Systematic desensitization is a venerable behavior therapy for fear and anxiety. Usually it entails remaining deeply relaxed while visualizing a series of increasingly fearsome scenes in which the patient confronts targeted events or situations.
What is the function of systematic desensitization?
Systematic desensitization is most likely to be used by a therapist who believes phobias a. are the result of irrational thoughts. b. reflect unconscious conflicts or traumas. c. are learned fear responses. d. reflect an overactive perceptual system.
What are the advantages of systematic desensitization?
Jul 12, 2015 · Systematic desensitization is a behavioral treatment technique in which the person performs some type of relaxation exercise and is gradually exposed to an anxiety-producing stimulus. Dive into the...
How does systematic desensitization work?
Jul 12, 2015 · Systematic desensitization is most effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders. There are three systematic desensitization steps which …
What is systematic desensitization therapy?
Apr 13, 2021 · Systematic desensitization is one form of exposure therapy used in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Systematic desensitization aims to reduce anxiety, stress, and avoidance by gradually exposing a person to the source of their discomfort in a …
What is systemic desensitization?
Systematic desensitization is a treatment method that increases the feeling of self-control; that is, the therapist suggests, guides or helps, but does not represent the nucleus of the treatment.
Can desensitization be applied to images?
The fact that the systematic desensitization technique can be applied in images means that many of the practical disadvantages involved in in vivo exposition with this type of phobia can be eliminated.
How did Lang et al. (1963) use systematic desensitization with a group of college
Lang et al. (1963) used systematic desensitization with a group of college students who were all suffering from a snake phobia. They underwent 11 sessions to work through a hierarchy. Hypnosis was used to assist in the maintenance of relaxation. The P’s fear rating fell and improvements were still evident 6 months later.
Why is reciprocal inhibition important?
This step is very important because of reciprocal inhibition, where once response is inhibited because it is incompatible with another. In the case of phobias, fears involves tension and tension is incompatible with relaxation.
What is the next step in the systematic desensitization process?
The next step in the systematic desensitization process involves constructing what is called a hierarchy of fears, which is a list of the things that the person identifies as fearful related to flying in order from the least to the most anxiety-provoking. The list could look something like this:
What is systemic desensitization?
Systematic desensitization is a behavioral technique whereby a person is gradually exposed to an anxiety-producing object, event, or place while being engaged in some type of relaxation at the same time in order to reduce the symptoms of anxiety. For example, a very common phobia is the fear of flying. Some people become very anxious ...
What degree does Alyssa have?
Alyssa holds a B.A. in Psychology, M.A. in Clinical Counseling, M.A. in Clinical Psychology, and Doctor of Psychology degree. She has extensive research and teaching experience, with over 8 years of college level instruction.
What are the techniques used in systematic desensitization?
Common techniques involved in systematic desensitization include in vivo, imagination, virtual reality, and interoceptive exposure.
Why is systematic desensitization not the same for two people?
The process of systematic desensitization will never look alike for two people because therapists work to study and understand how each person’s trigger affects them. In general, though, systematic desensitization follows a routine progression that involves defining the fear, rating situations that trigger different fear ratings, exposure, reviewing progress, and repeating the exposure/ review process until the ultimate fear is completed. 4
How to avoid exposure?
Shifting from avoidance to exposure demonstrates the following: 1 1 Avoidance and escape are not the only ways to manage stress and fear 2 Repeated exposures to a stressor will reduce its impact 3 The awful imagery outcomes of their stressor will not happen from exposure
What is systemic desensitization?
Systematic desensitization is one form of exposure therapy used in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Systematic desensitization aims to reduce anxiety, stress, and avoidance by gradually exposing a person to the source of their discomfort in a thoughtfully planned way.
Is systematic desensitization a form of exposure therapy?
Systematic desensitization is not a treatment separate from exposure therapy. Instead, systematic desensitization is a form of exposure therapy. There are many ways to complete a course of exposure therapy, and anytime the focus is on gradual and methodical exposure with the incorporation of relaxation, the therapy is systematic desensitization.
Is systemic desensitization effective?
Systematic desensitization is consistent, effective, and backed by years of evidence. It is the primary treatment for phobias, social anxiety, and other anxiety disorders, and is also highly effective for PTSD and OCD.
What is fear hierarchy?
A “fear hierarchy” is a list established between the therapist and client to describe and rate triggering stimuli. The list begins with the scariest, most challenging situation at the top to represent the level-ten item. Then, the discussion shifts to the lowest situation that would cause fear to represent the level-one stress.
There Are Three Phases to The Treatment
Practical Issues
- The fact that the systematic desensitization technique can be applied in images means that many of the practical disadvantages involved inin vivo exposition with this type of phobia can be eliminated. One weakness of in vitro exposition is that it relies on the client’s ability to be able to imagine the fearful situation. Some people cannot create a vivid image and thus systematic des…
Theoretical Issues
- Systematic desensitization is highly effective where the problem is a learned anxiety of specific objects/situations, e.g. phobias (McGrath et al., 1990). However, systematic desensitization is not effective in treating serious mental disorders like depression and schizophrenia. Studies have shown that neither relaxation nor hierarchies are necessa...
Empirical Evidence
- Lang et al. (1963) used systematic desensitization with a group of college students who were all suffering from a snake phobia. They underwent 11 sessions to work through a hierarchy. Hypnosis was used to assist in the maintenance of relaxation. The P’s fear rating fell and improvements were still evident 6 months later. Rothbaum et al. (2000) used systematic desens…
Ethical Issues
- Systematic desensitization is a treatment method that increases the feelingof self-control; that is, the therapist suggests, guidesor helps, but does not represent the nucleus of the treatment. The risk of dependence upon the therapistor of perceiving improvements as being external tothe patient are thus minimised in this technique.
Apa Style References
- Lang, P. J., & Lazovik, A. D. (1963). Experimental desensitization of phobia. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 66(6), 519. McGrath, T., Tsui, E., Humphries, S., & Yule, W. (1990). Successful Treatment of a Noise Phobia in a Nine‐year‐old Girl with Systematic Desensitisation in vivo. Educational Psychology, 10(1), 79-83. Menzies, R. G., & Clarke, J. C. (199…
How to Reference This Article
- McLeod, S. A. (2015). Systematic desensitization as a counter conditioning process. Simply Psychology. www.simplypsychology.org/Systematic-Desensitisation.html