Through individual therapy and assignments, prolonged exposure helps patients realize they can encounter stimuli that reminds them of the traumatic accident, assault, natural disaster or other event without fear. These threats may include people, places or anything else that reminds the person of the trauma-inducing event. How does prolonged exposure work?Īfter experiencing a traumatic event, a person's brain goes into a survival mode and tries to protect them by recognizing possible threats related to the trauma, ensuring the trauma won’t occur again. The technique is also useful for decreasing depression, anger, and general anxiety. Prolonged exposure is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which helps people with trauma (posttraumatic stress disorder) process single or multiple traumas or continuous trauma and reduce symptoms. You know that if you sit with your anxiety long enough, it will decrease on its own. Habituation is important because it’s the point at which someone no longer needs their impulsive behavior to reduce their anxiety.
This way of reducing anxiety is called habituation. Over time, you realize you can drive safely and the likelihood that you’ve hit someone is very slim.
For example, if you have to get out of your car every time you run over a pothole because you’re afraid you’ve hit someone, the treatment team may ask you drive down bumpy roads for longer and longer intervals each time, without checking your car. The goal of ERP is to be exposed to a feared situation while avoiding the compulsive behavior long enough that the anxiety decreases. Response prevention: avoiding the impulse to use a compulsive behavior.Exposure: gradual and repetitive exposure to a feared situation.ERP helps you gradually confront obsessions and compulsions using: Compulsions are repetitive behaviors used to reduce the anxiety brought on by the obsession. An obsession refers to a feared, oftentimes unrealistic situation that causes anxiety. Someone suffering from OCD experiences obsessions and compulsions. This method gradually exposes a patient to feared thoughts, images or impulses and outcome studies show its effectiveness in reducing anxiety and distress over time. Also useful for treating other mental health conditions, such as phobias, panic disorders, generalized anxiety disorders and social anxieties, ERP is a key component of care for eating disorders at Rogers. We also work with to improve sleep and diet patterns which are often impacted by periods of depression.ĮRP is a component of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and considered the “treatment of choice” for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Patients move on to increasingly challenging activities as they experience improvements in mood. This therapy often includes keeping a record of activities to better understand patterns and identify behaviors that help improve mood.Īdditional strategies may help to gain the necessary skills to do various tasks and work toward goals while also managing uncomfortable emotions that may arise during activities when feeling depressed. Working toward specific work-related goals.Improving relationships with family members.This can include activities enjoyed before becoming depressed, activities related to a person's values or even everyday items that get pushed aside such as: Our goal is to gradually decrease a patient's avoidance and isolation and increase their engagement in activities which improve mood. It helps patients react in a wiser, more effective manner, even if feeling distressed.ĭBT and DBT-informed skills are part of an increasing number of programs at Rogers, with a high level of fidelity, or compliance, being demonstrated in programs like our Nashotah Center for DBT Female Adolescent residential care.Īs a treatment for depression and other mood disorders, behavioral activation is based on the theory that, as someone becomes depressed, you tend to increase avoidance and isolation, which serves to maintain or worsen your symptoms.
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Emotion regulation to reduce or improve self-defeating or self-harming behaviorsĭBT helps patients increase compassionate, non-judgmental acceptance of themselves while learning how to do better in managing their life.Distress tolerance, or reacting in a wise manner, even if in distress.