Systematic Desensitisation

• If we can learn a phobia, we can unlearn a phobia.
• This is a therapy designed to gradually reduce phobic anxiety, using the principles of classical conditioning.
• Idea-> Patient learns to relax when faced with their phobic stimulus, then they will be cured.
• Learning a new response.

  Instead of fear or anxiety, patients are learning to be calm and relaxed.
• Learning a different response is called Counter conditioning.
• Impossible to experience opposite emotions at the same time.

  Cannot feel calm and anxious.

  One emotion cancels the other out.
• This is called Reciprocal Inhibition.
• Anxiety Hierarchy:

  Put together by Patient+ Therapist.

  Hierarchy of situations from least to most fearful for the phobic stimulus.

  Aim-> To move up the hierarchy when they feel fully relaxed.

  EG: Arachnophobia least=hold a photo of a spider most=hold and actual spider.
• Relaxation Techniques:

  Therapist teaches Patient to relax as much as possible.

  This could be through breathing exercises, imaging themselves in a relaxing situation, learn meditation or taking prescription drugs.
• Exposure:

  Two emotional states cannot exist at the same time.

  When a person has replaced fear with relaxation and reached the top of the hierarchy, treatment has been successful.
• Treatment based on classical conditioning.
• Treatment for phobias.
• SD uses a anxiety hierarchy with relaxation techniques to treat phobias.
• SD uses reverse conditioning to unlearn maladaptive responses to a situation or object, using relaxation.
• Reciprocal Inhibition-> Two emotional states cannot exist at the same time.
• Three processes in SD:

  1. Anxiety Hierarchy.
  2. Relaxation Techniques.
  3. Exposure.