R., & Walker, D. (2007, 12). Marijuana Dependence and Its Treatment. Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 4(1), 4-16. doi: 10.1151/ASCP07414
Budney, A. J., & Hughes, J. R. (2006, 12). The cannabis withdrawal syndrome. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 19(3), 233-238. doi: 10.1097/01.yco.0000218592.00689.e5
Gorelick, D. A., Levin, K. H., Copersino, M. L., Heishman, S. J., Liu, F., Boggs, D. L., & Kelly, D. L. (2012, 12). Diagnostic criteria for cannabis withdrawal syndrome. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 123(1-3), 141-147. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2011.11.007
Hall, W., & Degenhardt, L. (2009, 12). Adverse health effects of non-medical cannabis use. The Lancet, 374(9698), 1383-1391. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61037-0
Hall, W. (2009, 12). The adverse health effects of cannabis use: What are they, and what are their implications for policy? International Journal of Drug Policy, 20(6), 458-466. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2009.02.013
Lopez-Quintero, C., Cobos, J. P., Hasin, D. S., Okuda, M., Wang, S., Grant, B. F., & Blanco, C. (2011, 12). Probability and predictors of transition from first use to dependence on nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine: Results of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 115(1-2), 120-130. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2010.11.004
Smith, J. W., Schmeling, G., & Knowles, P. L. (1988, 12). 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. doi: 10.1016/0740-5472(88)90018-9

Is Pavlok More Effective Than a Rubber Band?

We’re all aware of our bad habits, whether it’s smoking, gambling, overeating, or otherwise. We know it’s unhealthy, we know we should stop, but something keeps us in the routine.

What is it about toxic habits that makes them so appealing, no matter how motivated we are to stop?

Your Mind Works Like An Iceberg

You might be familiar with the iceberg structure of the mind: imagine an iceberg floating at sea. From afar, it doesn’t look very big. But we can’t see that underwater, it extends hundreds of feet in width and length, much larger than we could’ve anticipated from the surface.

This represents the way your brain works. You can only address what you can see — think of everything above water as your conscious thoughts. You can decide you want to start a diet, promise yourself you’re going to start a diet, and be absolutely sure you’re going to stick to your diet.

But under the surface of the water is the biology of your mind, and the way it’s designed to function. It’s constantly wiring and rewiring connections and associations based on habit and what makes it feel rewarded.

So, while your entire conscious mind is ready to start your diet, the area under the surface hasn’t caught up yet. It still thinks that chocolate cake is the key to happiness, and will mercilessly assault you with cravings until you give it what it wants.

This unconscious zone doesn’t work the same way your active mind does. You can’t use words to talk it out of its desires. It’s like a computer that’s been programmed to function a certain way — it doesn’t respond to reasoning or promises. And that can be discouraging.

However, there is a method to the madness. There is a sensical code that your brain follows to establish, maintain, and break bad habits.

The code is called classical conditioning. Think of Pavlov’s dogs; dogs aren’t born loving the sound of a bell ringing. But dogs love food, and if you continuously ring the bell before giving a dog food, it will learn to love that sound.

Compared to our chocolate cake example: dopamine is a neurotransmitter in your brain that makes you feel good. The sugar in chocolate cake makes your brain release dopamine. So, over time, your brain has learned that chocolate cake means happiness. And even though you’re ready for a diet, your brain isn’t on the same page.

In contrast: I have two dogs. They have carriers, like a hybrid between a suitcase and a cage. My dogs love small spaces, and were obsessed with hanging out in the carriers.

But now, the carriers are only brought out when the dogs need to be brought to the veterinarian. My dogs hate the veterinarian. Consequently, as soon as they see me bringing the carriers out of the basement, they run and hide.

In other words, you can speak your brain’s language by adding an unpleasant factor to what it’s been taught to love. This is called aversion science.

And it works. Aversion science using electric shock is particularly effective — it helps the majority of smokers, drinkers, gamblers, and nailbiters quit.

Pavlok vs. Elastic Bands — which one is more effective?

Pavlok puts this efficacy in your hands with a one-button wristband that lets you self-administer electric shock, and it’s already helped hundreds of people.

A commonly asked question is “what about rubber bands?”, and for good reason — snapping an elastic band on your wrist can be considered a form of aversion science. And at a glance, it might not seem that different from using a wristband to administer an electric shock.

But there’s a reason the majority of clinical aversion studies use electric shock.

It’s controllable: each shock is easy to administer, timed, and has a pre-selected intensity that you can adjust with an app on your phone. Pavlok also ensures that the electric shocks are completely safe, whereas you can actually cause damage by keeping a tight elastic band against your veins.

An electric shock device has been described clinically as an effective way to conduct aversion science, and Pavlok made it simple by putting this device in a wristband. You can use it discreetly to reach your goals, as opposed to conspicuously snapping a rubber band on your wrist repeatedly.

