Systematic Desensitisation

Systematic desensitisation therapy is a great way to rid yourself of phobias and other forms of anxieties.  It can be done in a variety of settings and ways, including utilising hypnotherapy.  It is a behavioural approach to curing fears, whether they are rational or not.  Because of this, desensitisation can be effective for virtually all types of anxiety, no matter what the cause.  Other than being able to treat a wide variety of conditions, this type of treatment can often be completed in a short period of time.

The beauty of a behavioural treatment, such as systematic desensitisation therapy, is that the cause of the phobia or anxiety does not matter.  Although many people are understandably afraid of certain things or circumstances, such as heights, many are also unnecessarily afraid of particular things or situations as well.  Although some fears are common and justified, the extent to which they can impede someone’s life can be tremendous.  For example, being afraid of heights makes sense as this situation can often be dangerous.  However, if this phobia extends to being fearful while going up even a single flight of stairs, it is having a debilitating impact on the person’s life.  Developing a desensitisation can be very helpful in these types of situations.

Depending on the severity of the particular phobia, the course of systematic desensitisation treatment will vary quite a bit in length.  However, as a general rule, it will still be significantly quicker than other forms of talk or cognitive-based therapy.  If a person’s fear is of bees, for example, there is quite a range in which their anxiety can have an impact.  Some people are only afraid when in the direct presence of bees, whereas others cannot even talk about or view a picture of them without getting visibly anxious.  Because of this variability, someone having a far-reaching phobia will most likely take longer to treat, due to the fact that they need to develop a desensitisation to a greater number of levels.

This form of treatment uses a structured way to cure a patient of a particular phobia.  The course of therapy usually starts with the person viewing, talking, or experiencing a certain thing on the lowest-anxiety producing level.  They are then brought higher up the hierarchy of things that make them nervous.  This journey is done while making sure to calm and relax the patient so they realise that there is nothing to fear, thus creating a desensitisation.  This repeated exposure in a non-threatening environment is what makes systematic desensitisation therapy so successful.

Tom Smith common name, uncommon therapy