treatments for phobias Flashcards
what are the two treatments for phobias
- systematic desensitisation
2. flooding
what is systematic desensitation
it is a behavioural therapy designed to gradually reduce phobic anxiety through the principle of classical conditioning
why is it important that the sufferer learns to relax
it sufferer can learn to relax in the presence of the phobic stimulus they will be cured
essentially a new response to the phobic stimulus is learned (the phobic stimulus is paired with relaxation instead of anxiety)
what is the act of learning of different response called
counter conditioning
what is reciprocal inhibition
it is when one emotion replaces another
It is impossible to ve fraud and relaxed at the same time
e.g. it is impossible to be afraid and relaxed
at the same time so one emotion is replaced with another
what are the three processes involved in SD
- anxiety heirachy
- relaxation
- exposure
what is anxiety hierarchy
it is put together by patient and therapist
Thus us a list of situations related to phobic stimulus that provide anxiety arranged from least to most frightening
what happens during relaxation
the therapist teaches the patients to relax as deeply as possible
This might involve:
1. breathing techniques
- mental imagery techniques - the patient can be taught to imagine themselves in relaxing situations
- learning mediation
- relaxation can be achieved by using drugs e.g. Valium
what is exposure
the patients are exposed to the phobic stimulus while in a relaxed state
This takes place across several sessions, starting at the presence of the lower levels of the phobic stimulus, they move up the hierarchy
Treatments successful when the patient can stay relaxed in situations high on the anxiety hierarchy
what is flooding
it involves exposing phobic patients to their phobic stimulus but without a gradual build-up in an anxiety hierarchy
it involves immediate exposure to a very frightening situation
how long does flooding take place
sessions are typically longer than systematic desensitisation sessions, one session often lasting two to three hours
sometimes only one session is needed to cure a phobia
how does flooding work
flooding stops phobic responses very quickly
This may be because, without the option of avoidance behaviour, the patient quickly learns that the phobic stimulus is harmless
the term for this process in classical conditioning is extinction
how is the learned process extinguished
a learned process is extinguished when the CS is encountered without the UCS e.g. dog being CS and bitten being UCS
The result is that the conditioned stimulus no longer produces the conditioned response fear
In some cases patients may achieve relaxation in presence of phobic stimulus because they have become exhausted by their own fear response
