Which is the desired outcome in conducting desensitization:
A. The client verbalizes his fears about the situation.
B. The client will voluntarily attend group therapy in the social hall.
C. The client will socialize with others willingly.
D. The client will be able to overcome his disabling fear.
Correct Answer: D. The client will be able to overcome his disabling fear.
The client will overcome his disabling fear by gradual exposure to the feared object. This therapy aims to remove the fear response of a phobia, and substitute a relaxation response to the conditional stimulus gradually using counter conditioning. The progressive structure of systematic desensitization allows the patient to control the steps he/she must make until fear is overcome. This absence of disturbing elements makes this technique less likely to provoke abandonment of the therapy.
Option A: Behavior therapy is the most effective treatment for phobias is behavioral therapy. This includes systematic desensitization and flooding. In methodical desensitization, the patient is exposed to a list of stimuli ranging from the least to the most anxiety-provoking. With this method, patients are taught various techniques to deal with anxiety such as relaxation, breathing control, and cognitive approaches.
Option B: The cognitive-behavioral approach includes reinforcing the realization that the phobic stimulus is safe. As the patient masters these techniques, they are taught to use them in the face of anxiety-provoking stimuli and induce relaxation. As the patients become desensitized to each stimulus on the scale, they keep moving up until the most anxiety-provoking stimuli no longer elicit any fear or anxiety.
Option C: To be successful, behavioral therapy requires that the patient be committed to the treatment, there are distinctly identified problems and objectives, and there are alternative strategies for dealing with the patient’s feelings. Other treatment modalities include hypnosis, supportive therapy, and family therapy. The goal of all 3 forms of therapy is to help the patient recognize that the feared stimulus is not dangerous and to provide emotional support.