treating phobias Flashcards
what are the 2 ways of treating phobias?
- systematic desensitisation
- flooding
define systematic desensitisation
a behavioural therapy for phobias, which assumes that if phobias are learnt, they can be unlearnt
outline the process of SD in treating phobias
- teaches client relaxation techniques
- client then works with therapist to create an ‘anxiety hierarchy’
(least fearful-most fearful) - client learns to associate relaxation with the least fearful situation
- when this is achieved, client moves on until they associate the most fearful situation with a relaxed response
how many sessions of SD are typically required?
depend on severity of phobia (usually 4-6, can be up to 12)
what are the 2 types of exposure used?
- in vitro
- in vivo
what is in vitro exposure?
the client imagines being exposed to phobia
what is in vivo exposure?
the client is actually exposed to phobia
S SD: suitable for many patients
ID: suitable for many patients
Q: SD is suitable for a diverse range of patients compared to flooding
EX: for example, many anxiety disorders are often accompanied with learning disabilities. this means that such patients may not be able to make the full cognitive commitment associated with CBT, or have the ability to evaluate their own thoughts.
AN: therefore, SD is likely to be a more suitable alternative to CBT for many patients. this is evident as it has low refusal and attrition rates
W SD: may not be suitable for all phobias
ID: SD may not be suitable for all types of phobia
Q: this means that it isn’t effective for phobias of situations or concepts, like the fear of crowds or flying
EX: this is because it is hard to recreate these phobias in a therapy session, and it’s hard to manipulate into a stimulus hierarchy. for example, with a fear of flying, you’re either flying or you’re not, the patient isn’t afraid of airplanes, but rather actually being up in the sky
AN: therefore, SD may only be applicable for phobias of objects or animals, this suggests that not all phobias can be explained or treated in behaviourist terms.
define flooding
a behavioural therapy designed to reduce phobic anxiety in one session, through immediate exposure to the phobic stimulus
outline the process of flooding in treating phobias
- exposes sufferer for an extended period of time in a safe and controlled environment
- at first, the patient is in a state of extreme anxiety, perhaps even panic, eventually exhaustion sets in and anxiety levels decrease
- prolonged intense exposure eventually associates phobia with a sense of calmness
how many sessions of flooding are used?
1
S flooding: real life applications
ID: real-life applications
Q: exposure in flooding presents the sufferer with un-avoidable exposure, which is a reflection of a real-life situation
EX: for example, it is argued that flooding better prepares sufferers for occasions where they may be confronted unexpectedly with the phobic stimulus, with no way of avoidance.
AN: therefore, flooding has high ecological validity as it can be applied to real-life situations.
W flooding: ethical issues + ELAB: cost
ID: may have ethical issues
Q: exposing patients at such high levels of anxiety may be highly traumatic
EX: for example, although patients provide fully informed consent, many do not complete their treatment due to the trauma of the experience.
AN: therefore, flooding is an unethical treatment, and it can be argued that the patients right to withdraw is denied to them during exposure.
ELAB: furthermore, since the attrition rates for flooding are high, it is a waste of time and money when patients refuse to finish flooding due to the high trauma.
