Treatments of phobias

• Systematic desensitisation is a form of counter conditioning which involves gradual exposure and an anxiety hierarchy.
• It aims to replace fear with relaxation and it does this through reciprocal inhibition.
• Reciprocal inhibition is the idea that two emotions can't occur at the same time such as relaxation and fear.
• The anxiety hierarchy is created from stimulus which generates the least level of fear up to the highest level of fear. An individual can only move to the next stage of the hierarchy when they have replaced their fear response with relaxation.
• A therapist will teach individuals how to relax using progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) or autogenic training (AT).
• Flooding involves the immediate exposure to a stimulus to cause the extinction of the fear response.
• AO3

  :( - Ethical issues

  Flooding has been criticised for lacking protection from harm because it may be too intense, causing distress and trauma.

  It also doesn’t allow for any control over the situation by the patient and they can't fully consent to enable the full exposure to the stimulus.
• Flooding removes the opportunity for avoidance.
• Systematic desensitisation allows patients to gain some control over the process.
• AO3

  :( - Appropriateness

  Systematic desentisation has been criticised for not being appropriate for all phobias.

  The whole treatment is based on the idea of counter-conditioning and some phobias such as specific phobias like claustrophobia aren't 'learnt' or conditioned.

  Seligman stated that some phobias may occur due to biological preparedness which means they occur due to survival instincts like fear of snakes.

  Therefore systematic desentisation could not be used to treat these types of phobias which limits its effectiveness.
• AO3

  :) - Evidence for effectiveness

  Gilroy et al conducted a study and followed up 42 people who had SD for spider phobia in three 45 minute sessions.

  At 3 months and 33 months the SD group were less fearful than the control group>