This child’s weather phobia is a result of a maladaptive anxiety. This type of anxiety can be conceptualized more specifically. First, a perceived threat, such as an object, activity, or situation, that caused anxiety was encountered (i.e. a loud thunderstorm with a lot of lightening). Next, unhelpful thoughts, or in correct beliefs, about the consequences of confronting the fear emerged (i.e. it is going to hurt me and my family). Then, avoidance of the fear occurred in order to reduce feelings of anxiety (i.e. closing the blinds so she cannot see the weather outside). This caused the fear to remain because without confronting the fear, the client is unable to challenge unhelpful thoughts or beliefs about the phobia (Elkins, 2017). An effective treatment for this weather phobia would be systematic desensitization. The focus of systematic desensitization is to reduce maladaptive anxiety by inducing the client into a relaxed state and having the client imagine successively more anxiety provoking situations. There are three steps in the systematic desensitization process: relaxation training, development of
For example, during relaxation training, the client could be instructed to practice relaxing all the body parts she has learned so far once a day. The client could also be assigned to use progressive relaxation while feeling anxious at least once before the next session. This continued practice would help reinforce the client’s ability to replace anxiety with relaxation. Overall, the primary focus, or essential component, of systematic desensitization is having the client experience repeated, safe exposure to anxiety-evoking situations that does not result in any negative consequences. However, the facilitative components, gradual exposure and competing response, are beneficial due to the severity of the client’s phobia (O'Donohue & Fisher, 2009; Spiegler,
In the case of Marjorie, she is a 24-year-old, single Caribbean American female who lives in the home with her mother and her two younger sisters. When she was 15 years old Marjorie’s father died. Marjorie is unmarried, has no children, and is employed part time. (Plummer, 2013). Since she had already received a definitive diagnosis of OCD by a psychiatrist, and had been initially prescribed Zoloft, (Plummer, 2013) I would begin by educating her about OCD, explaining that OCD is often shared with other disorders usually treated by mental health counselors such as depression or substance abuse; and explain that its onset usually occurs in the adolescent or college years (Noshirvani, Kasvikis, Marks, & Tsakirvis, 1991). (Spengler, n.d). Marjorie’s onset begun when she was a teenager and escalated once her father passed. As the worker being assigned to her case I would use Exposure theory as well as cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Marjorie is fearful of germs; through exposure therapy Marjorie could face her fears of germs by being exposed in a systematic and secure way to certain objects that she feels carries germs (Spengler, n.d) She could then safely address, dispell and face those fears. Allowing her to slowly move at a pace that is comfortable for her, by
Just imagine for a moment that you have a cynophobia or the fear of dogs, would this be how you would feel. Driving down the road the oil light comes on. "I must stop the car to add more oil or I will damage the car engine. This looks like a good place to pull over. I'll just stop in front of this house. The oil is in the trunk, so I'll pop the top first, then get the oil out of the trunk. OK, I have the oil, but what if there is a dog at this house. Hurry, I have to hurry. A dog might come running out and bark at me any minute. Just get the oil in the engine. I can't my hands are shaking. Don't worry, there is no dog. Just get the oil in the engine. I don't care if I spill it, just get some in the engine. Take another look around, is there a dog anywhere. OK, the oils in, now hurry get back in the car. I can't breath. I'm safely back in the car, now just take a minute and breath. When will my hands stop shaking." This is how a person with a phobia of dogs might feel. There is no dog around anywhere in sight, but the thought of a dog running at them barking is enough to cause a panic attack. In "Exploring Psychology" David G. Myers defines phobia as "an anxiety disorder marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation" (432). This paper will explore the history, causes, effects, and treatment of Phobias.
The procedures leading to the acquisition and elimination of agoraphobia are based on a number of behavioural principles. The underlying principle is that of classical conditioning. Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which a stimulus acquires the capacity to evoke a response that was originally evoked by another stimulus (Weiten, 1998). Eliminating agoraphobia is basically achieving self-control through behaviour modification. Behaviour modification is systematically changing behaviour through the application of the principles of conditioning (Weiten, 1998). The specific principle used here is systematic desensitisation. The two basic responses displayed are anxiety and relaxation, which are incompatible responses. Systematic desensitisation works by reconditioning people so that the conditioned stimulus elicits relaxation instead of anxiety. This is called counterconditioning. Counterconditioning is an attempt to reverse the process of classical conditioning by associating the crucial stimulus with a new conditioned response (Weiten, 1998). This technique's effectiveness in eliminating agoraphobia is well documented.
