Systematic Desensitization vs. Flooding
Important Steps in Desensitization Therapy for Phobia Treatment
Aug 23, 2009
It is important to understand hierarchies when using systematic desensitization to overcome phobias. These links will lead to examples of a hierarchy for treating agoraphobia and a hierarchy for treating specific phobias. They will also explain what to do once the hierarchy is made.
Important Steps in Desensitization
When working to desensitize a phobia sufferer, here's what to do next:
- It is extremely important that the hierarchy step chosen to start out with only causes small, manageable, anxiety. If the level of anxiety feels slightly unmanageable in this exercise, start with a smaller step, otherwise, exposure and retreat could make the fear worse.
- Pushing oneself to endure anxiety above a level that feels completely manageable is not the way to do systematic desensitization treatment and will undermine its success.
- When stopping a desensitization session for the day, always end on “repeat,” i.e. re-exposure to the step that no longer causes anxiety. Don’t end on “retreat.”
- It is extremely important to stay with the same hierarchy step until the anxiety in that step stops.
What is the Difference Between Flooding and Desensitization?
Flooding is used to treat agoraphobia and specific phobias that are fueled by an idea that something terrible will happen. For example, an agoraphobic person may fear the supermarket because she believes that if she goes in the supermarket and has a panic attack, that she will either die or make a fool of herself and everyone will laugh at her.
In flooding, a therapist will accompany the agoraphobic client to the supermarket. The person may indeed have a panic attack but the person will not die and will not make a fool of herself. In all likelihood, no one will notice her and it is highly unlikely anyone will laugh. Once the theory fueling the phobia is proven wrong, the anxiety will subside.
This process has to be done with a specialist and the client has to be able to withstand intense anxiety because if the person leaves the supermarket at the height of her anxiety, this could make the phobia worse.
Systematic Desensitization is the Opposite of Flooding
In systematic desensitization the process focuses on keeping anxiety levels extremely low, rather than letting the anxiety flood in. While flooding utilizes the idea of pushing oneself to endure high anxiety and not retreat from the phobic situation until anxiety goes down, systematic desensitization is based on keeping anxiety low in the phobic situation and purposely retreating repeatedly.
It is best to use flooding or systematic desensitization under the direct supervision of a professional who specializes in these processes, because utilizing them incorrectly can make the phobia worse.
Understanding how phobias develop can help people in their understanding of the logic and goals of systematic desensitization.
This article is for information purposes only. People experiencing troubling symptoms should consult a medical or mental health professional in person.
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