Exposure Therapy

Note: You can also print this document in Adobe PDF format by clicking here. (It requires Adobe Reader which you can obtain for free  here.)

If you’re a panic attack sufferer, did you know that being placed in a situation that is scary can in itself be helpful in resolving your panic and anxiety even though your reaction is likely to avoid such situations? 

This exposure is precisely what happens with exposure therapy.¹  

Exposure therapy is a form of cognitive therapy that allows you to go into a situation, that normally if you were just to think about, you would begin to feel anxious and fearful of having a panic attack.

 In this therapy, though, this is done within the confines of a controlled setting. In other words, normally the therapist will be present while the anxiety sufferer goes into this situation. 

Let’s look at an example of exposure therapy. 

Let’s say that as a sufferer of panic attacks the mere thought of going to the mall makes you incredibly anxious, your palms sweat, and your heart races really fast. 

You continually tell yourself that you’re unable to go to the mall because you are scared will either have a heart attack or go crazy. 

What the therapist will do is have you to go the mall and face your fears. However the full exposure happens gradually.

For instance, you might start by just getting in your car and merely driving to the mall.  The next time you might go into the mall briefly, and still the next time you might stay a little longer, and so on. This continues on and on until you can completely face your fears.

Now this may sound overly simplistic, but it can be a very effective technique for helping you recover from anxiety and panic attacks.  When you are able to see that nothing will happen, your anxiety brought on by this situation decreases. 

While someone who doesn’t suffer from panic attacks may see your fear of these situations as irrational, as a likely sufferer panic attacks – and I’m assuming you are since you’re reading this, you’ll not only see this fear as rational, but absolutely crippling. 

It is no surprise that sufferers of panic attacks often can suffer from agoraphobia. 

What is agoraphobia?

Simply put, agoraphobia is fear of fear.  In other words, people who suffer from agoraphobia are scared of being scared.  So you see it follows that someone suffering from panic attacks will avoid things that cause them fear, such as our example above.

Also if you fear going to a place such as the mall, then you’ll likely get into the habit of avoiding even more things that scare you, by staying at home. 

However, being exposed to these “fearful” situations slowly over time will allow you to confront your fears instead of being controlled by them.   

Exposure therapy is just one of many techniques that, for free, I discuss in my newsletter on anxiety, panic attacks, and agoraphobia.  Join my newsletter and receive an abundance of interesting information and techniques information that can help you with your panic attacks, agoraphobia and anxiety. 

Join the Panic Attack Recovery Newsletter: get "real" help with your Panic Attacks now!

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposure_therapy