Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 6:15 pm Post subject: Exposure therapy -- anyone tried it? Thoughts?
I am trying to come up with a plan for using exposure therapy in social situations. Have any of you tried it before? What kind of plan did you use or what would you recommend?
It depends on the person wether or not it'll help. I force myself to get exposure all the time and it dosen't help me get better, in fact my anxiety gets a little worse with exposure b/c it gives me more situations to worry I did something/said something ebarassing in but being out around people does help with my depression and it's possible my SA would worsen quicker without exposure than with it.
I think exposure would only be very effective though after doing some kind of CBT or other self-help method which examines thoughts, I can't imagine exposure alone would help apart from getting used to social situations, and maybe learning social skills, but I don't think it's enough to overcome SA if one doesn't tackle their thought patterns/underlying beliefs which are the root cause.
If I spend more time around people, my SA tends to get better, but then when I'm alone again I revert back, the change is always short-term.
Joined: Dec 07, 2006 Posts: 420 Location: 44/m/miami
Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 7:15 am Post subject:
Normal daily life provides me with enough exposure that I don't think made-up situations are needed. Gradual exposure is a part of CBT and ACT, but sometimes you just have to dive in at the deep end and take control of your life.
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I think exposure would only be very effective though after doing some kind of CBT or other self-help method which examines thoughts, I can't imagine exposure alone would help apart from getting used to social situations, and maybe learning social skills, but I don't think it's enough to overcome SA if one doesn't tackle their thought patterns/underlying beliefs which are the root cause.
I agree here, well for me anyway.
I had a lot of exposure therapy which purely dealt with the symptoms of my anxiety. All it did was get me to do more but the anxiety was still there. I also found other symptoms developed like my eating problems got worse almost like my body had to deal with the anxiety somehow and if it wan't in a social way then it came out somewhere else. Other physical things like teeth clenching and tention headaches and excema.
I had talking therapies after that which examined why I am like this and although it hasn't cured me I am definitely better than I was and also my mind deals with it better.
I have no idea if i'm doing it right. I tried to make a list of fears with increasing anxiety. However, it seems very difficult to gauge what the next step should be, not to mention the difficulty in manufacturing these situations. I tackled the lowest "step" on my hierarchy and it seemed fairly easy, but after repeating the action several times I really don't feel any different, and I don't feel ready to take the next "step".. I just don't feel like this is working.
I am trying to come up with a plan for using exposure therapy in social situations. Have any of you tried it before? What kind of plan did you use or what would you recommend?
I'm currently working with a psychologist doing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Exposure Therapy. I'm working on some underlying sexual anxiety right now but will eventually move into social anxiety, so I'll let you know how it works out.
I will say this; I've done exposure therapy with some anxiety I have/had (had to deal with fears of certain feelings associated with certain places) and once I began to ignore the fear, expose myself, and "blend" those unpleasant emotions into my daily routine, the anxiety lessened, the feelings bothered me less and less, and in most cases they disappeared altogether eventually.
Joined: Dec 07, 2006 Posts: 420 Location: 44/m/miami
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:43 am Post subject:
This is my exposure plan: go to work everyday, say hi to people at work, practice small talk with coworkers, continue going to college, say hi to people at college, ask & answer questions, go walking in the park for exercise, go shopping for groceries, etc. In other words: life is my exposure opportunity. I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) which tells me: anxiety isn't the problem, avoidance is. CBT tells you to correct your thinking, but ACT says just notice your thoughts and focus on doing.
_________________ Accept your reactions and be present
Choose a valued direction
Take action
Like someone else said here, life is exposure therapy. For me, just walking down the sidewalk can be anxiety-provoking. I get up every day and go to class, go to work, etc. having to fight my anxiety every step of the way. It really makes life unpleasant. I started doing exposure therapy with my therapist, and continue to do it on my own. It's hard and unpleasant, but anything you can do to challenge yourself is a good thing!
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