Exposure therapy -- how does it work?
- Thread starter bleach
- Start date
Hi Bleach, I have been having exposure therapy as part of my CBT sessions.
I suggest you make out a hierarchy of fears list from the least daunting social anxiety/shyness task to the most fearful one.
You start with the least daunting and stay with it until you are no longer fearful of it, then move on to the next on your list.
The way I was taught is to use a scale of 0 - 8 with 0 being calm and 8 being the worst fear/anxiety/panic you have ever felt.
Before you start record your fear/anxiety level
Expose yourself to the situation, your level will rise considerably, stay in the situation until the level falls again.
The level WILL fall even though you may think it won't!
Record the level at it's peak and again afterwards.
It's important while in the 'situation' not to do anything to try to ease the feelings as this will in fact just prolong the problem.
You stay with no 1 on your list , repeating it as often as is necessary to bring your levels right down then move on to no 2.
Hope this makes sense, if I can help in any way please pm me.
I suggest you make out a hierarchy of fears list from the least daunting social anxiety/shyness task to the most fearful one.
You start with the least daunting and stay with it until you are no longer fearful of it, then move on to the next on your list.
The way I was taught is to use a scale of 0 - 8 with 0 being calm and 8 being the worst fear/anxiety/panic you have ever felt.
Before you start record your fear/anxiety level
Expose yourself to the situation, your level will rise considerably, stay in the situation until the level falls again.
The level WILL fall even though you may think it won't!
Record the level at it's peak and again afterwards.
It's important while in the 'situation' not to do anything to try to ease the feelings as this will in fact just prolong the problem.
You stay with no 1 on your list , repeating it as often as is necessary to bring your levels right down then move on to no 2.
Hope this makes sense, if I can help in any way please pm me.
