The Behavioural Approach to treating Phobias Flashcards
What is systematic desensitisation?
A type of behavioural therapy where the patient’s anxiety towards the phobic stimuli is reduced through classical conditioning - if they can relax they will be cured through counter conditioning
What is reciprocal inhibition?
Where we cannot feel two emotions at the same time so one prevents the other
What is the first part of systematic desensitisation?
Establishing an anxiety hierarchy to climb
eg: picture of a spider, to having one in the room etc
What is the second part of systematic desensitisation?
Relaxation: the Therapist teaches the P to relax as deeply as possible either through exercise or imagery techniques
What is the final stage of systematic desensitisation?
Exposure: The patient is exposed to phobic stimuli whilst in a relaxed state beginning at the bottom of the hierarchy, eventually working up
Evaluate systematic desensitisation as a behavioural approach to treatment?
- More suitable: some anxiety disorders like phobias sufferers also have learning difficulties. Learning difficulties can make it very hard for some patients to understand what is happening during flooding or to engage with cognitive therapies
- Preferred by patients: engagement is thus higher
What is flooding?
Where the Patient is exposed to the phobic stimuli without buildup
As avoidance behaviour is impossible they quickly come to terms with the fact that the phobia isn’t deadly
What are ethical safe guards for flooding?
Given all the information for informed consent and given the choice between flooding and systematic desensitisation
Evaluation of flooding?
- Cost effective
- Less effective on complex phobias possibly as they have a cognitive element
- Treatment can be traumatic for patients meaning more therapy and money spent in the long run
