Systematic desensitization is similar to classical
conditioning and requires the patient to undergo a series of steps. Patients generally
start with various relaxation strategies, such as different imagining techniques, deep
breathing, muscle relaxation, and so forth. The second step involves exposure to the
fear. Patients are slowly introduced to situations that cause anxiety in small amounts;
for instance, a person with a fear of flying might start by simply walking into an
airport, then graduate to stepping onto a plane, and other small steps until they have
experienced enough exposure to the stimulus that they no longer panic. Basically, the
patient and doctor create a "hierarchy" that is similar to a pyramid--the patient rates
various aspects of the fear on a scale of 0-100, say, and as a team, the doctor and
patient slowly make their way from the bottom (least frightening) to the top (most
frightening) of the scale, practicing relaxation techniques and increasing exposure
until the fear is extinguished.
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