USE OF AVERSION THERAPY IN DISSOCIATIVE PSEUDO-SEIZURE PATIENTS

Abstract

Background: psychological methods are less commonly used in treatment of psychiatric illnesses in hospital setup. In some psychiatric illnesses drug use has limiting effect in full cure of illness due to psychosocial dynamics associated with those illnesses.

Aim: In dissociative conversion disorder one theory states that primary gain is conversion of mental or emotional feeling into physical symptoms and secondary gain is any other external benefit from physical symptom occurred in primary gain. Like in a disturbed marital conflict wife develops episodic unresponsiveness (pseudo seizures) as primary gain and revived attention and care of husband due to this episodic unresponsiveness (pseudo seizures) as secondary gain. It is hypothesized that dissociative conversion reaction develops and become resistant by getting these two primary and secondary gains. Our study aim at providing unpleasant mild aversive electric current to the subjects along with standard pharmacotherapy to make patient condition to this painful stimulus and end their maladaptive behavior. 

Material and Methods: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 was used for making diagnosis and Dissociative Experiences Scale and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) for evaluating the response of treatment. Mild electric current (30 mili columb) was used in test group along with standard treatment group.

Results: In test group improvement in terms of Dissociative Experiences Scale and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) and number of episodes of unresponsiveness was better.

Conclusion: Use of mild electric current as aversive stimulus as compared to standard treatment group was found more affective mode of treatment

Keywords: dissociative, conversion, aversion therapy, pseudo seizures, electric current