Treating Phobias

Question 1

what are the two ways to treat phobias?

Answer 1

• systematic desensitisation
• flooding

Question 2

what is systematic desensitisation?

Answer 2

• behavioural therapy used to gradually reduce phobic anxiety thorough classical conditioning
• If a person can learn to relax In the presence of the phobic stimulus they will be cured
• a new response to the phobic stimulus is learned

Question 3

what are the three responses involved in systematic desensitisation?

Answer 3

• anxiety hierarchy
• relaxation
• exposure

Question 4

what is the anxiety hierarchy?

Answer 4

• put together by a client with phobia and therapist
• list of situations related to the phobic stimulus that provokes anxiety arrayed in order from least to most frightening

Question 5

what is relaxation?

Answer 5

• therapist teaches the client to relax as deeply as possible
• it is impossible to be afraid and relaxed at the same time
  = reciprocal inhibition
• this may include breathing exercises or mental imaging techniques
• clients can be taught to imagine themselves in relaxing situations o
• they may also learn meditation

Question 6

what is exposure?

Answer 6

• client is exposed to phobic stimulus while in relaxed state
• takes place across several sessions (starts from bottom of hierarchy)
• when client can stay relaxed in the presence of lower levels of phobia stimulus they move up hierarchy
• treatment is successful when client can stay relaxed in situations high on anxiety hierarchy

Question 7

what is flooding?

Answer 7

• exposing people with a phobia to their phobic stimulus but without a gradual build up
• immediate exposure to very frightening situation

Question 8

how does flooding work?

Answer 8

• without the options of avoidance behaviour, client quickly learns that the phobic stimulus is harmless
• in classical conditioning = extinction (learned response is extinguished when the conditioned stimulus is encountered without unconditioned stimulus)
• the conditioned stimulus no longer produces he conditioned response

Question 9

what are the ethical safeguards of flooding?

Answer 9

• clients should give fully informed consent and that they are fully prepared before the flooding session