Electric shock has been proven to work in breaking bad habits, and Pavlok gives you the technology that’s been tested in hundreds of clinical trials. We have customer support, we’ll take your feedback and help you maximize your results.

Muscle spasms reduced in 4 sessions

77% of Americans regularly experience physical symptoms caused by stress

The words “stress”, “anxiety”and “frustration”, continue to infiltrate our everyday language. With them, they bring a number of afflictions that take over and ruin our lives.

In fact, research by the American Psychological Association (2014) shows that:

77% of Americans regularly experience physical symptoms caused by stress
73% of Americans regularly experience psychological symptoms caused by stress

With numbers like those, there’s a good chance you too are suffering from stress-related symptoms. It might be small thing — a minor irritation; or it might be something that has a significant impact on your life, affecting your work, relationships, and peace of mind.

This article shows how a technique called “aversion conditioning” can help cure symptoms of stress-related disorders.

The research quoted below deals specifically with a stress-related disorder called “Hysterical Spasmodic Torticollis”.

You might not be suffering from Torticollis, however you should still read this article.

It will show you how aversion conditioning can help you deal with a stress-related disorder you might be suffering from right now, or in the future.

Conditioning through electric jolts successfully eliminates Torticollis symptoms in as little as 4 sessions

Hysterical Spasmodic Torticollis affects the cervical muscles (located in the neck) causing abnormal movements or positioning of the head.

It is frustrating, painful and embarrassing, and can incapacitate sufferers to the point where they cannot function properly in everyday life. Some even end up losing their jobs and their independence.

In a study (Brierley, 1967), two persons who suffered from severe cases of Torticollis, were treated with small, electric jolts. Both had lost their jobs due to the severity of their condition.

The participants were required to wear a headband that detected the movements of their heads. As soon as the head tilted to an abnormal position, the participant would receive a small, harmless electric jolt to the wrist.

Treatment fully successful — Participants relieved of the symptoms, return to their jobs and regain freedom and dignity

By the fourth session, one participant presented no apparent inclination of the head and only reported slight stiffness while washing.

He was also able to once more drive his automobile — an ability he had lost due to his condition.

The second participant responded more slowly to treatment. However, she showed a marked improvement by the fifth session, and appeared symptom-free by the tenth session.

Ten months later she reported, “I am feeling very well now and will be starting work next week” (Brierley, 1967).

Electric jolts also successful in treating compulsive behavior

Considering the seriousness of the cases mentioned above, such a speedy recovery is remarkable.

Furthermore, there are many studies proving the effectiveness of these little jolts in overcoming compulsive behavior, as well as persistent habits such as nail biting, smoking, alcoholism, overeating, and gambling.

References

Brierley, H. (1967, 12). The treatment of hysterical spasmodic torticollis by behaviour therapy. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 5(2), 139-142. doi: 10.1016/0005-7967(67)90011-3

Stress Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2015, from https://www.statisticbrain.com/stress-statistics/

Drink In Moderation

This article isn’t about quitting alcohol forever, it’s about a science-backed method for drinking in moderation.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), one in four U.S. adults binge drinks regularly. ‘Binge drinking’ is defined as having four or more drinks on one occasion. When looking at the U.S. college student population, this number goes up to over 40%. And a study conducted at Columbia University shows that an estimated 1 in 5 college students suffers from an alcohol use disorder.

If you have an interest in cutting down, what’s the next step?

You’ve probably heard of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Right off the bat, there are more than a few parts of the program that discourage newcomers. AA uses a one-size-fits-all approach to alcoholism; it prescribes lifelong abstinence to anyone attending meetings. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, the book that accompanies the program, reads “unless each AA follows the suggested steps to recovery, he signs his own death warrant.”

But this neglects research on the Alcohol Deprivation Effect (ADE). While abstinence may seem like the best way to be in full control of an alcohol addiction, the cravings for alcohol actually increase over time. And in a study on ADE, subjects who tried alcohol after weeks of abstinence drank in higher quantities than ever before.

It’s Not 1935 Anymore – We Know How Addiction Works

Alcoholics Anonymous has no medical evaluation for newcomers, so everyone at every meeting is treated as a lifelong alcoholic and is expected to seek total sobriety. With the proven increased risk of binging on alcohol, it’s not surprising that AA has a success rate between 5 and 10 percent.

AA was founded in the 1930s before we had any concept of the way addiction works in the brain. As a community, it provides an open forum for members to share feelings about their drinking problem.

This type of talk therapy can help a lot of people, but it assumes you’re willing to spill your guts to a room full of strangers, and it doesn’t address the real underlying mechanism of addiction in the brain.

As the neuroscience field developed, we made strides in understanding how addiction works.

