How to Differentiate Exposure Theory & Desensitization

Exposure therapies and systematic desensitization are behavior therapy techniques used to expose anxiety sufferers to their fears in order to overcome them. Exposure therapy is technically the broader term which includes specific treatments such as systematic desensitization. In every day usage, however, exposure therapy refers to the techniques called in vivo desensitization and flooding --- where the patient is brought to the feared object or situation and practices relaxation techniques to combat anxiety, according to Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy.

Things You'll Need

• A written list of anxiety-producing situations, in order from lowest to highest

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Instructions

Systematic Desensitization

• 1

  Meet with a therapist who will assign a self-monitoring process for the next week. The client observes and records situations that trigger his anxiety response.

• 2

  Practice relaxation techniques of various forms until the you are confident in your ability to calm yourself.

• 3

  Develop a written anxiety hierarchy based on what is observed in the self-monitoring process.

• 4

  Remain in a relaxed state while your therapist guides you to imagine situations from the anxiety hierarchy progressively in order from least anxiety provoking to most. When you feel uncomfortable anxiety, stop where you are and imagine a neutral situation until you feel relaxed again. At this point you may choose to stop for the day.

• 5

  Repeat this process through the hierarchy until you are able to remain calm for the entire list.

Exposure Therapies

• 6

  Meet with a therapist to determine the most anxiety producing situations for you.

• 7

  Learn muscle relaxation techniques.

• 8

  Seek out the anxiety producing situation and experience it in brief, graduated steps, with or without the therapist present. For example, if you fear small aircraft begin by driving past the airstrip without stopping, then progress to watching planes take off and land, and eventually spend time seated in a small aircraft. This is called "in vivo desensitization," and is different from systematic desensitization because it is practiced in the real world.

• 9

  Use the technique of flooding by following steps one and two above, but then spend a prolonged period of time in the most anxiety-producing situation. For example, you immediately drive to the airstrip, board a small aircraft, and take a two-hour tour of the region, all while practicing relaxation. The purpose of this technique is to show you that the feared consequences of the situation do not occur.