Table of Contents
Does exposure therapy work for phobias?
Generally psychotherapy using exposure therapy is successful in treating specific phobias. However, sometimes medications can help reduce the anxiety and panic symptoms you experience from thinking about or being exposed to the object or situation you fear. Exposure therapy is effective for the treatment of anxiety disorders. According to EBBP.org, about 60 to 90 percent of people have either no symptoms or mild symptoms of their original disorder after completing their exposure therapy. A fear-inducing situation activates a small group of neurons in the amygdala. Exposure therapy silences these fear neurons, causing them to be less active. As a result of this reduced activity, fear responses are alleviated. Relaxation, visualization, and breathing techniques can be used to help overcome phobias. 9 These techniques can be used during the desensitization process, when encountering what is feared, and even when thinking about possibly encountering the fear in the future. During exposure therapy, a therapist guides you through the process of confronting whatever causes you anxiety. There are three techniques one might experience in exposure therapy: in vivo, imaginal and flooding. Negative experiences. Many phobias develop as a result of having a negative experience or panic attack related to a specific object or situation. Genetics and environment. There may be a link between your own specific phobia and the phobia or anxiety of your parents — this could be due to genetics or learned behavior.
Can exposure therapy make phobia worse?
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. Unfortunately, the effects of exposure therapy are not permanent, and many people experience a relapse. 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. In fact, it could backfire and make the patient even more frightened of that thing. This is particularly true of exposure therapy, which can backfire badly, but even the tape recordings or constant flow of images involved in flooding can be too much for some patients. That accountability is important – if the anxiety gets too strong and you stop the exposure before you’ve calmed down, you can actually make it more likely to experience anxiety in the future and make exposure therapy more difficult. But it is possible to perform it at home.
How long does exposure therapy take for phobias?
How long does Exposure Therapy take? Exposure usually works relatively quickly, within a few weeks or a few months. A full course of treatment typically takes anywhere from 5 to 20 sessions, depending on the issue and how fast the client prefers to move through the process. Prolonged exposure is typically provided over a period of about three months with weekly individual sessions, resulting in eight to 15 sessions overall. The original intervention protocol was described as nine to 12 sessions, each 90 minutes in length (Foa & Rothbaum, 1998). Exposure therapy is a kind of behavioral therapy that is typically used to help people living with phobias and anxiety disorders. It involves a person facing what they fear, either imagined or in real life, but under the guidance of a trained therapist in a safe environment. The DBT PE protocol includes three treatment phases: Pre-Exposure (2-3 sessions), Exposure (flexible number of sessions), and Consolidation and Relapse Prevention (1-2 sessions). On average, the DBT PE protocol has been started after 20 weeks of DBT and lasts 13 sessions. 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. Of course, many other medical treatments are also painful, and the long-term benefits are considered worth the trade-off. But in the case of exposure therapy, there is no palliative option—no anesthetic or painkiller—because the discomfort is not a side effect, it’s the main event.
What type of therapy is best for phobias?
Cognitive behavioral therapy is considered to be an effective method of treating phobias, as CBT helps people in therapy identify and address thought patterns that can have a negative impact on well-being. This may allow them to discover which of their thoughts or beliefs is contributing to a phobia. Exposure therapy works by gradually increasing the level of exposure to your fear, which allows you to gain control over your phobia. As the treatment progresses, you should begin to feel less anxious about your phobia. They’re finding that the amygdala–a small, almond-shaped structure in the middle of the brain’s temporal lobes–is a key player, and that malfunctions of the amygdala and associated brain structures may give rise to many phobias. Exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy is one of the most effective forms of treatment for OCD. Under the guidance of mental health professionals, people who receive ERP therapy can gradually reduce their anxieties and stop the problematic cycle of OCD.
Can phobias be cured permanently?
Most phobias can be treated successfully. Simple phobias can be treated through gradual exposure to the object, animal, place or situation that causes fear and anxiety. This is known as desensitisation or self-exposure therapy. In exposure therapy, a person will have exposure to a situation or stimulus that triggers feelings of fear or panic for them. Over time, controlled exposure to these fears in a safe space can help reduce their feelings of anxiety and distress. Panic Disorder and Specific Phobias People who have a phobia will experience panic and anxiety when thinking about or being exposed to their fear. Panic disorder sufferers, on the other hand, are not generally triggered by a specific fear. People with panic disorder experience panic attacks suddenly and unexpectedly. Ethical concerns regarding exposure treatment for anxiety include fears of symptom exacerbation, high treatment dropout rates, client safety concerns, and the blurring of boundary lines between therapists and clients. Benzodiazepines for Social Phobia Commonly prescribed benzodiazepines include: Valium (diazepam) Xanax (alprazolam) Klonopin (clonazepam)
What is the first line treatment for specific phobia?
First-line treatment for specific phobia is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) that includes exposure treatment [8]. Pharmacotherapy, specifically benzodiazepines have a limited role in treatment of specific phobia. Exposure therapy is considered the first-line treatment for specific phobias in general. The most effective way to overcome a phobia is by gradually and repeatedly exposing yourself to what you fear in a safe and controlled way. During this exposure process, you’ll learn to ride out the anxiety and fear until it inevitably passes. The impact of a phobia can range from annoying to severely disabling. People with phobias often realize their fear is irrational, but they’re unable to do anything about it. Such fears can interfere with work, school, and personal relationships. Research suggests that phobias can run in families, and that both genetic and environmental factors (nature and nurture) can contribute to developing a phobia.