Any advice on Graded Exposure?

Noca

Banned
I dont know what "graded exposure" is, but if its anything like exposure therapy then I'd definitely do it. Im going to start doing this with my therapist next week. Ive done is before and have made some permanent progress with my SA so far.
 

Silvox Black

Well-known member
Such exposure therapies must be treated carefully. If you feel that your therapist has been pushing you too far with the sessions in exposure, then tell him/her to lower the severity of your exposure. Lower it to a low level where you will feel challenged yet not overwhelmed.
 

Silvox Black

Well-known member
It is just another term for Exposure Therapy, but it is supposed to be very slowly, which my therapist is NOT doing.

Ah, therein lies the problem. Insist that he slow down to a level where you are comfortable, since your well being should be your therapist's first priority. If he does not do so, I would suggest finding a new therapist if possible.
 

Hellhound

Super Moderator
Never tried it yet, but i think it's a good way to overcome your problems... You just have to start slowly.
 

duma

Active member
My advice, Dont Bother.

I have done exposure therapy for 2.5yrs now. What do I have to show for it? 2.5 yrs ago I did not like to leave the house; now I can go to the cafe, it doesn't feel good at all, in fact being at the cafe is stressful, anxiety producing & humiliating. 2.5 years to build up to going to a cafe, being able to stay yes, but feeling tramatised throughout and after.

Think of the return on investment (ROI), whats it going to take to get comfortable in a job, stay in that situation for 8hrs or more & not be emotionally and physically drained after? 10 yrs, 15yrs.

What kind of life is that. If this was a business you would jump ship straight away. Way too much effort for measily profit.

I've been on trying gradual exposure going to university for a year now. I went today & I it is 5% less hard than it was 1 year ago.

I have resigned myself to the fact that treatment of SA & all psychological disorders is still very primitive. Think about it, this is a real disease but the only cure/treatment is.... mind over matter pfiff.

We are the unlucky ones who have been born before the credible & EFFECTIVE treatments are available. Those who have "overcome" their SA you either have a mild case of SA or are an anomile or both. And I will bet my etire savings $2100, yeah thats all I got to show, that you will regress into SA again & be in a continual battle to pull yourself out of the hole the rest of my life. I am not joking about that, I bet my entire savings, show me anyone says they have overcome SA & they have or will regress, and not once many times, their life will be a constant struggle against regressing & getting better

FACT OF LIFE
 

Noca

Banned
My advice, Dont Bother.

I have done exposure therapy for 2.5yrs now. What do I have to show for it? 2.5 yrs ago I did not like to leave the house; now I can go to the cafe, it doesn't feel good at all, in fact being at the cafe is stressful, anxiety producing & humiliating. 2.5 years to build up to going to a cafe, being able to stay yes, but feeling tramatised throughout and after.

Think of the return on investment (ROI), whats it going to take to get comfortable in a job, stay in that situation for 8hrs or more & not be emotionally and physically drained after? 10 yrs, 15yrs.

What kind of life is that. If this was a business you would jump ship straight away. Way too much effort for measily profit.

I've been on trying gradual exposure going to university for a year now. I went today & I it is 5% less hard than it was 1 year ago.

I have resigned myself to the fact that treatment of SA & all psychological disorders is still very primitive. Think about it, this is a real disease but the only cure/treatment is.... mind over matter pfiff.

We are the unlucky ones who have been born before the credible & EFFECTIVE treatments are available. Those who have "overcome" their SA you either have a mild case of SA or are an anomile or both. And I will bet my etire savings $2100, yeah thats all I got to show, that you will regress into SA again & be in a continual battle to pull yourself out of the hole the rest of my life. I am not joking about that, I bet my entire savings, show me anyone says they have overcome SA & they have or will regress, and not once many times, their life will be a constant struggle against regressing & getting better

FACT OF LIFE
So you actually did exposure therapy? Or did you just live your life and somehow think thats exposure therapy?
 

Hellhound

Super Moderator
My advice, Dont Bother.

I have done exposure therapy for 2.5yrs now. What do I have to show for it? 2.5 yrs ago I did not like to leave the house; now I can go to the cafe, it doesn't feel good at all, in fact being at the cafe is stressful, anxiety producing & humiliating. 2.5 years to build up to going to a cafe, being able to stay yes, but feeling tramatised throughout and after.

Think of the return on investment (ROI), whats it going to take to get comfortable in a job, stay in that situation for 8hrs or more & not be emotionally and physically drained after? 10 yrs, 15yrs.

What kind of life is that. If this was a business you would jump ship straight away. Way too much effort for measily profit.

I've been on trying gradual exposure going to university for a year now. I went today & I it is 5% less hard than it was 1 year ago.

