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We all worry and worry sometimes. Unfortunately, for some people, chronic anxiety becomes a serious problem — in such cases, doctors speak of an anxiety disorder of one type or another. Fortunately, there are effective methods of treatment, one of them is exposure therapy.
What is exposure therapy
It is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT helps patients change ingrained thought patterns and habits, thereby reducing or eliminating symptoms of depression, anxiety, addiction, and other psychiatric disorders.
Exposure therapy, based on the principle «Look into the eyes of your fear», teaches the patient to maintain composure, despite the impact of frightening factors.
“In the process of therapy, the patient is for some time in a situation that causes intense fear, or imagines it as vividly as possible. Virtual reality technologies can also be used. For example, a patient who is afraid of heights rides on a Ferris wheel. The longer the so-called exposure lasts, the more the anxiety subsides,” explains clinical psychologist Paul Green.
Regular exposure practice has been scientifically proven to reduce the symptoms of various anxiety disorders. Exposure therapy is usually given weekly for several months.
How does this type of therapy help with various disorders?
- OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). Patients with OCD often perform certain rituals and compulsions, and if unable to do so, experience intense fear. In this case, exposure therapy with reaction prevention is used. For example, an OCD patient constantly washes their hands for a long time after the slightest contact with something “dirty”. During therapy, he consciously touches increasingly «dirty» objects and resists the compulsive urge to wash his hands.
- PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Both real and imaginary exposures help patients who have experienced psychological trauma as a result of sexual violence, car accidents, violent crime, participation in hostilities, and more.
- Sociophobia. Exposure is very effective in treating social phobia. Patients can, for example, themselves start a conversation with those who are embarrassed, speak in front of an audience, chat “about nothing” with unfamiliar people.
- Phobias. Exposure is very effective in the treatment of phobias. For example, if the patient is afraid of snakes, then as an exercise, he can go to pet stores or terrariums and observe reptiles for, say, 20 minutes. For those who are afraid to drive, a short drive around the block can be an exposure. Such exercises (under the supervision of an experienced therapist) may be enough to completely get rid of the phobia.
Step by step
The effectiveness of this type of therapy has been confirmed by decades of research, and in many countries it is used primarily for the treatment of anxiety disorders. Exposure has been shown to be more effective in treating anxiety disorders than traditional «talk» psychotherapy.
“If you suffer from an anxiety disorder, try to find a therapist who specializes in exposure therapy. I understand perfectly well that you really do not want to go through it. But remember that a professional therapist will always coordinate upcoming exercises with you and take into account the limits of your current capabilities.
He will not try to force you to do anything. Every specialist knows very well that exposure therapy is only as effective as possible when you overcome the challenges that you can afford, ”explains Paul Green.