Exposure therapy
Mental Health Exposure therapy is a procedure in which a person is intentionally exposed to objects or situations that cause fear and anxiety. The person is in these situations long enough for the anxiety and fear to begin to subside on their own. Response prevention involves refraining from any actions that were previously used to reduce anxiety. For example, if a person is afraid that if they touch a bathtub, they will get sick and get infected with germs, then during exposure they will be asked to intentionally touch the bathtub for a certain period of time and endure the anxiety that arises. Exposure helps them realize that anxiety will not last forever, but will begin to decrease on its own over time and does not require any action. This process is called “habituation” (getting used to) the anxiety.
Syrotyuk, P. (2024). Exposure Therapy: A Scientific Approach to Combating Fears and Anxiety. Retrieved from https://shorturl.at/BPotM.
Volodymyrovych, V. How Exposure Therapy Works. Retrieved from https://shorturl.at/UuMkD.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center. The Use of Exposure with Response Prevention in the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Retrieved from https://shorturl.at/8YPVi.