Exposure Therapy for Anxiety.

I've been suffering from anxiety for years and have tried everything.
I recently started Exposure Therapy and it's not going well.
With this type of therapy, my pdoc has me do exercises to bring on an anxiety attack and then helps me deal with the feelings.
Well it's been three days since my appt. and I've been having anxiety non stop, since my appt.
Has this type of therapy worked for anyone, because right now I'm jumping out of my skin.

I'm sorry it isn't working for you.

That sounds like my idea of hell.
Please ask him or her what the evidence base is for whether this approach works, and what the signposts are so you know whether it's going to work or not. And the type of patient in whom this sort of tactic works best. Challenge him, don't suffer! If the answers you get satisfy you, then keep trying, if not, ask him to stop and try something else.

Have you successfully completed treatment for CBT BEFORE exposure therapy began? You must first learn how to calm yourself down from a panic/anxiety attack before you can do exposure therapy, and even then the anxiety can feel unbearable. I'm currently conducting my own exposures to treat agoraphobia. Good luck! And as Little Cat said, ask questions! Such as:

Who does this therapy work for?
Do you think I am ready to start this therapy?
Who responds best to this type of therapy?
Have you conducted this type of therapy before?
Do you know of any success stories with this type of therapy?

Also, if you have access to Netflix and can bear the anxiety, you should watch an episode of "Obsessed." Obsessed is a TV show centered around individuals participating in CBT and exposure therapy, and following them along as they make progress.

I would certainly call/share with your pdoc your reaction and work with him to adjust the work so it is not as difficult for you when you are not in the therapy situation.

Good article on exposure therapy for anxiety (choose on left tab of link page): Therapy for Anxiety Disorders: Cognitive and Behavioral Approaches

That was of great help and seems to be a fantastic website

I have tried exposure therapy. I was handling it fine during the treatment sessions, but after they ended, I went back to my anxiety and phobias as if I had no treatment at all. Now my pdoc just makes me take clonazepam for when I have to deal with my phobias.

Hi Jolisse,

I haven't done that myself, but there is a new review which says that gentler therapy works better than exposure therapy for PTSD

https://www.madinamerica.com/2015/07...sd-challenged/

- vital

What kind of things is your therapist having you do and what strategies have they taught you to use to deal with the anxiety once triggered. How big a step are these triggers (are they measurable increments)? How relevant are these tests to your daily life?

ex. My therapist had me go grocery shopping later and later as the store got busier and busier until I was able to go anytime during the day. We even rode the bus together all one morning transferring between routes.

I think you should start with gradual exposure therapy.

Take your time doing gradual exposure therapy before you do immersion therapy.

Step 1) Write a list of all the anxiety provoking situations you can think of.

Step 2) Organize that list, ranking each situation from least anxiety provoking to most anxiety provoking

Step 3) Pick the least anxiety provoking situation, start by exposing yourself to it in a controlled environment ideally along side your therapist/psychiatrist before moving onto exposure therapy on your own

Step 4) Rate your anxiety out of 10 after 1 minute, 3 minute, 5 minute, 10, minute, and 15 minutes has passed.

Step 5) Observe and be mindful of the decrease in your anxiety, even if it is only by 1 point out of 10

Step 6) keep working your way up the anxiety list, from least anxiety provoking to most anxiety provoking as each item on the list becomes more manageable

Step 7) Practice regularly. Anxiety is either getting better because you are working on it, or it is getting worse because you are avoiding anxiety provoking situations.

Some things to consider:

Ask yourself what is the worst possible scenario that could happen? If that scenario were to happen, what then? Ask yourself would you be any different? Be mindful of all the possible outcomes. Ask yourself how likely it is for that worst case scenario to occur versus all the other possible outcomes?

The human body cannot remain in fight or flight mode indefinitely, it is physiologically impossible. Your anxiety must decrease overtime in any given situation. The goal of exposure therapy is to become desensitized to anxiety provoking situations, and be mindful of the decrease in your anxiety levels over time in a given situation. It works best when you record your anxiety levels on paper so that you along with your subconscious can see the decrease in them with your own eyes.