What is exposure therapy?

Ciccarelli: Psychology_5 (5th Edition)
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ISBN:9780134477961
Author:Saundra K. Ciccarelli, J. Noland White
Publisher:Saundra K. Ciccarelli, J. Noland White
Chapter1: The Science Of Psychology
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What is exposure therapy?

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Exposure therapy is a psychological treatment that was created to assist individuals with going up against their fears. At the point when individuals are fearful of something, they will in general avoid the feared objects, activities or situations. Although this avoidance may help diminish sensations of fear temporarily, over the drawn out it can make the fear become much more dreadful. In such situations, a clinician may suggest a program of exposure therapy to help break the pattern of avoidance and fear. In this type of therapy, clinicians create a safe environment where to "uncover" individuals to the things they fear and avoid. The exposure to the feared objects, activities or situations in a safe environment diminishes fear and decrease avoidance. 

Exposure therapy has been scientifically demonstrated to be a useful treatment or treatment segment for a range of problems, including: 

  • Phobias
  • Panic Disorder
  • Social Anxiety Disorder
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder 

There are several variations of exposure therapy. Your therapist can assist you with figuring out which strategy is best for you. These include: 

In vivo exposure: Directly facing a feared object, situation or activity in real life. For example, somebody with a fear of snakes may be told to handle a snake, or somebody with social anxiety may be told to give a discourse before an audience. Imaginal exposure: Vividly imagining the feared object, situation or activity. For example, somebody with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder may be asked to recall and depict their traumatic involvement with request to decrease sensations of fear.

Virtual reality exposure: sometimes, virtual reality innovation can be utilized when in vivo exposure isn't practical. For example, somebody with a fear of flying may take a virtual trip in the clinician's office, utilizing hardware that gives the sights, sounds and scents of an airplane.

Interoceptive exposure: Deliberately welcoming on physical sensations that are harmless, yet feared. For example, somebody with Panic Disorder may be told to run in place to make their heart accelerate, and along these lines learn that this sensation isn't dangerous.

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