Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy is a short-term cognitive behavioral therapy. Exposure therapy helps people suffering from phobias, panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorder. This therapy works by exposing the person to the situation which triggers their anxiety. In this therapy, the therapist helps the patients counter their fears head-on, until they are no more scared. In the initial stage, the therapist creates a less scary situation which is easily bearable by the patient and gradually increases the intensity of the situation to reach de-sensitization in response to the trigger.
Different exposure techniques are used by the therapist to conduct the therapy.
- Vivo exposure:
In this therapy the person is exposed to the threat in real life. For example, if a person is afraid of blood, he will be made to see blood until he gets used to it.
- Imagining exposure:
In this type of exposure therapy, the patient is made to imagine the situation or object he fears the most, in order to avoid anxiety attacks in future. This technique is useful for people who had a traumatic experience in life, for example an accident they survived.
- Virtual Reality exposure:
People suffering from anxiety are made to face virtual situations similar to reality which triggers their anxiety. This will gradually decrease the fear and make the triggers bearable.
- Interoceptive exposure:
This type of exposure involves management of symptomatic aspect of anxiety. Similar symptoms as in anxiety are stimulated. The therapist then effectively guides the patient through the proper management of the symptoms. This is a process of re-learning the response to trigger.
Exposure therapy is very helpful when combined with other technique and give 60-90 percent positive results.