Within psychology there are various methods to deal with disorders and diseases related to mental health, which in turn unfolds in a whole series of therapies and tools to achieve progress. One of them is the so-called exposure therapy, framed within those that are based on conduct and behavior. The objective of this technique is for patients to be able to face their fears and thus be able to learn to manage them.
As its name suggests, exposure therapy consists of exposing the patient to that situation that causes them discomfort. However, the key to this method is that it must be done gradually, so progress will be made progressively and always within a safe environment for the patient. This will reduce the stress and discomfort of the patient.
Exposure therapy represents a good option to treat certain phobias or fears, as well as traumatic memories. These are conditions that prevent patients from coping with certain situations, so they tend to avoid people, objects or even circumstances that may remind them of what they fear. However, it represents irrational fears that, in some cases, can considerably limit people’s quality of life.
Within exposure therapy you can differentiate between different application methods, which will also influence the time that the sessions can last. Possibly the best known is live therapy, that is, exposing the patient directly to what causes them fear or discomfort. In these cases it is especially important to make a series of advances progressively, in order to reduce the stress to which the patient must be subjected.
Other formulas to make use of exposure therapy have to do with creating unrealistic scenarios, that is, making use of the imagination. The therapist is in charge of asking the patient to imagine that situation, object or person that causes anxiety. Through a guided session, progress will be made to overcome the feeling of fear.
The newest is virtual reality exposure therapy. This technology allows you to create an experience halfway between the real and the imaginary. In addition, it allows you to overcome some more complex fears or phobias to simulate, such as the fear of flying. This technique is gaining more and more popularity.
