What’s behavior modification?

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Behavior modification is a treatment that teaches patients adaptive behavior and breaks bad habits. It can be used for phobias, anxiety disorders, and bad habits, and is offered by mental health professionals. Sessions are tailored to the patient and can use punishments or rewards. It can benefit patients with developmental disabilities and is used to treat conditions such as autism. Practitioners use sensitive approaches to avoid creating further behavior problems.

Behavior modification is a type of treatment that focuses on altering maladaptive behavior, to teach patients more adaptive behavior and to break bad habits. There are a number of applications for this treatment and there are also a number of approaches to this type of treatment. It’s a good idea to consult with several experts before pursuing behavior modification to determine whether or not it is appropriate for a patient, and learn about different approaches to see if there is one that may be more suitable for one patient than another. This type of therapy is offered by a variety of mental health professionals.

In behavior modification sessions, patients are essentially trained in maladaptive behavior. Several sessions may be required and the approach is usually tailored to the patient. Approaches can be as simple as breaks for a misbehaving child in class, or as complex as biofeedback systems designed to get patients to stop chewing their nails. Some types of modification use punishments of various forms, which has drawn criticism, as some people believe that punishment is not effective and may even be harmful.

Phobias, anxiety disorders, and bad habits can all be treated with this type of therapy. For example, a patient who has a fear of water might undergo systematic desensitization to remove the fear. Bad habits that can be treated with behavior modification can include nail biting, hair chewing, finger sucking, and a variety of other problems. This therapy can also be used to treat problems such as bedwetting or acting out.

Patients with developmental disabilities can sometimes benefit from sessions that teach adaptive behaviors so they feel more comfortable in society. Behavior modification is also used to treat conditions such as autism, providing patients with skills that will raise their level of functioning in society. Current modification therapy can be used in both children and adults.

While the term “behavior modification” may sound a little creepy, the sessions are generally sensitive. The practitioner does not want to create further behavior problems by approaching the patient aggressively or by choosing an approach method that is inappropriate for the patient. While some tactics in earlier eras may have been harsh or abusive, most practitioners today recognize that these treatment methods are not effective and can be actively harmful, choosing carrots over sticks when it comes to helping their patients.




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