Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy is a behavioral therapy that helps people heal from the distressing thoughts and feelings associated with PTSD. It is natural for people to want to avoid situations, people, places, and even thoughts that trigger negative feelings such as anxiety. Avoidance is a normal protective response that, in some situations, can be beneficial. However, in most PTSD cases, avoidance behavior extends into many areas, and is so frequent that it can reduce a person’s quality of life.
The goal of Exposure Treatment for PTSD is to encourage an individual to face their fears in a safe and supportive environment. By confronting fear and anxiety head-on, it lessens its impact and eventually, avoidance behavior can be eliminated altogether.
There are four different types of Exposure Therapy — In Vivo, which is designed to help a person confront feared objects or situations, Imaginal, which addresses feared thoughts and memories, Interoceptive, which helps people confront feared physical symptoms, and Prolonged Exposure Therapy. Prolonged Exposure Therapy, also known as PET, is used almost exclusively for PTSD cases.
Benefits of Prolonged Exposure Therapy
For those with PTSD whose lives have been disrupted by ongoing fears, anxiety, and avoidance behaviors, PET is a valuable tool that can offer multiple benefits including:
PET Benefits
Reduced Trigger Effects
Everyday sights, sounds, or experiences no longer cause anxiety symptoms
Greater Control Over Thoughts and Fears
No longer feel like a victim of your emotions or feelings tied to past events
Reduced Avoidance Behaviors
Re-engage in activities and social situations that once triggered fear and anxiety
Improved Daily Functioning
With reduced anxiety and learned methods for controlling fear, you can engage in daily activities with less fear and distress.
These are just a few of the benefits that Prolonged Exposure Therapy can provide for those who have been diagnosed with PTSD. It has also been found to be effective for reducing comorbid disorders such as Depressive Disorders, Social Anxiety Disorder, Personality Disorders, Substance Abuse, and Addiction Disorders.
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Prolonged Exposure Therapy and PTSD
PET has been found to be very effective for treating symptoms of PTSD because it incorporates elements from each of the other three types of Exposure Therapy. Sessions usually start with learning about how the process works and what to expect. Then, patients learn how to control their breathing. When someone experiences trauma, or if they are re-living the memories of a traumatic event, the body has a physical reaction. Your breathing becomes shallow which only increases anxiety. By learning how to control breathing when frightened or upset, you can in turn reduce anxiety.
Once you master breathing techniques with your Licensed Clinical Psychologist, it’s time to address the people, places, or situations that are reminders of the trauma. Once you identify these triggers, you and your PE Therapist can slowly start to address them. The goal is to no longer have to avoid everyday scenarios that cause anxiety if they are not a true threat to health or safety.
Finally, as with all forms of Psychotherapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD involves an in-depth discussion of the thoughts and feelings surrounding the traumatic event in order to work through each aspect of it. Through this discussion, patients learn that trauma-related memories are not dangerous, nor do they need to be avoided.
Prolonged Exposure Therapy is just one option for treating PTSD, but it’s a very effective one and its benefits are long-lasting. Although it requires someone to revisit unpleasant memories, PET can help individuals feel more in control of their thoughts and emotions so they can start to progress down a path toward healing.
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