Exposure Therapy and its applications

Unless you are a person who is not afraid of anything, fear is something that everyone has. Whether it is towards insects or towards being in high places, it is normal to have fears. In some way, it helps to protect you from potential harm. However, fear in extreme amounts can have terrible consequences that appear in the form of physical symptoms, such as difficulty breathing or chest pains. These are often known as disorders, which hinder how people function in their daily life. 

As such, exposure therapy is one of the ways that people can seek to help them confront their fears. In this article, we will explore what exposure therapy is all about. 

What is exposure therapy? 

Exposure therapy, as the name suggests, is a form of psychological treatment that helps patients by exposing them to their fears. According to Cleveland Clinic (2023), exposure therapy is “a type of cognitive behavioral therapy in which your therapist creates a safe environment to expose you to your fears”. When we get fearful, we tend to be avoidant of the situation or object that brings about that fear. For example, if a person is afraid of large crowds, they will avoid going to crowded areas like shopping malls or busy streets. While this will usually lead to little or no consequence, avoiding fears can sometimes lead to missing out on activities or restricting the places a person can work in because of the presence of such fears. In addition, over time, fears can become worse, and this can affect how said person lives their life as they get easily frightened by the mere thought of the fear. 

Types of exposure therapy

As different people have different needs and mental states, there is a need to have different types of exposure therapies so that such treatment can help them instead of harming them. 

Here are some types of exposure therapy according to the American Psychological Association (2017): 

• In vivo exposure 

  • This involves directly facing your fears and experiencing them head-on. This is often used for fears that can be easily experienced so that there is more opportunity for practice. 

• Imaginal exposure 

  • Usually used when fears cannot be directly faced, such as for traumatic experiences that come for patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This involves imagining the experience or sharing their experiences so as to reduce feelings of fear. 

• Virtual reality exposure 

  • Another method that can be used when in vivo exposure is not practical would be using virtual reality as a way to simulate the fear so that the patient could experience the fear without being subjected to unethical practices of experiencing their fear. 

• Interoceptive exposure 

  • This is usually used for people who suffer from panic attacks, where they feel that some physical sensations like increasing heart rate are dangerous. The therapist would ask the patient to do an activity that also mimics this physical sensation so that the patient learns that this particular feeling is not dangerous. 

Who is exposure therapy used for? 

Exposure therapy can be used by different groups of people who may share the common feeling of fear or anxiety. Some conditions that exposure therapy can be used to overcome are phobias, generalised anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder (Gupta, 2024). 

There have been studies shown to also be able to reduce the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, or more commonly known as OCD, through a specialised form of exposure therapy known as exposure and response prevention therapy. According to Hezel and Simpson (2019, as cited in Gupta, 2024), OCD was a “condition that was once considered untreatable”. With this, perhaps there could be some light shed to find a way to treat and cure OCD one day. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, exposure therapy is a form of treatment that allows people to face their fears and reduce the impact of anxiety in their lives. By gradually and safely exposing patients to their fears, this form of therapy allows them to regain confidence and control. While it may not be easy, research has shown that exposure therapy can be an effective way to manage anxiety disorders and improve overall well-being. As psychological research continues to evolve, exposure therapy remains a crucial tool that can help people lead lives with less fear.

Works cited 

American Psychological Association (2017). What is exposure therapy? [online] Available at: https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/exposure-therapy. [Accessed on 1 Mar. 2025]

Cleveland Clinic (2023). Exposure therapy. [online] Cleveland Clinic. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/25067-exposure-therapy. [Accessed on 28 Feb. 2025]

‌Gupta, S.  (2024). How Does Exposure Therapy Work? [online] Verywell Mind. Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/exposure-therapy-definition-techniques-and-efficacy-5190514#toc-how-exposure-therapy-works. [Accessed on 1 Mar. 2025]

Guy-Evans, O. (2024). Exposure Therapy: Definition, Techniques, Interventions. [online] www.simplypsychology.org. Available at: https://www.simplypsychology.org/exposure-therapy.html. [Accessed on 1 Mar. 2025]