Flooding Therapy is a treatment for anxiety.
Think about what scares you the most.Maybe it is a spider.Or heights.Or public speaking.Maybe this fear doesn't affect your ability to do your job or live a normal life.It may be considered aphobia if it does.These fears can make it difficult for a person to go about their day as usual.
There are many ways to overcome fear.I will talk about one of the more extreme approaches in this video.It involves a deep dive into the things that scare you the most.
Exposure therapy is used by professionals to help patients face their fears.The patient is exposed to something that scares them the most during exposure therapy.A person with a fear of death may go to a mock funeral as a form of exposure therapy.A person with a fear of snakes may be shown pictures.
A picture of a snake and a mock funeral are both on different ends of the spectrum.Depending on the type of therapy being used and the condition of the patient, exposure therapy may involve more or less extreme versions of exposure.
The therapy exposes the patient to their fear for 2 hours.This is the most extreme version of exposure therapy.
It can sound like a nightmare for someone with a fear.To someone who doesn't have that fear, any of the tasks are not that bad.There are no life-threatening scenarios if a professional snake handler is nearby.
The patient with the fear will have a reaction in the first few minutes.They will not feel overwhelmed with fear for the entire session.The patient will become exhausted at some point.They no longer have the energy to be anxious.They are exposed to their worst fear and nothing has gone wrong.
The stimuli were the snake, flight, etc.The patient was associated with fear and overwhelming emotions.There is an alternative to flooding therapy.New associations can be made when the patient is exposed to stimuli.The patient will start to forget the old associations over time.When the patient is confronted with their former fear, they no longer associate it with bad memories or scary emotions.
There are many reasons why a therapist would choose flooding therapy.
There is only one session that involves flooding therapy.Multiple sessions of the patientwarming up are required for methods like graded exposure.One session might be looking at a snake.The next session will be about seeing a snake.The patient eventually gets to be in the same room with a snake.Flooding therapy can be time- and cost-effective.
Think of exposure therapy as a Band-Aid.The whole bandage is pulled off in one motion.Band-Aid can only be ripped off over a longer period of time with other types of exposure therapy.
People with phobias are not the only ones who benefit from flooding therapy.A professional can use flooding therapy to treat a range of disorders.
The process may be different depending on how the person is affected by the disorder.A person with post-traumatic stress disorder can be asked to imagine the experience that led to it.This is done in the presence of a therapist.
The therapy may be called "implosion therapy" when a patient is asked to think of aphobia.
A patient with OCD may be exposed to certain stimuli.They are asked to sit with the stimuli.
Patients don't have to have a serious condition to benefit from exposure therapy.Confrontation can make a patient anxious, but it isn't a full-blown fear.Until the patient is comfortable confronting someone on their own, the therapist may use role-play and other forms of exposure.
You are not alone if flooding therapy sounds too intense.Some therapists have found it to be an effective way of treating phobias, but other therapists prefer more gradual methods.
Exposure to a serious fear may result in trauma or hospitalization.It is a risk to consider if you and a mental health professional are considering flooding therapy as a treatment method.
Continue to do research if you want to treat a mental condition.The pros and cons of different methods.Exposure therapy is just one type of therapy that you may benefit from.
As you do your research, be sure to reach out to a licensed professional.A working therapist may be able to point you in the right direction and give suggestions for treatments or professionals that may work best for your condition and situation.
You can reference this article.In May 2020.Explanation andPsychology Definition of Flooding TherapyFlooding therapy can be found atpracticalpie.com.Theodore.In May 2020.Explanation andPsychology Definition of Flooding TherapyFlooding therapy can be found atpracticalpie.com.You can copy.
Theodore created PracticalPsychology while in college.He wants to help people understand how their brains work.The dream continues strong with 1,700,000 subscribers and a growing team of psychologists.