Disulfiram (better known as Antabuse) causes nausea, headache, and other unpleasant symptoms when combined with a drink. An opioid antagonist, commonly known as Naltrexone, prevents the mood-altering effects of alcohol.

But if you’d like to be able to drink in moderation, there’s no motivation to keep taking Antabuse, as it will make you sick after any amount of alcohol. And while Naltrexone’s effects are painless, its used by medical professionals to promote abstinence from alcohol, not improved control alone.

And as described by The Atlantic in an article published this month, fewer than 1% of problem-drinkers in the U.S. will receive prescriptions for Antabuse or Naltrexone, as Alcoholics Anonymous is still considered the best route.

Is the Only Option to be Sober Forever?

In previous studies, Naltrexone has been shown to be most effective at reducing drinking when combined with alcohol, as it takes away the rewarding effect of drinking. Your brain has learned to expect a reward from drinking through classical conditioning, and Naltrexone helps you forget this association.

Antabuse helps a significant number of alcoholics quit entirely by adding terrible physical consequences to drinking. This is a form of aversion therapy, where an unpleasant association is added to a routine to further break the habit.

But what if you want to be somewhere in the middle? You’d like to have a drink or two while enjoying the effects that Naltrexone blocks, without the sickening effects that Antabuse adds.

Pavlok can meet you halfway.

Adding a short and safe electric shock to your drinking habit can mimic the efficacy of these drugs. You’ll still feel the alcohol, and you won’t make yourself sick, but the shock will work to break the association your brain has between alcohol and reward.

Relearning How to Drink in Moderation

Shock aversion therapy has been shown to help 60% of alcoholics quit drinking. The study, conducted by the London Institute of Psychiatry, described aversion as the ‘starting point’ of getting over the habit.

And this study didn’t even combine electric shock with the actual act of drinking; the subjects were presented with alcohol-related pictures, and were shocked when they fantasized about drinking alcohol.

Classical conditioning combined with drinking is successful in 80% of alcoholics.

So if your drinking habit has gotten out of hand, and you’re interested in getting some control back, Pavlok might be able to help you out. It’s a one-button wristband that lets you safely self-administer shocks at an intensity level of your choosing.

It’s helped people get rid of habits like smoking and eating junk food through shock aversion therapy, which has been proven to help beat alcoholism, too.

Getting Back to Normal With Pavlok

Pavlok lets you replicate these studies on your own. If you feel the urge to drink, it’s OK — just make sure your wristband is on. Pick a level of shock that works for you, and shock yourself each time you take a sip.

And so on. The shock aversion studies only took a few days to break the association between drinking and reward that kept alcoholics in the routine, so keep track of your cravings and number of drinks.

If you notice your drinking has been reduced (as seen in the studies), you can try having a drink with friends without shocking yourself. If you’re able to enjoy drinking sans-shock in moderation, great! But if you see yourself slipping into old habits, go back to conducting regular aversion sessions as needed.

Of course, if your habit is truly out of control, you might want to speak with a doctor before trying to address the problem on your own.

But if you were able to enjoy drinking in moderation in the past, and you’re finding it hard to cut back on your own, shock aversion therapy can give you some perspective.

Pavlok #1 – Wearables In Healthcare Pilot Challenge

On Monday, March 30, 2015 Pavlok was announced as the #1 finalist in Medstro’s Wearable’s in Healthcare Pilot Challenge.

medstro-pavlok

Thanks to everyone that voted for us — and helped us earn 662 points — more than double the second place score. You’ve given us the chance to compete in the “Final Smackdown” at Google Cambridge at the end of April — which is a step toward doing more clinical trials with the Pavlok device.

In total we had 417 enthusiastic comments about the #1 way people would use Pavlok (and some identified multiple uses). We’ve analyzed the data:

15.9% of people would use Pavlok to do more Exercise/Fitness/Sports

15.2% said increase Productivity & Focus or Decrease Procrastinating & Wasting Time Online.

13.5% said to Wake Up On Time

10.7% said Improve Eating Habits or Eliminate Emotional Eating

3.7% said Quit Smoking

3.7% said Study Better

3.0% said improve their Mindfulness & Gratitude

2.8% said quit Social Media

2.8% said decrease Nervous Ticks

2.2% said Quit Sugar

1.9% said quit Nail Biting

All of the above habits had 10 or more people identify as their #1 use case for Pavlok. The remaining ~24.6% of people represented smaller categories — but we see every use case as critical to our mission of helping you change your behaviour. More than anything, we are excited about the diversity of Pavlok Users and how you want to improve.

