Systematic desensitization therapy is a type of behavioral therapy used to treat anxiety disorders,
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), phobias, and a fear of things like snakes or spiders. The aim of this therapy is to change the way you respond to objects, people, or situations that trigger feelings of fear and anxiety. You will learn coping tools to help you stay relaxed and calm. Systematic desensitization therapy has three main steps. First, you’ll learn ways to relax your muscles. Next, you’ll make a list of your fears and rank them based on how intense your fears are. Last, you’ll start exposing yourself to your fear in stages so you get more and more comfortable dealing with it. Step 1: Deep muscle relaxation techniques. In the first stage of
the treatment, people with anxiety and fears are taught breathing exercises and muscle relaxation techniques. Relaxation techniques are generally these types: Learning muscle relaxation techniques is important because of a principle called ‘reciprocal inhibition.’ The idea behind reciprocal inhibition is that you can’t be relaxed and fearful at the same time. When
you're feeling relaxed, it’s hard to feel tense. Tension is what you feel when you’re experiencing a phobia. Relaxation techniques can help you learn a different way of responding to your phobias. Step 2: Creating a fear hierarchy. In the second stage, you create a list where you write out all your fears and rank them on a scale of 1 to 10. First you list your level-10 fear, which causes you the highest amount of anxiety that you can imagine. Next, you list your
level-1 fear, which causes you the least amount of anxiety. After this, you brainstorm the remaining fears and list them in order from 2 to 9. Once your list is done, you discuss your fears with your therapist and work on exposing yourself to them. You start from the fear that is the least frightening and work yourself up to your level-10 fear. Step 3: Working up through
the fear scale through exposure. The process of exposure can be done in two ways: A third type of exposure therapy called virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) has become popular in recent years. Virtual Reality (VR) technology mimics real-life situations in a computer-generated environment. Virtual reality
exposure therapy helps you work through your fears in a safe and controlled place. The number of sessions needed to successfully treat your fears will depend on how severe your condition is. You and your therapist will decide the specific goal you want to meet before starting the therapy. It can take anywhere from 4 to 6 sessions to see results, but you may need up to 12 sessions for a
severe phobia. Systematic desensitization therapy is an evidence-based therapy. When a treatment is evidence-based, it means it's gone through documented scientific testing and extensive research, and has been shown to be successful. Studies point to the effectiveness of systematic desensitization therapy for anxiety disorders, phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder. For example: Systematic desensitization is an evidence-based therapy approach that combines relaxation techniques with gradual exposure to help you slowly overcome a phobia. During systematic desensitization, also called graduated exposure therapy, you work your way up through levels of fear, starting with the least fearful exposure. This approach also involves the use of relaxation techniques. Both of these features make it different from other desensitization techniques, such as flooding. Systemic desensitization involves three main steps. First, you’ll learn muscle relaxation techniques. Then, you’ll create a list of your fears, ranking them in terms of intensity. Finally, you’ll begin exposing yourself to what you fear. Classical conditioning, sometimes associative learning principles, is the underlying theory behind this process. The goal is to overcome a phobia by replacing feelings of fear and anxiety with a state of calm. As you work your way through your list of fears, you’ll continue to focus on relaxation when facing each new situation until it no longer causes discomfort. Learning relaxation skillsYou might learn a few different relaxation exercises in systematic desensitization. These exercises could be used on their own or in combination with each other. Techniques you might learn include:
Creating a hierarchy of fearsAfter learning relaxation techniques, you’ll develop a fear hierarchy for the phobia or feared situation. This hierarchy typically involves 10 levels of fear. You’ll likely go through the following steps to do this:
Slowly exposing yourself to fearsOnce you have relaxation techniques and a hierarchy of fears, you can start gradually exposing yourself to your fears. A typical first step is thinking about the thing you fear. Once you begin feeling afraid or anxious, use relaxation techniques to regain a sense of calm. Repeat the process until you no longer feel anxious. When you can comfortably address a particular level of fear, move on to the next level. You can work through your fear hierarchy in therapy, but you can also do it on your own. The process of systematic desensitization differs for each person. Some people move through low levels quickly and have a hard time overcoming higher levels. Others may take a long time to work through lower levels, but they find the fear easier to face once they’ve succeeded at the lower levels. The most helpful relaxation technique can also vary. You might find visualization helps you