User:Laurenjharris/sandbox

I want to add a paragraph or two to the article on exposure therapy. I want to add agoraphobia to the common uses section, and I want to add to the techniques section.

There is a subsection in common uses called specific phobias. I plan to add the more information about agoraphobia and what it is. The problem is a disorder of overwhelming anxiety that makes someone avoid situations that may cause him or her to panic; things such as being alone, leaving the home, avoiding feeling trapped or being embarrassed or helpless. This disorder is known as agoraphobia, scientific psychology has applied this in a therapy technique called exposure therapy. This disorder is a problem because it can be very debilitating to be so anxious that you do not want to leave your house or you don’t want to be alone. Additionally, patients are overly concerned about the social consequences of showing anxiety symptoms in public. They are afraid of losing control in front of everyone. Vogele, Ehlers, Meyer, Frank, Hahlweg, & Margraf, 2010

I would like to add more about the three specific techniques; vivo, imaginal, and interceptive.The exposure procedures are divided into three different types. The first being vivo or “real life.” This type of procedure is done with more of a direct approach with activities and different situations. For example, if someone fears public speaking they may be asked to give a speech to a small group of people just to channel that fear directly. The second type is imaginal, in this procedure patients are asked to imagine a situation that they are afraid of. This procured is helpful for people who need to confront feared thoughts and memories. The third type of exposure is interoceptive, this may be used for more specific disorders such as panic or post-traumatic stress disorder. foe,2011