behavioural approach to treating phobias

• systematic desensitisation

  a behavioural therapy designed to reduce an unwanted response such as anxiety, it involves drawing up a hierarchy of anxiety provoking situations related to a persons phobic stimulus teaching the person to relax then exposing them to phobic stimulus, the person works their way through the hierarchy whilst maintaining relaxation
• three processes involved in SD

  the anxiety hierarchy - a list of situations related to the phobic stimulus that provoke anxiety arranged from least to most frightening

  relaxation - the therapist teaches the client to relax as its impossible to be relaxed and afraid at the same time, called reciprocal inhibition, it includes breathing exercises and imagining themselves in a relaxed situation

  exposure - client is exposed to the phobic stimulus when relaxed starting at the bottom of the hierarchy and move up
• SD evaluation strengths

  it is suitable for all patient as those with learning disabilities often struggle with cognitive therapies that require complex thought and may feel distressed with flooding therapy
• SD evaluation limitations

  the individual may substitute one symptom for another creating another phobia as symptoms can jump easily
• flooding

  a behavioural therapy in which a person with a phobia is exposed to an extreme form of a phobic stimulus in order to reduce anxiety triggered by that stimulus, takes place over a small amount of long therapy sessions

  flooding therapy stops phobic responses very quickly without the option for avoidance behaviour - extinction
• flooding evaluation strengths

  flooding therapy is very cost effective as it involves facing fears straight away rather than over a long period of sessions
• flooding evaluation limitations

  there are ethical issues as it is a highly unpleasant experience and can be traumatic for some but the patient must give their informed consent