Over the last decade, when the new year began Jessica Irish, of Saline, Michigan, was the same promise: "stop making snacks at night and lose 15 kilos." Like millions of Americans, Jessica, 31, usually resists for two weeks.
But this year was different.
"I've lost nine kilos, and my diet is more regular than ever. And the most striking is that almost never feel like snacking at night."
Jessica says that a device called Pavlok was able to accomplish what years of diets, weight loss programs, gyms guys and his own willpower were not able to do. Whenever she eats one of the things you are avoiding, like chocolate and industrialized snacks, she uses Pavlok to take a choquezinho.
"Whenever you put the food in his mouth, he gave me a shock. I did it five times on the first night, twice in the second, and the third night no longer had more hunger."
As the name suggests, Pavlok --which costs $ 199 and is placed on the wrist like a relógio-- uses the classical theory of Pavlovian conditioning to create a negative association with a particular action. Next time you smoke, chew your fingernail or eat crap, just give a tap on the device or an app for your smartphone to get a shock. The shock lasts a fraction of a second and is the user who chooses the intensity. The power ranges from 50 volts, which appears a strong vibration, 450 volts, which looks like the sting of a giant bee --as comparison, the taser [electroshock weapon] police usually releases a load of about 50 thousand volts.
Other devices and applications bet on behavioral change through aversion therapy, such as MotivAider of $ 49, which acts as a pager, or RE-vibe bracelet, $ 99. Both can be programmed to vibrate at specific intervals as a way to remember a habit that must be stopped, or a goal to be achieved.
The position of assistant Lumo Lift, $ 80 is a disc that vibrates when your posture is bad. But the Spire sensor, $ 150, comes with physical activity and the user's state of mind through breathing patterns. If you notice that you are stressed or anxious, the phone vibrates or sends a notification to your phone so that you remember to take a deep breath.
Applications and devices that shake and give shock use the theory of Pavlovian conditioning
However, Pavlok raises things to a new level, with a much more difficult to ignore the message.
To test the device, I used it for a week, taking shocks whenever he ate dessert. My goal was to avoid sweets after dinner. First, I took the shock before and, on the other days of the week after, when I took ice cream, I ate a cupcake and a cookie with chocolate chips.
When placed at the minimum level, the device causes a tickling sensation. At most, the shock hurts a lot. Very much.
It is worth noting that the creator of Pavlok, Maneesh Sethi once hired a woman to sit beside him and hit hard on her face whenever she saw him using Facebook, so that it would increase productivity. I called Sethi and said that if one day knew us personally, would do best not to punch him in the face for having created such a terrible torture device. "It is always talk that to me," said Sethi with a laugh. "People either love or hate the player."
It was not meant to be painful, "he said." It's an instant and amazing feeling. A shock that forces you to exit the automatic ".
But this kind of self-imposed aversion therapy really work?
"The smartest thing about this device is the name. It is an expensive version of the idea of using a rubber band on the wrist for estralar as a way to stop certain behavior," said Dr. Peter Whybrow, journalist, psychiatrist and neuroscientist Los Angeles.
The Doctor. Marc Potenza, professor of psychiatry at Yale, said the researchers questioned the ethical nature of the shock intervention at a time when there are many more comfortable options such as cognitive-behavioral therapies, pharmaceutical interventions and 12 step programs.
The practice of aversion therapy has been around for about 80 years. The Schick Shadel Hospital, based in Seattle, reports that successfully treated over 65,000 patients addicted to alcohol and other drugs with the help of contracondicionamento methods such as emetic drugs that make patients feel sick when they drink alcohol, or shock therapy.
The hospital medical director, Dr. Kalyan Dandala said he was interested in using Pavlok to help his team to continue the recovery process after the patient leaves the period of 10 days of hospitalization, stating that the use of the device must be accompanied by a professional.
"It is better if it is prescribed as a behavior modification tool. The company needs to refine this aspect, giving more information about the product, and be able to better control the results," Dandala said.
Michelle Freedland, psychiatric nurse from Manhattan, worked with five patients who use the machine to avoid the habit of nail biting, in addition to substance abuse and compulsive behaviors, among others.
"When one of my patients said he was using the unit last year to help you get up in the morning in bed, I was suspicious. I mean, the idea of taking shocks can cause astonishment. But when you learn to use the machine the right way and become more engaged in their own treatment, you tend to take a more serious process. "
Sethi, the founder of the company, said that they were beginning to collect data on the long-term success rate of the device, in addition to planning a clinical study throughout the semester. The Pavlok is in stores since November last year and the company claims that 10,000 people have proven their effectiveness.
Despite the pain and the lack of scientific studies proving the efficacy of long-term experiment, Facebook users and members of discussion forums are excited about the device, considered the last hope for those who eat or drink compulsively.
Bud Hennekes, 24 years blogger who lives in St. Louis, said the Pavlok used to get rid of almost two packs of cigarettes a day. "Before, when he tried to stop, still felt a tremendous urge to smoke. When I used the Pavlok, the will is gone. I do not know if it's scientific or placebo effect, but it does not matter. The important thing is that it worked."
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