Challenge Yourself

Have you heard of exposure therapy?

When people are fearful of something, they tend to avoid the feared objects, activities or situations. This avoidance might help reduce feelings of fear in the short term, but over the long term it can make the fear become even worse!

In exposure therapy, psychologists create a safe environment in which to "expose” individuals to the things they fear and avoid. The exposure to the feared activities helps reduce fear and decrease avoidance.

Why is exposure therapy beneficial?

Exposure therapy has been scientifically demonstrated to be a helpful treatment for a range of problems, including:

• Phobias

• Panic Disorder

• Social Anxiety Disorder

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder

A type of exposure therapy you can practice on your own is In Vivo Exposure!

This means to directly face a feared situation in real life.

For example, someone with a fear of snakes might be instructed to handle a snake, or someone with social anxiety might be instructed to give a speech in front of an audience.

• Ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) → hold a snake

• Social Anxiety → give public speech

Give it a try! Maybe you might break past a long rooted fear in no time!