I have resigned myself to the fact that treatment of SA & all psychological disorders is still very primitive. Think about it, this is a real disease but the only cure/treatment is.... mind over matter pfiff.

We are the unlucky ones who have been born before the credible & EFFECTIVE treatments are available. Those who have "overcome" their SA you either have a mild case of SA or are an anomile or both. And I will bet my etire savings $2100, yeah thats all I got to show, that you will regress into SA again & be in a continual battle to pull yourself out of the hole the rest of my life. I am not joking about that, I bet my entire savings, show me anyone says they have overcome SA & they have or will regress, and not once many times, their life will be a constant struggle against regressing & getting better

FACT OF LIFE

But did you actually go to a therapist or you tried yourself?
 

Hellhound

Super Moderator
Yeah, this is what I want to know myself because exposure therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder is best done with the assistance of a therapist. They could do role-playing and imagery exposures if it is too difficult to enact in his/her office. Plus, the therapist can assist you to create your anxiety and avoidance hierarchy.

Indeed, it is necesary to go to a good therapist. If we try ourselves, it might not work or just make things worse (Although, some people are able to do it themselves, it depends of the case).
 

duma

Active member
But did you actually go to a therapist or you tried yourself?

Yes I been seeing a councellor every 2 weeks or so over the past 2.5 years & I see a psychiatrist every 6 months or so. The councellor convenes with the psychiatrist also, they work together.

Honestly, to give the OP a 100% view of my experience with exposure therapy, I admit I have not been 'challenging' myself constantly, ie everyday. Its more once a week or so. For example; I go to a cafe constantly (2/3 times a week) but I do the same thing every time usually I order my coffee, sit in the same spot of the cafe & read my magazine or do some homework.

I understand that the idea of exposure therapy is to, for eg,

step 1 - just walk through the cafe dont sit down or order anything
- go to cafe & order a takeaway coffee.
- go to cafe order a coffee & sit in back of cafe(area with least amt of people)
- go to cafe order a coffee & sit right at the door where its a very public area with lots of people
- go to cafe, intentionally knock over a glass to see the reaction of people & experience being stared at in an environment where you are comfortable etc.

Now honestly I have been going to my cafe for 2.5 years now & I just do the same thing most everyday, order coffee, sit in my main spot, read my mag & leave. I have not moved up the scale of challenging myself.

BUT, the main idea of exposure, is to attemot something small but difficult then keep attempting it UNTIL you feel comfortable in that THEN move on to challenge urself abit more, ie, knock over a glass in public.

And what I am saying that doing 2.5yrs of step 2, sitting in a cafe, hasn't got to be an experience where I feel practically no anxiety, dont have thoughts that the waitstaff hate me, dont think that other customers dont want to sit near me etc.

THIS is where I have lost almost all faith with exposure therapy. You think after the effort of 2.5yrs, literally, no exageration 2/3 times a week, that this experience would be second nature, nuh uh, yes honestly its about 15%easier than week one.

But sitting in a cafe with people, is not as hard as getting & maintaining a job. If it takes 2.5yrs for these measily results in a cafe, how long will it take to climatise to being in a job. I'm 23, I can expect to be able to feel comfortable in a job at 35 I expect, f*** that.

If they can invent a drug that can identify the chemical in the brain that is responsible when I feel that someone is judging me or thinks I look weird then I could take the pill & attempt some social things. But right now, the drugs available numb your senses or artificially increase your chemical happiness, serotonin(?), give me a drug that artificially decreases chemicals responsible for the bad thoughts (which cause anxiety but are not anxiety).

Right now u take a drug to keep you happily anxious & then I have to be a jedi master over my thoughts to control/defeat my anxiety. Trying to reprogram ur brain is like climbing mount everest.
 
lol, I loved your comment about having to be a jedi master over your thoughts to control/defeat your anxiety.:D I sometimes feel like that too.
It is really comforting to hear that other people are having the exact same thoughts as you do.
 

sabbath

Banned
When they asked me: "In what situations do you get nervous?", I didn't know they would use these situations against me in "exposure therapy". Instead I would ask "In what situations, that you value, do you get nervous?", because values are what makes going through situations worth it. I had listed "wearing a suit" and "shopping in the mall", so they asked me to "shop in the mall while wearing a suit". Well I did it, no big deal. But maybe the reason I hate wearing suits is I hate everything they represent (plus it's a 100 degree in the shade here).

What's my point? Life is exposure therapy. Look at your values, decide a game plan, and go for it. Values can help dignify gradual exposure. Values can also motivate and guide you. Consider every situation a learning situation. Get into mindfulness. Be in the moment.
 
Last edited:
Top