Intro to Exposure Therapy

Every person has fears. Some people may be slightly afraid of the dark, others might be deathly afraid of spiders, and other people might have panic attacks when thinking about flying on a plane.

Some fears are harder to identify and can feel more like a discomfort. It might feel uncomfortable when someone leaves their socks on the ground. That discomfort might be subconsciously tied to a fear that the home will become messy or that a partner is unable to clean up after themselves. Some people need to flick their light switch on and off a certain amount of times to "get rid of" the feeling that something bad might happen. Others stare at their sleeping pets until they see them breathe, just to make sure that the pet hasn't died.

Whether you're slightly afraid of the dark or experience intense panic relating to events that haven't happened yet, exposure therapy can be an incredibly effective tool to support you in overcoming your fears and to regain control.

Exposure therapy is a gradual process of desensitizing you to your fears until they no longer induce anxiety. You might create a fear ladder with your therapist and slowly climb it together, starting with something that only slightly causes discomfort. As you feel more confident, you climb the fear ladder. It's like dipping a toe in the cold pool, then one foot, then your legs, and so on, letting your body acclimatize to the temperature. Soon, your whole body is in the pool and it no longer feels as cold as it did before.

Exposure therapy is all about regulating your body's reaction to the things that induce fear. Your body and brain learn, through exposure, that the thing you're afraid of isn't as harmful as you believe. Exposure therapy can often be difficult and scary because you're literally facing your fears, so it's important to work with someone who you feel safe to face these fears with. Let yourself be uncomfortable and experience the discomfort to improve your freedom in the long run!