Table of Contents
What is the difference between exposure therapy and prolonged exposure therapy?
Exposure is an intervention strategy commonly used in cognitive behavioral therapy to help individuals confront fears. Prolonged exposure is a specific type of cognitive behavioral therapy that teaches individuals to gradually approach trauma-related memories, feelings and situations. A form of CBT, exposure therapy is a process for reducing fear and anxiety responses. In therapy, a person is gradually exposed to a feared situation or object, learning to become less sensitive over time. This type of therapy has been found to be particularly effective for obsessive-compulsive disorder and phobias. CBT is an umbrella term that refers to a large category of both cognitive and behavioral therapies. Exposure Therapy is behavioral therapy and therefore falls under the larger term of Behavioral Therapy. Exposure with Response Prevention is a specific type of Exposure Therapy that was designed to treat OCD. The most common treatment that includes exposure is called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). A key element of CBT is talking about thoughts, fears, and feelings. I often find that simply talking through thoughts about a topic exposes people to their fears. For this guidance an exposure of 15 minutes or more is considered prolonged. ERP is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy that was developed in order to treat people experiencing OCD, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or phobias. Sometimes referred to as exposure therapy, ERP was designed to help people with OCD learn how to identify and cope with their triggers.
When is prolonged exposure therapy not recommended?
Though it can be very effective for PTSD, prolonged exposure therapy may not be for everybody. Research suggests PE may not be the best treatment option if you have PTSD along with another mental health condition or complication such as: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) Substance use disorder. PE therapy is effective in helping people overcome PTSD generally. It also helps in reducing related suicidal thinking, excessive guilt, anxiety, and depression. Studies have generally found that PE therapy produces symptom improvement in 80% to 90% of people who do it. Limitations of Exposure Therapy Some professionals believe that exposure therapy may make symptoms worse, especially when dealing with PTSD. Additionally, exposure therapy is difficult work that causes people to feel and confront things that they have worked hard to avoid. The problem with prolonged exposure is that it also has made a number of veterans violent, suicidal, and depressed, and it has a dropout rate that some researchers put at more than 50 percent, the highest dropout rate of any PTSD therapy that has been widely studied so far. PE was developed by Edna Foa, PhD, Director of the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety. Numerous well-controlled studies have shown that PE significantly reduces the symptoms of PTSD, depression, anger, and anxiety in trauma survivors. The results showed EMDR was more efficient than PE in terms of total exposure time to traumatic memories during and between sessions; the number of trauma memories processed over the course of therapy; time taken to process the primary trauma memory; and SUD levels at the conclusion of the first treatment sessions.
What is the difference between prolonged exposure therapy and EMDR?
EMDR therapy sets up a learning state that allows these experiences to be stored appropriately in the brain. This is the main difference between exposure therapy and EMDR; in other words, the individual is not re-exposed to the trauma. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) includes an element of exposure therapy (desensitization), though whether this is an effective method or not, is controversial. (1) The CPG recommends individual trauma-focused psychotherapies, particularly Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) as the most effective treatments for PTSD. Prolonged exposure therapy learning breathing techniques to help control feelings of distress. in vivo exposure to scenarios that may trigger fear and anxiety — for example, a soldier with previous trauma of roadside bombing may begin driving to overcome the fear. Psychotherapy. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT): CBT is a type of psychotherapy that has consistently been found to be the most effective treatment of PTSD both in the short term and the long term. CBT for PTSD is trauma-focused, meaning the trauma event(s) are the center of the treatment.
What is the goal of prolonged exposure therapy?
Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy is an evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD. The therapy allows you to work through painful memories in a safe and supportive environment. It also allows you to participate in activities you have been avoiding because of the trauma. For PTSD, cognitive therapy often is used along with exposure therapy. Exposure therapy. This behavioral therapy helps you safely face both situations and memories that you find frightening so that you can learn to cope with them effectively. Exposure therapy can be particularly helpful for flashbacks and nightmares. Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) CPT is often a first choice when treating PTSD, especially when addressing the long-term effects of childhood traumas in adults. For PTSD, the American Psychiatric Association recommends treatment over 12 sessions. The PE protocol contains the following components: 1) psychoeducation regarding treatment rationale and common reactions to trauma; 2) breathing retraining, a form of relaxation; 3) in vivo exposure, or appoaching avoided trauma-related but objectively safe activities, situations, or places; and 4) imaginal exposure, … PE has four main parts: Education About PTSD and PE, Breathing Retraining, In- vivo Exposure, and Imaginal Exposure. PE starts with education about PTSD and common ways people respond to trauma. The therapist will ask your loved one about symptoms, explain how PE works, and discuss the goals of treatment.
What are the four parts of prolonged exposure therapy?
PE has four main parts: Education About PTSD and PE, Breathing Retraining, In- vivo Exposure, and Imaginal Exposure. PE starts with education about PTSD and common ways people respond to trauma. The therapist will ask your loved one about symptoms, explain how PE works, and discuss the goals of treatment. Though it can be very effective for PTSD, prolonged exposure therapy may not be for everybody. Research suggests PE may not be the best treatment option if you have PTSD along with another mental health condition or complication such as: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) Substance use disorder. Prolonged exposure is a specific exposure therapy program that is considered a first-line evidence-based treatment for PTSD. Unfortunately, barriers to treatment dissemination prevent the majority of individuals with PTSD from receiving evidence-based treatment.