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Aversive behavior therapy for chronic stomach pain: a case study
1Massachusetts Department of Mental Health P.O. Box 144, Wrentham, Mass. 02093 U.S.A.
Pain
|October 1, 1977
Summary
A combined treatment effectively managed chronic stomach pain by using aversive conditioning to reduce pain sensations. Psychotherapy was then crucial for resolving the resulting depression.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Severe, chronic stomach pain can be linked to somatized depression.
- Individual psychotherapy or behavior therapy alone may not resolve complex cases.
Observation:
- A patient with chronic gastric pain and somatized depression showed limited improvement with isolated treatments.
- Aversive conditioning successfully eliminated pain reports and sensations.
Findings:
- While aversive conditioning reduced physical pain symptoms, it led to increased depression.
- Analytically oriented psychotherapy was effective in treating the emergent depression.
Implications:
- Combined behavioral and psychodynamic approaches may be necessary for treating somatized depression with chronic pain.
- Treatment strategies should address both physical symptoms and underlying psychological distress.
- The interplay between pain and depression requires integrated therapeutic interventions.