relax the most, for example. Regardless of your fear or the length of time you spend working through each level, the principles remain the same. Here’s how systematic desensitization might look for different conditions. Social anxietyYou’re a college student with social anxiety. When you think about giving the wrong answer in class or having to ask to use the restroom, you feel sick and your heart races. You avoid speaking in class or participating in college activities to avoid embarrassing situations. When you decide to try systematic desensitization, you determine that talking to someone you don’t know is a level 1 fear. You begin imagining yourself vocally greeting people, practicing deep breathing when you feel anxious, until you can remain calm. Next, you move on to greeting strangers in real life. After a week of doing this daily, you start to feel more at ease. Then, you start working on the next fear — making eye contact during conversation. You work your way through the hierarchy, eventually introducing yourself and nodding along in class. You continue to use deep breathing and muscle relaxation to get through periods of discomfort. The final level of your fear hierarchy involves sharing in class. It takes a few tries, but eventually you’re able to answer questions in class, though your heart still begins to race once you put your hand up. You take a deep breath, release the tension in your muscles, and begin to speak. Dog phobiaWhen you see a dog coming toward you in the distance, your palms sweat, your heart races, and you have trouble breathing. Your phobia relates specifically to being bitten, but being around dogs also makes you feel afraid and anxious. To get started on your hierarchy of fears, you begin by imagining you’re near a dog on a leash in a passing car. The next day, you drive by a dog park several times. It doesn’t seem to affect you much, so you park somewhere where you have a full view of the park. You feel yourself tense up every time a dog starts barking. To combat this, you concentrate on relaxing your muscles and imagining yourself on a beautiful beach — one without dogs. You open your eyes and repeat this process for the next 30 minutes. Next, you spend time with a friend who keeps her dog in a different room of her home while you’re visiting. You practice relaxation exercises each time you think about the dog getting out. As you prepare to conquer your level 10 fear — walking through a dog park — you decide to spend some time in the puppy area of your local animal shelter. Puppies are less frightening to you, but the thought of them being so close still makes you feel anxious. You have to step outside a few times to do some deep breathing and visualization exercises. Finally, after months of work, you head back to the dog park. This time, you park your car and walk through the gates. You sit on a bench and practice deep breathing as you watch the dogs playing. Even though you still feel somewhat frightened, you focus on the fact that you’re facing your fear. It’s possible to try systematic desensitization on your own, but remember that slow, gradual exposure is a key component of this approach. If low-level exposure makes you feel anxious, keep practicing your relaxation techniques and working on that fear. There’s no right pace for working through your hierarchy of fears. You might spend months on a single one, only to blast through the next two over the course of a few weeks. Take as much time as you need. If you move too fast, you may put yourself through unnecessary discomfort. If you’d like to try this approach on your own, the following tips can help:
If you’re unsure about trying systematic desensitization on your own, a therapist can answer any questions you have and offer support. If the approach doesn’t work well for you, you can explore other approaches in therapy. HOW TO FIND A THERAPIST It’s often difficult to face fears. It can be even harder if you have a mental health condition, such as a phobia, anxiety, or panic disorder. Systematic desensitization can help you overcome your fears at a pace that works for you. Which of the following is one of the three key elements of systematic desensitization?The process of systematic desensitization occurs in three steps. The first step is to identify the hierarchy of fears. The second step is to learn relaxation or coping techniques. Finally, the individual uses these techniques to manage their fear during a situation from the hierarchy.
Which of the following is part of the process of systematic desensitization?Systemic desensitization involves three main steps. First, you'll learn muscle relaxation techniques. Then, you'll create a list of your fears, ranking them in terms of intensity. Finally, you'll begin exposing yourself to what you fear.
Which of the following is true of systematic desensitization?Which of the following statements about systematic desensitization is TRUE? Systematic desensitization involves identifying anxiety producing stimuli, learning how to relax, and then using relaxation to cope with a progressive series of anxiety-provoking stimuli.
Which are the first three steps in systematic desensitization quizlet?Systematic desensitization involves three steps: the therapist first helps the client build an anxiety hierarchy (a ranked list of anxiety-arousing stimuli); next, the client is trained in deep muscle relaxation; finally, the client tries to work through the hierarchy, learning to remain relaxed while imagining each ...
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