exposure therapy descriptions

[2jo2]

A couple weeks ago, I'd decided to just read about exposure therapy. Just the descriptions freaked me out and gave me incredible anxiety. Is this normal? Is that a part of the exposure therapy is to expose yourself to even the descriptions of the pictures before you even get to the picture??

[sage]

Yes it is. The point is really - does the description of the FIRST picture "freak you out"? If so, then yes - get your therapist to help you lessen your anxiety around the DESCRIPTION ONLY of picture # 1. Then you'd see if you could look at the picture, and deal with the ensuing anxiety. DON'T try looking at them all, or the hard ones, or even reading those descriptions. It's meant to be a ladder, and you don't go to the next rung until you're TOTALLY COMFORTABLE (even bored) with the level below.


Take a look at my reply to "jak" on the the thread "exposure therapy" on this topic - it will explain more.

[missgoddess]

i am now at level 9...quite chuffed but now i feel ive hit a wall and cant go any furtherEdited by: missgoddess

[hippyclown]

Oh uve got to go onto 10, it's no worse than 9 and u'l feel so good after i promise!


Best of luck xxx

[missgoddess]

*graphic*





well ive had a big knock back as i experienced something i wasnt ready for...i was watching bo selecta and they do a parody of jackass called michael jackass....usually its dead funny but of this episode they did the omelete scene...i convinced myself they wudnt do it but they did...plus 2 make myself feel better i listened 2 the dvd commentary thinking 'it'll say it was fake' but it wasnt he was really sick [img]smileys/smilies_06.gif[/img]now i feel terrible...like its in my head all the time and i really cudnt bare to go back to the exposure therapy link with this on my mind

[hippyclown]

Ok, you go when u feel ready. Well done for getting to 9 tho!


[img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img]

[sage]

that jackass bit with the omelet is 100 times worse than anything you'll ever see again...think of it that way!


(I watched the jackass movie at the end of my exposure therapy - yetch - what a bunch of idiots they are! ...jackasses I guess - lol)

[missgoddess]

the thing is i cudnt watch it all the way thru so its now playin on my mind...my dumb over active imagination i guess...plus knowing wot came after makes it worse