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What is exposure therapy?, and missed opportunity worry

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What is exposure therapy?, and missed opportunity worry

Postby xod_s » Wed Oct 05, 2016 6:43 pm

I would like to ask this now while,*I'm not taking things too seriously*. Goodness, knows how I feel like kicking myself for not having asked this to the expert I meet with earlier today and I'm 'too shy' to ask via e-mail, not the least b/c it not only might seem 'annoying' (a triggering word b/c it reminds me of someone who disappointed me to the point that I had horrifying intrusive thoughts) but b/c it might be indicative of how I didn't supere/'got over it', during the chat.

What exactly is exposure therapy?. I ask b/c earlier on during the appointments I had with someone during the summer she brought up how she was considering maybe 'referring' me or such to undergo exposure therapy.

I don't really think that would be necessary at this point, not the least b/c the appointments with her afterwards helped substantially but b/c what with the help I receive with a 'circle of care'/'cooks in the pot' for when it comes to mental health, it *might* be adequate as what it is, all the while, something doesn't particularly/sharply upsets or triggers me.

Maybe not as relevant: I worry that maybe I'm a bit 'too addicted/hooked' on engaging with mental health experts b/c it's one of the few areas where I can express particularly abstract things and it's meaningful and can relate to me. I mean while it's great that such a field like therapy exists and there are persons present to help, the point isn't to 'cling to it', if you don't 'have to',eh?.

From the sounds of it,is exposure therapy like 'facing your fears in small doses and increasing the doses ?'. Would it be analogous to say (if your afraid of anything wolf related), being around plush toys of wolves, looking at pictures and videos of wolves,going to a zoo or natural reserve before say re-watching a horror movie which might have made you overly afraid/sensitive to anything wolf related long ago?.
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Re: What is exposure therapy?, and missed opportunity worry

Postby Remember Ronni » Wed Oct 05, 2016 11:36 pm

Generally speaking exposure therapy is about exposing yourself to whatever it is that is causing you the problems. But it's done in a supportive environment (therapy) so you can explore and address the feelings that arise. It doesn't necessarily involve cuddling a wolf; it's more likely I think to involve talking in detail about the thing you fear (instead of avoiding the subject) and learning coping techniques to manage your feelings.

I think it would be really helpful for you to try and email your therapist. When you go to an appointment like that there is so much to remember and when you're anxious particularly it's often hard to take it all in. Perhaps you could email and ask whether they could confirm their advice in writing for you (they should not have a problem with that - I ask for things like that in writing) but at the same time you could ask whether they would mind sending you some more information about the exposure therapy and how that would work. A good therapist (the expert you saw) should be quite happy to do this. I ask for all my assessments to be sent to me in writing and I've asked for information of the therapy they've suggested - no one has had a problem with it. At least then you'd have the information you need to decide whether that kind of therapy would be helpful for you.
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