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If there is one thing for certain, anxiety and phobias can be extremely difficult to cope with for most people. Often, doing the things that will help us overcome our fears can seem like an impossible task. But the good news is you don’t have to go it alone, and exposure therapy can help you overcome anxiety and phobias that are preventing you from living your best life.
The Trouble with Anxiety and Phobias
When we struggle with anxiety, we naturally begin to avoid situations that trigger fear. But in doing so, it can prevent us from addressing our anxiety and overcoming phobias. Anxiety can make us feel very alone in our struggles, but the truth is we are not alone at all. Anxiety is the most common mental health issue facing adults today. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders affect 40 million adults ages 18 and over in the United States.
Examples of anxiety disorders include Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and Panic Disorder (PD). These anxiety disorders can become severe and make it hard to function.
In addition to other anxiety disorders, phobias are quite common as well. While you may already know what anxiety is, a phobia refers to a specific type of anxiety. A phobia is an uncontrollable and debilitating fear of an object, activity, or situation. As stated by Johns Hopkins Medicine, roughly 19 million Americans struggle with a phobia.
When we struggle with anxiety or a phobia, avoidance is a coping mechanism we often use. While avoidance may seem helpful to us in the moment, usually, it makes things more challenging in the long run. Avoiding the very thing you are afraid of can make recovery difficult.
It isn’t your fault if you use avoidance as a coping mechanism. We all avoid things that make us nervous from time to time, such as an awkward but important conversation we need to have with a family member or friend.
However, the good news is that a helpful treatment called exposure therapy exists, which specifically targets the avoidance we do because of our fears. Read on to discover everything you need to know about exposure therapy and to learn about Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET), an innovative way to overcome your fears.
What Is Exposure Therapy?
Exposure therapy is a scientifically backed, evidenced-based mental health therapy designed to treat anxiety and phobias. Exposure therapy is also used for post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, OCD, and other mental health concerns. The thought behind exposure therapy is to slowly introduce you to what you are afraid of in small amounts, in a safe way.
During exposure therapy, the “exposure” to what you are afraid of may be visualized in your mind, spoken aloud, and in some cases, done virtually. Eventually, with this exposure, you will become desensitized to your fear and able to go about your daily life without anxiety consuming you.
While exposure therapy may not get rid of your fears entirely, it will help you feel more comfortable, confident, and ready to encounter fearful situations in the future.
What can exposure therapy help with?
- Phobias, such as a fear of heights or spiders
- Panic Disorder
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Performance Anxiety
- Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Depression
- Chronic illness and chronic pain
- Social and Communication Skills Training
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Techniques Used in Exposure Therapy
- Systematic desensitization – This technique involves exposing you to your phobia in increasing increments, using relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, while you describe your fear or discuss a traumatic event.
- Flooding – This is a concept that is sometimes used in exposure therapy. Flooding exposes you to your phobia all at once at maximum intensity. Since this type of exposure therapy can be more stressful, it is not as common for therapists to use this technique.
- Graded exposure – Compared with the flooding technique, graded exposure is used more often and is preferred by most clients. With graded exposure, you are exposed to your fear gradually, one step at a time.
Different Types of Exposure Therapy
In vivo exposure – In vivo exposure therapy requires you to encounter your phobia in the real world outside of the therapy office. An example of in vivo exposure would be if someone who suffers from panic attacks begins to avoid going to the grocery store due to the fear of having a panic attack. With in vivo exposure, a therapist may assign homework to the client to go to the grocery store. However, they may suggest going to the store for only a minute or two the first time. But for the next few trips to the store to stay a little longer each time until grocery shopping becomes less of a trigger for panic.
Imaginal exposure – Imaginal exposure therapy is typically conducted in the therapy office or at home during a teletherapy session. For many clients, it is more practical and less scary than encountering their phobia in person. With this type of therapy, you will be encouraged to think about the fear using all of your senses. When we use imaginal exposure therapy, as a client, you may be asked to describe the phobia aloud or talk through a traumatic memory if you feel comfortable doing so. It is thought that using your 5 senses to picture and describe what you are afraid of will help you conquer the fear.
Virtual reality exposure therapy – While we are about to discuss this specific type of exposure therapy in further detail in the next part of this blog, this type refers to exposure therapy conducted in a digital simulation, rather than done outside in the real-world.
Why You Should Try Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET)
Suppose the idea of being exposed to what you are afraid of in person is too much to handle, which can be for many people. In that case, you may want to try Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) instead.
VRET is a safe option for exposure therapy that can be done either from the privacy of your own home or in a therapy office. It is practical compared with other forms of exposure therapy. For example, it may be unrealistic to try to address some fears, like a fear of flying with in vivo exposure. Some phobias are best addressed in a safe, virtual situation, for example, a fear of spiders or heights.
VRET has the same premise behind it as traditional exposure therapy of slowly exposing you to your fear, so it becomes less overpowering and more manageable. However, the main difference is that it is done in a digital simulation.
With VRET, you will wear a headset with goggles, called a head-mounted display. By doing so, you will be transported digitally to a scenario involving your phobia. You will see 3-D-generated images on a screen. With VRET, you will be fully immersed in a digital environment. The computer-generated simulation can feel like the real thing, and that’s why it is so effective!
What is the Science Behind VRET?
You may be wondering why VRET is so helpful and whether there is research to back it up. According to research, VRET has demonstrated that it reduces anxiety and phobia symptoms by reducing your stress response to the situations and phobias that trigger your anxiety.
While VRET is known to be just as effective as in vivo exposure, it has many advantages in comparison.
Benefits of VRET:
- You can do it from the privacy of home
- The exposure is done under the supervision of the therapist
- It’s private and confidential
- The therapist can control the intensity of the exposure
- The exposure can be adapted to your individual needs
- The simulated experience is immersive, making it feel like real life
- It feels less threatening than exposure therapy done in the real world
Is VRET the Same Thing as Teletherapy?
You may wonder whether VRET is the same thing as teletherapy. In short, no, it is not. VRET refers to exposure therapy in an immersive, digital environment to overcome anxiety, phobias, or other mental health concerns.
In contrast, teletherapy just means therapy sessions conducted via phone or video. However, VRET and teletherapy can be done together effectively, making it practical and convenient.
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy in Boulder
As you can see, VRET has many benefits. It can help you overcome anxiety and phobias from the privacy of your own home. With VRET, I will provide a safe digital environment to help you address and overcome your fears.
If you struggle with an anxiety disorder or a phobia, such as a fear of driving, you don’t have to face it alone. With VRET, I can help you face your fears and get to a place where your anxiety is much more manageable.
If you’re interested in counseling for anxiety and would like to try VRET, contact our Boulder, Colorado office for a free 20-minute phone consultation. We also offer telehealth throughout the state of Colorado if that’s more convenient. https://somethingwildwellness.com/contact/
