What is Exposure Therapy?
Exposure therapy is a type of cognitive behavioural therapy which involves safely confronting fears. Therapists expose patients to objects, situations and circumstances that trigger a reaction. The therapy is based on the theory that avoiding fears for comfort may worsen the condition if left unaddressed.
Therefore, to improve a patient’s condition, they are trained to develop realistic beliefs and enabled to face their fears to not react but respond smartly.
Various techniques include gradual exposure to the triggers and visualizing disturbing content under professional supervision. The aim is to create an effective approach to overcome phobias.
Benefits of Exposure Therapy
- Exposure to certain problems like phobias is highly effective with evidence taken from research backing its success.
- Exposure therapy is a short-term treatment plan in which outcomes can be seen in the first few sessions.
- It is an easily accessible treatment plan as almost all psychiatrists are trained to administer this therapy.
Does Exposure Therapy work?
Yes. Exposure therapy has been effective in helping people overcome phobias. According to a study, exposure therapy has been helpful in over 90% of the cases reducing fear and eliminating the need for extra therapies.
What conditions can Exposure Therapy help manage?
Patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and various compulsive and eating disorders have recovered by opting for these therapy sessions.
However, this therapy is helpful as a standalone treatment and as a complementary treatment as well. Exposure Therapy is particularly effective in preventing relapse when combined with therapies like Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), CBT, medication and so on.
What are the types of Exposure Therapy?
1. Imaginal Exposure Therapy
Under the supervision of a mental health expert, patients are made to vividly imagine a feared situation or a trauma. The aim is to expose them to confront distressing memories and gradually reduce their emotional impact. Patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders have proven to recover from this problem by opting for Imaginal exposure therapy.
2. In Vivo Exposure Therapy
“In vivo” stands for “in real life”. In Vivo, exposure therapy involves making a patient live his worst phobia in real life. For instance, a person fearing height will be made to walk on a suspension bridge under the supervision of a mental health expert.
3. Interoceptive Exposure Therapy
This therapy aims to intentionally trigger those reactions of a body that originate when a person faces his or her fears in reality. The purpose is to teach a patient to learn about these reactions and manage situations independently. This therapy is ideal for those who do not fear the situation but are more worried about the triggered bodily sensations.
4. Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
VR technology is an effective technological tool that stimulates feared situations. A person can face or her worst fears while sitting in a room and confront them or learn to tolerate them. It is effective for patients who fear panic more than certain situations to ease anxiety over bodily sensations.
5. Graded Exposure
Patients are asked to rank their fear based on intensity i.e. from the least to the most challenging situations. Therapists adopt a step-by-step approach so that patients grow their self-confidence by confronting each fear systematically under professional supervision.
6. Flooding
Opposed to graded exposure, flooding is a technique in which patients are confronted with the worst fear first. By exposing them to the toughest scenario, therapists aim to make the patient strong and confident. The purpose is to prove that even the worst fears are manageable and a patient is strong enough to deal with problems normally.
7. Prolonged Exposure Therapy
For patients who are under emotional stress, therapists opt for prolonged exposure therapy that helps a patient face trauma-related memories. Patients are made to face the worst emotions to strengthen their emotional processing and reduce avoidance behaviours.
8. Systematic Desensitisation
Getting exposed to the worst and learning relaxation techniques when combined form Systematic Desensitisation. By learning how to breathe slowly and relaxing muscles when exposed to feared situations, therapists can train patients to face anxiety-induced situations like any other person.
How does Exposure Therapy work?
1. Customised Treatment Plan
Therapists conduct thorough interviews with patients to understand their experiences and symptoms. Depending on the type of exposure therapy therapists want to administer, medication is decided if any. Various activities are assigned to patients and the duration of the treatment is decided accordingly.
2. Gradual Exposure to Fears
Therapists involve patients in various activities that either trigger the same emotion or create actual circumstances. Therapists stay in contact with patients until their anxiety decreases. This is the slowest stage which helps a patient to gain confidence and reduces phobias.
3. Management of Symptoms
The best step is to make patients emotionally resilient to situations and circumstances. Therapists train patients to breathe deeply, relax their muscles and work on their cognition to encourage them to think practically in feared situations.
4. Achieving Outcomes
The last stage is to achieve desired outcomes like expecting a patient to a dreaded situation and expecting him or her to come out of it unperturbed. Long-term sustainable recovery and prevention of relapse is the aim of the treatment.
How long will I need Exposure Therapy?
The duration of exposure therapy depends on the severity of the problem. The number of sessions depends if the therapy is being administered independently or as a complementary treatment to treat the problem as well as prevent relapse. Usually, a person feels better with a plan that includes 6-12 sessions of 40-50 minutes each.
What are the risks of Exposure Therapy?
Since exposure therapy is administered under professional supervision, there aren’t any risks involved. However, it can be dangerous for those patients who do not complete the entire therapy. Exposure therapy is also not a great option for those who have untreated mental disorders or suffer from suicidal thoughts.