Originally Posted by Thrifty
Today is another matter, it seems like the more I read, the more the AV keeps trying to chime in.
In psychology this is called an "extinction burst" or "response burst". It is common and predictable whenever a behavior is being extinguished. When the reinforcer that is normally paired with a behavior is removed, a period of frenzied activity to get the desired reinforcer is often observed. I have dealt with this in relation to my addiction and also in relation to my son's autism. In working to modify some of his inappropriate behaviors, I often observed this "resonse burst" and it was almost unbearable at times. This is a critical time because often people just give up...thinking "see, this just isn't going to work." The behavior gets reinforced again, often becoming more deeply imbedded. However, if one can "hold out" through the burst, when it passes the behavior decreases and is eventually extinguished. Just knowing what it is makes it easier to "hold out" through that period, in my opinion. Sort of the old "it gets worse before it gets better" axiom.