Systematic desensitisation

• Systematic desensitisation

  1. Counter conditioning
  2. The anxiety hierarchy
  3. Relaxation
  4. Exposure
• Counter conditioning

  • pairing phobic stimuli with relaxation instead of anxiety
• Anxiety hierarchy

  • patients create a list of phobic situations that provoke anxiety and arrange them in order from low to high
• Relaxation

  • patients are taught relaxation techniques (e.g. deep breathing)
• Exposure

  • patients are exposed to phobic situations while relaxed over several sessions, working up the anxiety hierarchy
• (SD) + It's effective

  • research support, patients treated with SD for arachnophobia showed reduced anxiety and long-lasting effects
• (SD) + It's accepted by patients

  • many prefer it to flooding as it includes some pleasant elements (relaxation), this is reflected by low refusal and attrition rates
• (SD) + Suitable for the patients

  • some therapies aren't well suited for people with learning difficulties, but SD is typically the most appropriate
• (SD) - Not suitable for all phobias

  • e.g. for social phobias, CBT is a much more effective treatment