treatments for phobias Flashcards
what is systematic desensitisation?
a behavioural therapy designed to reduce an unwanted response such as anxiety to a stimulus
- it involes drawing up a hierarchy of anxiety provoking situations related to a phobic-inducing stimuli, teaching a cliemt to relax and then exposing them to phobic situations
what is the learning of a different response called?
counterconditioning
why is success possible with systematic desensitisation?
it is impossible to be afraid and relaxed at the same time - so one emotion prevents the other
- this is called recipricol inhibition
what is the anxiety hiercharcy?
constructed by the client and therapist and is a list of situations related to the phobic stimulus that provoke anxiety that are arranged in order from least to most frightening
- they work their way up the list
how is relaxation achieved?
it may involve breathing exercises or mental imagery techniques or drugs such as valium
what is the exposure stage?
the client is exposed to the phobic stimulus while in a relaxed state. this takes place across several different sessions
- when the client can stay relaxed, they move up the hierarchy.
what is flooding?
a behvaioural therapy in which a phobic client is exposed to an extreme form of a phobic stimulus in order to reduce anxiety triggered by that stimulus
how does flooding work?
flooding stops phobic reactions very quickly becayse without the option of avoidance the client learns that the phobic stimulus is harmless.
- this is called extinction
- a learned response is extinguished when the conditioned stimulus is encountered without the unconditioned stimlus (e.g. meeting a dog without being bitten)
what ethical safeguarding is there for flooding?
flooding is not unethical but is an unpleasant experience so it is important that the clients give fully informed consent to the traumatic experience.
what is a strength of systematic desensitisation?
research shows the SD is effective in the treatment of specific phobias
- Gilroy et al (2003) compared clients receiving SD for a spider phobia with a control group
at both 3 and 33 months after the treatment the SD group were found to be less fearful tan the control group
what is a weakness of SD?
although SD is acceptable it may not be effective in all cases
- clients with multiple phobias or other symptoms linked to a history of trauma may benefit from different therapies that allow them to explore their experiences or alter thought patterns as well as changing behavioural symptoms
SD only really tackles behavioural symptoms.
what is a strength of flooding?
it is cost effective and quicker
- studies comparing flooding to cognitive therapies have found that flooding is highly effective and quicker than alternatives
this means that clients are free from their symptoms as quick as possible
