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Outline one or more ways of treating phobias (6 marks)
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Notes and/ or question answers for treatment of phobias, systematic desensitisation
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One way in which behaviourists treat phobias is systematic desensitisation. This is a behaviouraltherapy that uses classical conditioning to reduce phobic anxiety. For this method, there are typically
six to eight sessions, each one lasting forty-five minutes to an hour. These session lengths and times
vary between the patients and their phobic severity. It is evident that this method has been effective
when the sufferer learns to relax in the presence of their phobic stimulus. This is because the phobic
response has been replaced with feelings of relaxation rather than fear. This is known as counter
balancing.
There are three processes that take place in systematic desensitisation. The first one is forming an
anxiety hierarchy. This is a process in which situations are listed by both the patient and the
therapist that may induce anxiety relating to the phobia. These are ranked from least to most
frightening.
The second process is relaxation. IN this process, the therapist will attempt to teach their patient ho
to relax. Some examples of this may include breathing techniques or mental imagery. For mental
imagery, some patients may imagine themselves in a relaxing or happy scenario. If neither of these
methods work, the therapist may dose their patients with relaxing medicine such as valium.
The third and final process in systematic desensitisation is known as exposure. The patient is
exposed to their stimulus while in a relaxed state, taught by their therapist. These experiences are
based on the experiences listed in their anxiety hierarchy. As they conquer one step of their
hierarchy, they move on to the next one. Treatment is successful when the patient is able to keep
their relaxed state whilst placed in situations that are higher up on their hierarchy.
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