Systematic Desensitization is “gradually expose[ing] [a] person to [the] thing he/she fears; taught incompatible response.” A triumphant scene that portrays this during the movie is when gradually Christine learns to trust the police
Fear is a potent emotional response developed by the intrinsic need to learn in order for one to better their means of self-preservation. Though often overlooked, fear is a mental construct which presents great importance in understanding an individual’s thoughts and mannerisms. Children can help scientists to better recognize how these fears emerge. The early years of life can be considered the most daunting; everything in the environment surrounding a child is fairly new, strange, and unfamiliar. In the psychological community, it is widely accepted that fears are determined from two main constituents: biological and environmental factors. Both factors play an essential role in defining fear as well as the determination of what a child may
Jackson would be to undergo Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is a method of psychotherapy that looks to treat psychological disorders by implementing modifications that change dysfunctional thoughts, emotions, and behavior. (Zalyte, Neverauskas, & Goodall, 2017) CBT is the most commonly used and most effective treatments for Agoraphobia. (Gloster, Wittchen, et al. 2011) In this case, therapist guided exposure during CBT will prove to be Mrs. Jackson’s best option. Self-exposure to their trigger can be difficult for phobia patients, and they will often activate avoidance behaviors which can interfere with their progress through treatment. The presence of a therapist can help to counteract this. (Hahlweg, Fiegenbaum, Frank, Schroeder, & von Witzleben, 2001).The therapist’s role in this case would be to reassure Mrs. Jackson about her safety, and identify safety behaviors that Mrs. Jackson can utilize to ensure that she is secure, such as carrying a cell phone for emergency purposes. The therapist’s feedback can help guide Ms. Jackson and promote more effective behavior by providing modeling and verbal instructions. I would recommend setting up a daily plan that included gradual exposure to the world outside of the home, with small steps being taken until Mrs. Jackson is more comfortable and can make larger and larger advances into the outside world. The therapist’s presence will help keep her accountable, and ensure that she is
There are three kinds of phobias: simple phobia, social phobia, and panic attacks. Simple phobias, also called specific phobias, are fears of a specific thing, such as spiders or being in a closed place. Most simple phobias develop during childhood and eventually disappear. Specific phobia is a marked fear of a specific object or situation. It is a category for any phobias other than agoraphobia and social phobia. The categories of specific phobias are 1. situational phobias such as: fear of elevators, airplanes, enclosed places, public transportation, tunnels, or bridges; 2. fear of the natural environment such as: storms, water, or heights; 3. animal phobias such as: fear of dogs, snakes, insects, or mice; 4. blood-injection-injury phobia such as: fear of seeing blood or an injury, or of receiving an injection. (Wood 520).
In this treatment, “clients are repeatedly exposed to objects or situations that produce anxiety, obsessive fears, and compulsive behaviors, but they are told to resist performing the behaviors they feel so bound to preform” (Comer, 2015). Individuals going through this treatment will often find it extremely difficult to resist the urge to preform these compulsions, or behaviors, therefor the therapist will often be the first to set this example. This treatment can be conducted in an individual, or group
In case one the Subject Ann has a disproportionate fear of being away from home unaccompanied, as well as various open spaces, events, and even while driving the car. A result of this fear is that Ann rarely leaves her home, and when she does, she seeks escape or needs an immediate relative to accompany her. These symptoms have developed over a period of three years, and could be used to diagnose agoraphobia in Ann.
DBT is effective when working with clients experiencing anxiety disorder and depression. Individuals in DBT therapy are taught to notice, rather than react to thoughts and behaviors. DBT teaches clients to accept their emotional reactions and learn to tolerate distress while being mindful of their present experiences. DBT has four stages for therapy. In stage one the pre-commitment stage is where the therapist explains what types of treatment the client will receive. In this stage the client must agree to stop all self harm behavior and work toward developing other coping skills. In stage two the goal is to assist the client into controlling her emotions. Stage three and four involve assisting the client to gain the ability to develop self respect (Waltz, 2003).
Having a specific phobia towards the natural environment may sound unrealistic but it is indeed much more common than people believe. A natural environment phobia is fear of one or more of the following: heights, storms, or water. About 75% of people with this specific phobia averse more than one of the fears listed (DSM- APA). However, there is a difference between being fearful of something and it being a personal phobia of an individual. If it is a phobia it will last more than six months. Anything shorter than six months is then dismissed as a temporary fear. In children, this anxiety will be expressed by crying, temper tantrums, freezing or clinging on to their caregiver (DSM-APA). This can also be seen in sever phobias in adults but rarely does the adult have a temper tantrum, rather, a more developed emotional response is provoked. Typically, the amount of anxiety or fear that is actually observed during a phobic episode is entirely inordinate to the actual threat that a specific phobia may have (DSM-A...
Cognitive therapy approaches of psychotherapy have proved to be one of the most effective psychological approaches for a wide range of behavioral problems. “CBT teaches anxiety reduction skills that people can use for the rest of their lives. Research shows the
“Lazarus was the first psychologist to apply desensitization techniques for treating phobias in group therapy sessions.” (Alic, 2001, pg. 2) By the 1960’s Lazarus had decided that the therapy movement he had initiated utilizing the stimulus-response mechanisms of behaviorist psychology, was too limited for effective psychotherapy.
Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT) is also often paired with systematic desensitization. CBT is focused on regaining control of reactions to stress and stimuli, ultimately reducing the feeling of helplessness (Palazzolo, 2014). One specific case of Psychotherapeutic Treatment for Aquaphobia takes a closer look at the break down of how systematic desensitization would be applied. Initially, the patient would be given information on their phobia, making it seem as unthreatening as possible and by showing them that they are not alone, as this disorder is common and that there is a cognitive approach to treat their condition. You first explain to the patient step by step the therapy that is going to take place. You ask them to carefully watch themselves throughout each situation and take notice at what parts they find challenging or lead them to avoidance. It is also suggested that the patients rates her anxiety during those situations on a scale from 1-10. The duration of this therapy would be approximately 13 sessions, meeting once a week for 30-45 minutes. The first three sessions are centered around their life and story of their disability, the diagnosis and the analysis of the disorder while working out a review of each sessions and what their ultimate goal
It is believed that Aversion therapy is questionable in it’s success for the long term, according