Systematic desensitization is a type of behavioral therapy used in the field of psychology to help patients successfully conquer phobias and other anxiety disorders. Pioneered by a South African psychiatrist named Joseph Wolpe, this type of therapy treats a patient by gradually exposing him to what he fears. The idea behind this therapy is that the more a patient exposes to his feared object, the more able he becomes to tackle the cause of anxiety and find out how to deal with his feelings.
This treatment method is also called "graduated exposure therapy". Surely, it is very important to teach the patients how to calm down and tackle their fear before they are exposed to their feared situations. With repeated training, patients are expected to be able to overcome their feelings such as anxiety and phobia with better and better coping skills.
As you may probably understand, most phobia patients purposefully attempt to avoid the sources of their fears, be it spiders, dogs, snakes or situations like being in a confined space, amongst big crowds or in high spaces. This type of deliberate escape can only provide a non-triggered situation, while the root cause of the problem remains untouched.
Another method for treating the phobic type of anxiety disorder is called distraction method, which is often accused for its negative side effects. Some of the really bad examples involve addictive behaviors such as drinking alcohol, smoking, or even taking drugs. In this regard, traditional medication is also considered distraction method, as it works to slow down patients' minds so that their exaggerated reaction to the stimuli is somewhat reduced.
To achieve success with systematic desensitization, the key is to expose the patients gradually, as apposed to suddenly, to what they fear. As you can imagine, if this technique is applied too quickly or without any precaution to the patients, the result can be dangerous if not traumatic. When patients are slowly forced to confront their feared objects, most of them will gradually turn from reconciling, tolerating, to finally accepting the situation.
In general, systematic desensitization is not applied alone. Some of the complimentary techniques include relaxation methods (eg, breathing techniques) or reinforcing positive thoughts. Another powerful technique that is often used along side with systematic desensitization is called cognitive reappraisal. This method requires the patients to imagine what will happen if his feared object is right in front of him. After the actual exposure, the patient is asked compared his imagination, which is often exaggerated, against what actually happened during the exposure. In most cases, this has produced great results with phobia patients.
Despite its sensitive nature, systematic desensitization is a very safe method for anxiety treatment when applied with professional care. Instead of deliberately avoiding the source of fear, anxiety patients now have an option to shoot straight into the root of their problems. - 29881
This treatment method is also called "graduated exposure therapy". Surely, it is very important to teach the patients how to calm down and tackle their fear before they are exposed to their feared situations. With repeated training, patients are expected to be able to overcome their feelings such as anxiety and phobia with better and better coping skills.
As you may probably understand, most phobia patients purposefully attempt to avoid the sources of their fears, be it spiders, dogs, snakes or situations like being in a confined space, amongst big crowds or in high spaces. This type of deliberate escape can only provide a non-triggered situation, while the root cause of the problem remains untouched.
Another method for treating the phobic type of anxiety disorder is called distraction method, which is often accused for its negative side effects. Some of the really bad examples involve addictive behaviors such as drinking alcohol, smoking, or even taking drugs. In this regard, traditional medication is also considered distraction method, as it works to slow down patients' minds so that their exaggerated reaction to the stimuli is somewhat reduced.
To achieve success with systematic desensitization, the key is to expose the patients gradually, as apposed to suddenly, to what they fear. As you can imagine, if this technique is applied too quickly or without any precaution to the patients, the result can be dangerous if not traumatic. When patients are slowly forced to confront their feared objects, most of them will gradually turn from reconciling, tolerating, to finally accepting the situation.
In general, systematic desensitization is not applied alone. Some of the complimentary techniques include relaxation methods (eg, breathing techniques) or reinforcing positive thoughts. Another powerful technique that is often used along side with systematic desensitization is called cognitive reappraisal. This method requires the patients to imagine what will happen if his feared object is right in front of him. After the actual exposure, the patient is asked compared his imagination, which is often exaggerated, against what actually happened during the exposure. In most cases, this has produced great results with phobia patients.
Despite its sensitive nature, systematic desensitization is a very safe method for anxiety treatment when applied with professional care. Instead of deliberately avoiding the source of fear, anxiety patients now have an option to shoot straight into the root of their problems. - 29881
