Heroin is a highly addictive substance and for this reason after concluding heroin rehab it is still a hard habit to kick. Staying heroin free is a very difficult process especially for those who were heavily addicted for this reason, alternative treatments have been suggested. Recently classical conditioning has been found to have an effect on those suffering from an addiction to heroin.
Study
The study focused on changing the addicts’ memories as opposed to introducing pharmaceuticals, by using a simple behavioral procedure. This simple process reduced the cravings that the heroin addicts were feeling that may have lead to relapse. The experiment involved using a classical conditional theory that included a blue square that was paired with a low intensity electric shock to the wrist. The participants began to associate blue squares with the low intensity shocks which would in turn lead to a fearful or anxiety prone response when looking at the blue square. After these sessions the participants were then shown the square not accompanied by shocks, which lead to the extinction training. This means that there was no long fear associated with seeing the blue square. The suggestion is that if the fearful responses could be extinguished from the blue squares, then the same can be done for the association with drug paraphernalia and the want to get high.
What This Means
This would mean a breakthrough in the addiction recovery realm, meaning that addicts could stay clean without the use of narcotics such as methadone or buprenex. This sort of conditioning could also do wonders for those who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder as it could rewire the memory process. Clearly more studies need to be done, but it is definitely a step in the positive direction.
For anyone who has tried to quit smoking or has tried to limit their intake of alcohol or caffeine, often it’s difficult due to habits or nostalgia. For example many people smoke when they drink, therefore they associate drinking with smoking, and they smoke even though they’re trying to quit. Basically the study is trying to show that those experiencing certain cravings that could lead to a relapse could perhaps be conditioned otherwise. It is definitely not a cure and heroin drug rehabilitation is necessary, but could lead to further alternative treatments down the road.
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