aversion therapy /əvur″zhən/ [L, aversus, a turning away] , a form of behavior therapy in which punishment or unpleasant or painful stimuli, such as electric shock or drugs that induce nausea, are used to suppress undesirable behavior. The procedure is used in treating such conditions as drug abuse, alcoholism, gambling, overeating, smoking, and various sexual deviations. Also called aversive stimulus. See also behavior therapy.
