Counterconditioning

Research

Counterconditioning, on the other hand, involves changing the individual’s response to the stimulus rather than the stimulus itself. Often addicted individuals cannot avoid triggers and must learn to cope with them. They must learn To be in situations where alcohol is being served without drinking, how to pass by an old neighborhood where they bought drugs without turning in for a hit, or how to be among smokers without smoking. Desensitization, relaxation training, distraction, and constructive self-talk are all strategies representing the counterconditioning process of change. Acceptance strategies and mindfulness training are other counterconditioning strategies that are being used for both supporting action and preventing relapse (Hayes &Levin, 2012; Witkiewitz et al., 2014). These activities may help the addicted individual to survive the craving or desire for the substance until that response is extinguished. DiClemente, Carlo C., Addiction and Change