Treatments Of Phobias

Question 1

What are the 2 treatments of phobias?

Answer 1

Systematic, desensitisation and flooding

Question 2

What is systematic desensitisation?

Answer 2

Aims to counter condition the phobia
The individual will learn to associate the third object with a different emotion e.g. relaxation
Patient has to learn five steps/relaxation techniques of systematic desensitisation

Question 3

What are the five techniques a patient has to learn for systematic desensitisation

Answer 3

Begin at lowest level, patient learns relaxation, techniques, move onto next level, construct, a hierarchy of fear and the highest level

Question 4

What is in vitro? 

Answer 4

An imagined situation

Question 5

What is in vivo?

Answer 5

Real life

Question 6

What does research suggest about the effectiveness of SD?

Answer 6

Research by McGrath L has found that SD is successful for a range of phobic disorders.
75% of patients with phobias respond to SD.
In vivo techniques are more successful than in vitro techniques, because the key to success appears to be actual contact with feared stimulus.
Often a range of exposure techniques are involved.

Question 7

Is SD appropriate for all types of phobias?

Answer 7

No.
Oh man at El suggested that SD may not be appropriate for phobias that have an underlying evolutionary survival component, e.g. fear of heights/fear of the dark compare to phobias that occur from personal experience.

Question 8

Explain symptoms substitution, and how that might limit behavioural therapies

Answer 8

This is a limitation of SD.
May not work with certain types of phobias as the symptoms are just the tip of the iceberg. If symptoms are removed because still remains and symptoms will likely resurface possibly another form.
Psychodynamic approach – fears, occur because of projection.
Freud treated little hands, fear of horses – however, treated him because of his underlying feelings about his father.

Question 9

What is flooding?

Answer 9

Flooding skips past the first stages of SD and go straight into most feared situation.
However, participants learn relaxation techniques the same as in SD.
Therapists will wait until the individuals anxiety reaches a maximum, and then the adrenaline levels out after sometime .