Flooding

• Flooding is a more extreme behavioural therapy for phobias.
• In flooding a person is exposed to the most frightening situation immediately.
• A person with a phobia of dogs would be placed in a room with a dog and asked to stroke the dog straight away.
• Flooding can take one of two forms; in vivo (actual exposure), or in vitro (imaginary exposure).
• In flooding a patient is taught relaxation techniques.
• Flooding can use direct exposure or imagined exposure.
• Flooding involves exposing people to their phobic stimulus without gradual exposure.
• Flooding stops phobic responses quickly.
• Without the option to avoid the phobia, flooding can work quickly.
• In classical conditioning when the phobic response disappears it is called extinction.
• Patients must give informed consent before flooding therapy begins.
• Most phobic patients would opt for SD over flooding therapy.