HAVE YOU DONE EXPOSURE WORK AS PART OF CBT?

[bingobabs2000]

Anxiety questions regarding project

Hi again, I’m adding to my previous post, because it was pretty long winded and maybe not v clear, actually this is still pretty long winded, but bear with me as I could really do with some help.

Have you tried Cognitive behaviour therapy if so I would be very grateful if you would answer some of the questions below to help me with my university project. Firstly I would like to say a little bit about the project so you understand why the questions are being asked. I just need some other peoples experiences that are different to my own.

I am a student in my final year, studying Spatial design at Central St Martins in London. I have also been suffering from health anxiety for the past four years. My final year project is concerned with visual and audio cues as a way of aiding the use of graded exposure to causes and manifestations of peoples anxiety. Graded Exposure is a key part of  Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Graded exposure entails the therapist helping the patient to find ways of exposing themselves to the anxiety such as a statement made by the patient saying what their current anxiety is that is read over and over again. This may included visualizing in your head what you are worried about happening to you (all those catastrophic thoughts) and actually forcing yourself to think about it and bring on a panic attack. Pretty damn difficult hey, but it does work if done regularly in a controlled way to desensitise you to that anxiety. The basis of my project is to use visual and audio devices to aid therapists and sufferers in this type of activity. By having visual cues patients will be able expose themselves in a more immersive way and more effectively face their fears.

QUESTIONS


1. What is the main emphasis of your anxiety problem and how does it manifest itself. (your behaviours and avoidances)


2. What sort of environments, situations or images make you feel anxious? PLEASE BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE


3. How long have you or did you use graded exposure as part of your therapy?


4. In what ways have you found exposure beneficial?


5. What were the main barriers that you came up against whilst doing that work?


6. Do you think it would have benefited you to have had a facility that visually immersed you in a situation which causes you anxiety?


7. would it have helped you focus more on your anxieties?

THANKYOU SO MUCH, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HELP WITH THIS!