Here is the entire list of categories and results:

Exercise/Fitness/Sports	86
Productivity/Focus/Procrastinating/Wasting time online	82
Sleep/Snooze	73
Eating Habits (emotional eating)	58
Quit Smoking	20
Start Studying	20
Mindfulness/gratitudes	16
Quit Social Media	15
Nervous Ticks	15
Quit Sugar	12
Nail Biting	10
Quit Video Games	9
Spending Habits Financial	9
Break pessimism /negative thoughts/judgment	8
Writing	7
Quit Caffeine	6
Quit Soda	6
Code	5
Languages	5
Posture	5
Morning Routine	5
Regular Schedule/Routine	4
Morality/Compassion	4
Quit TV	4
Reading	4
Memory/Remember to do’s	3
Stress	3
Quit Alcohol	3
Couples/Friends	3
Help others with their habits	3
Stop impulsively using cellphone	3
Water	3
Music	3
BE MORE AWESOME	2
Cursing/Slang	2
Take medication	2
Chores/Dishes/Bed	2
Approach anxiety	2
Weed/doing drugs	2
Email	2
Stress while driving	1
Send Money when habits broken	1
Build good habits	1
API	1
Holding commitments	1
Anger	1
Cracking my knuckles	1
Consistent motivation , finishing	1
Change the world	1
Full oral hygiene routine	1
Disengaging from work	1
Train my pet	1
Masturbation	1
Time training	1

67% Of Smokers Quit Their Habit

Researchers use small electric jolts to help smokers quit the habit and stay smoke-free up to one year later

Study Results: Shock conditioning effects on smoking cessation

There are two categories of smokers.

Those in the first category are quite happy with the habit. They know and understand the risks. They’ve been warned by health professionals, and by their thinning wallet, faltering breath and all sorts of other telltale signs that this is a dangerous game they’re playing. But they choose to smoke anyways.

Hopefully, you belong to the second category.

You want to quit.

And if that’s the case, you’ve probably tried and failed more times than you care to remember.

Nothing seems to work.

You tried smoking less — But then life happened and you went back to smoking your usual amount, if not more.
You tried to quit overnight — But pretty soon you turned into a raging fiend on a rampage, so you decided to preserve your sanity and pick up the habit once again.
You tried nicotine patches — But you realized they were no substitute for the “activity” of smoking, so you threw them out and bought another pack of smokes.

The list goes on and it keeps getting longer.

It’s a very disheartening picture for you and so many other smokers out there who keep trying and failing.

Why you fail at quitting smoking

It’s simple. You keep failing because smoking is a habit. And by nature, habits are reinforced every time you repeat the behavior.

You might try to exercise willpower. But willpower is a limited resource, and habits tend to outrun willpower over time.

Smoking is like a toxic relationship. Cigarettes become a part of your life. Think about it.

You smoke:

when you have coffee
when you socialize
after you eat (or even while you eat)
after sex
while you drive
when you’re stressed, sad, angry, upset, grieving, crying
when you’re relaxed, enjoying yourself, happy
when you mourn the loss of someone

The cigarette cheats you into thinking that it’s part of every one of those activities. Eventually it becomes an extension of “you”.

And that’s precisely why it’s so difficult, so terrifying, to quit smoking.

You need to reprogram your brain.

Thankfully, 80+ years ago, science discovered a method to do just that. And studies show that it has an astonishing success rate with all sorts of habits, including smoking!

Researchers use small electric jolts to successfully help 67% of smokers quit in as little as 5 days

In a research experiment, a number of smokers were treated with harmless electric jolts to help them quit smoking. The participants smoked an average of 21.5 cigarettes per day. They had all previously tried to quit smoking by their own will-power or other conventional means.

Participants were hooked up with electrodes and provided a favorite brand of cigarettes. At some point during the smoking process, they would be given a signal. This signal was followed three out of four times by an electric jolt.

The participants had been instructed to put out the cigarette upon receiving the signal. Failure to do so immediately would result in a second jolt.

Additionally, they were asked to imagine a favorite situation for smoking, such as the first cigarette of the morning. As they reached the imaginary moment of lighting the cigarette, the same signal/jolt procedure was carried out.

From 21.5 cigarettes a day, to 1.4 cigarettes a day in 3 sessions, with most participants quitting the habit within 5 sessions

Study Results: Shock conditioning effects on smoking cessation
By the end of the treatment, 67% of the participants had quit smoking completely, and when assessed one year later, 43% were still off cigarettes.

According to the researchers, “there was a noticeable effect after the first session” (Russell, 1970).

The attitude of participants towards cigarettes changed drastically.

In fact, feedback included comments such as “I threw it away after two draws, to my surprise”; “I took only a few puffs-I just didn’t fancy it. My mate laughed when I threw it out the window.” (Russell, 1970)

One participant even complained that the “cigarettes were stale”. (Russell, 1970)

References

Russell, M. A. (1970, 12). Effect of Electric Aversion on Cigarette Smoking. Bmj, 1(5688), 82-86. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5688.82