Here’s How Exposure Therapy Can Help Manage Anxiety Symptoms

How exposure therapy treats anxiety

Exposure therapy is a form of treatment that helps people confront and gradually become desensitized to their fears and anxieties. Through gradual and controlled exposure to a feared object or feared situation (also known as an exposure task), people can learn to better cope with their anxiety triggers. By facing their fears in a safe and supportive environment, people can learn to retrain their brains’ responses to anxiety-inducing stimuli. Over time, with the guidance of a therapist, people can learn to manage their anxieties more effectively and improve their overall quality of life.

Skills taught in exposure therapy for anxiety

Exposure therapy for anxiety teaches people a range of skills to help them manage and overcome their anxiety symptoms, ultimately leading to a greater sense of control and well-being. Exposure therapy for anxiety skills includes the following:

Graded exposure

Graded exposure is an exposure technique for gradually confronting fears and anxieties in a structured and controlled manner. By progressively facing anxiety-provoking situations, people can learn to tolerate and cope with their fears, making this exposure technique a cornerstone of exposure therapy for anxiety.

Cognitive restructuring 

This skill teaches people to identify and challenge irrational or unhelpful thoughts that contribute to anxiety. By replacing negative thinking patterns with more balanced, realistic thoughts, individuals can reduce their overall anxiety.

Guided imagery

This skill involves using the power of imagination to create a calming and peaceful mental image, often in the midst of an exposure task. By focusing on positive and relaxing scenes during an exposure exercise, individuals can reduce anxiety and promote a sense of inner peace.

Relaxation techniques

Various relaxation techniques, such as visualization, meditation, or mindfulness, are taught to help people release tension and reduce overall anxiety levels—in general, and during an exposure exercise. One relaxation technique is progressive muscle relaxation, which involves learning to systematically tense and then release all the major muscle groups in the body to induce relaxation. By doing so, a person can learn to notice and manage bodily sensations and reduce overall anxiety levels.

Another is deep breathing, which helps people manage feelings of panic and anxiety. By focusing on slow, deep breaths, individuals can learn to calm the bodily sensations of anxiety and regain a sense of control. By practicing these techniques regularly, people can learn to manage their anxiety more effectively.

Benefits of exposure therapy for anxiety

Exposure therapy treatment has been shown to have long-term benefits for anxiety. People who undergo exposure therapy have reported decreased levels of anxiety and improved ability to cope with challenging situations. The gradual exposure to a feared object or feared situation helps people confront their fears and learn to manage their anxious responses. Over time, the therapy can lead to lasting reductions in anxiety symptoms and overall improvement in quality of life.

How quickly does exposure therapy work for anxiety? 

Exposure therapy treatment can work relatively quickly for people dealing with anxiety. It involves gradually facing feared situations or stimuli in a controlled and supportive environment, which can help people learn to better manage their anxiety over time. Many people find that their anxiety symptoms begin to improve after just a few sessions of exposure therapy, and some even report significant reductions in their symptoms within a matter of weeks. It’s important for people to work with a trained therapist to ensure that exposure therapy is tailored to their specific needs and challenges.

Coping skills for anxiety

Though not a replacement for professional mental health support, there are coping skills people can use to manage anxiety. Examples include exercise and journaling. The former can be a great way to release pent-up energy and tension caused by anxiety. Exercise also releases endorphins, which can improve mood and decrease feelings of anxiety. The latter can be a helpful way to process and understand anxiety. Journaling can also provide a sense of relief and help to organize overwhelming emotions.

Another coping skill for anxiety is practicing grounding skills. Grounding techniques involve using the five senses to bring attention back to the present moment and create a sense of safety and stability even when facing a specific phobia. People can engage in activities such as focusing on the sensation of touch, identifying specific objects in their environment, or using aromatherapy to ground themselves during moments of heightened anxiety, such as when confronting a specific phobia.

Other types of treatments for anxiety

In addition to exposure therapy and coping skills, some other types of treatments for anxiety are as follows: 

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

This type of therapy focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to anxiety. A therapist helps people learn coping skills to manage their anxiety symptoms.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)

DBT combines traditional cognitive-behavioral techniques with mindful awareness practices to help individuals learn to tolerate distress, regulate their emotions, and improve their relationships with others. This therapy is particularly effective for people with chronic and severe anxiety.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)

MBSR involves practicing mindfulness meditation and yoga to help people become more aware of their thoughts and emotions. This therapy encourages individuals to live in the present moment and let go of worries about the future or past, reducing overall anxiety levels.

Exposure therapy vs. exposure and response prevention therapy for anxiety

​​Exposure therapy and exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy are both effective approaches for treating anxiety disorders, but they differ in their focus and methodology. 

As mentioned, exposure therapy involves gradually exposing individuals to the source of their fear or anxiety in a controlled manner. The aim is to help people confront their fears and learn that the feared situations are not as threatening as perceived. This can take the form of in vivo exposure, where people face real-life situations, or through imaginal exposure, where they imagine feared scenarios. 

In contrast, ERP is a specific form of exposure therapy primarily used to treat people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders. In ERP, individuals are exposed to situations or stimuli that trigger obsessions while simultaneously being instructed to resist engaging in their typical compulsive behaviors. By preventing these responses, individuals have the opportunity to learn that their feared consequences are unlikely to occur, leading to a reduction in anxiety over time. 

In short, while exposure therapy targets avoidance behaviors and gradually reduces anxiety through repeated exposure, ERP explicitly addresses compulsive behaviors and aims to break the cycle of obsessions and compulsions characteristic of OCD. 

Intensive outpatient program for anxiety

In more severe cases, an intensive outpatient program (IOP) may be recommended to treat anxiety. This can be beneficial for people who are struggling with severe symptoms but do not require hospitalization. IOP typically involves a combination of individual therapy, group therapy, and medication management as needed and provides a more intensive level of support than traditional outpatient therapy. It allows people to receive treatment for their anxiety while still being able to maintain their daily responsibilities and routines.

Anxiety treatment with Charlie Health 

If a young person in your life is struggling with an anxiety disorder, Charlie Health is here to help. Charlie Health offers a virtual Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) that provides more than once-weekly mental health treatment for young people and families dealing with complex mental health conditions, including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and more. Our expert clinicians incorporate evidence-based therapies into individual counseling, family therapy, and group sessions. With this kind of holistic online therapy, managing anxiety is possible. Fill out the form below or give us a call to start healing today.