Education that helps people understand exposure therapy can help improve its chance of success rate.
A healthcare provider can help refer you to a therapist who is trained in this method.
Habituation in Exposure Therapy
Exposure-based treatments take advantage of a natural process calledhabituation.
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Everyday life is full of examples of habituation.
In this example, the person has become habituated to the sound of the highway.
Avoidance Reinforces Fear
At the same time, exposure-based therapies reduceavoidance, which reinforces fearful thoughts.
Let’s look at a practical example to see how exposure works to promote habituation.
An Example of Avoidance
Imagine that you have afear of dogs.
Now picture yourself on a sidewalk as someone approaches you with their dog.
As the dog approaches your anxiety will start to rise.
At the same time, what distress you did experience would disappear more and more quickly.
Eventually, you would feel no distress at all when encountering the dog.
You might even enjoy spending time with him.
In short, you would be habituated to the dog.
Over time, fear begins to subside and they can replace previous avoidance behaviors with more helpful coping strategies.
People who have OCD are prevented from engaging in rituals orcompulsionsduring the exposure.
Effectiveness of Exposure Therapy
Obsessive compulsive disorder is usually treated with medication, psychotherapy, or both.
Those with less severe symptoms appear to benefit from exposure treatments more than those with more severe symptoms.
This might includemedication, cognitive-behavioral therapy,acceptance and commitment therapy, or a combination of these.
Find out which option is the best for you.
Abramowitz JS.The psychological treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.Can J Psychiatry.
2019;12:1167-1174. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S211117
National Institute of Mental Health.Obsessive-compulsive disorder.
International OCD Foundation.How is OCD treated?
2010;49(10):1024-33. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2010.06.013
