Behavioural Approach to TREATING PHOBIAS Flashcards
Properties of systematic desensitiation?
- Counter conditioning
- Relaxation
- Desensitisation hierarchy
What is counter conditioning?
Patient is taught a new association and runs counter to the original
They are taught through classical conditioning to associate the phobia with a new response
What is relaxation?
Taught paitent to focus on breathing and slower breaths
Muscle relaxation
What is desensitisation hierachy
Works by introducing the person to the feared situation one at a time so it isn’t overwhleming
At each stage a patient practices relaxation techniques
What is step 1 of systematic desensitisation?
Patient is taught to relax their muscles completely
What is step 2 of systematic desensitisation?
Therapist and patient together construct a desensitisation hierarchy -
series of imaged scenes each one causing anxiety
What is step 3 of systematic desensitisation?
Patient gradually works its way with desensitisation hierarchy , using anxiety situation with relaxation
What is step 4 of systematic desensitisation?
Once patient is mastered one by one they can be relaxed
What is step 5 of systematic desensitisation?
Patient eventually mastered fear situation
The strength of systematic desensitisation
Effectiveness supported by research
Research found that SD is successful for the range of phobic disorders
e.g Mc Grath et al reported 75% of paitents with phobias respond to SD
Key to success appears to lie with actual contact with feared stimulus , invito techniques are more successful than using imagnary phobic stimulus
Often a number of different exposure techniques are involved
The strength of systematic desensitisation?
Patient chooses to undertake the treatment
Self -administered , proving it is a successful method
Demonstrated in randomised contact trial is a standard for clinical research
RCT individuals are allocating to receive one of the treatments under study
Also prove effective as therapist-guided therapy which makes it cheaper
Limitation of systematic desensitisation?
Not treating the cause
Not be reliable and appreiciate for all phobias
Demonstrated in Ohman et al as phobias have an underlying evolutionary survival context
Compared to developing phobias as a result of personal experience
Links back to different factors of the causes of phobias
What is the aim of flooding?
Try and level out anxiety when coming in terms with a phobia by using relaxation techniques learnt
What is procedure of flooding?
- Patient is taught how to relax their muscles completely
- Paitent masters the feared situation that is caused them to seek help in the first place
- Accomplished in a long session
Explain how would you use flooding for a phobia of cats
- They are taught how to relax their muscles completely
- Masters relaxation techniques caused thme to seek help in the first place
- Putting in a room of cats
- Fight of flight response kicks in and levels stress response soon - reduce irrational thoughts
