Conditioned Compensatory Response

A conditioned compensatory response is an automatic response that the body and mind experience that is opposite of the effects of alcohol. According to the school of empathetic counseling, conditioned behavior is a large part of drug addiction. This, paired with unconditioned stimuli, supports the addiction. Or more directly, most alcohol or drug consumption occurs within some sort of behavioral framework.

For example, some people grab a beer or pour a drink immediately after getting home from work. When the body is accustomed to this pattern it will start to prepare itself for an influx of alcohol and start producing a chemical response that keeps the individual from feeling drunk immediately. This is considered the "conditioned compensatory response." In treatment settings, exposing patients to this conditioned response without the support of the unconditioned stimulus (alcohol) can be useful to wean a person off of their alcohol addiction. This process is called extinction and is recognized as a part of the spectrum of classical conditioning.