Exposure Therapy
A behavioural therapy technique where individuals are gradually exposed to feared stimuli in order to reduce anxiety.
What is exposure therapy?
A specific phobia characterized by an excessive and persistent fear of vomiting or seeing others vomit.
What is emetophobia?
The developmental stage when emetophobia most commonly begins.
What is childhood?
A relaxation technique where individuals tense and release muscle groups to reduce physical anxiety symptoms.
What is progressive muscle relaxation?
The psychological condition Emma’s behaviors most strongly suggest.
What is emetophobia?
What is Brief/Graduated Exposure and Prolonged/Intense Exposure?
A common coping strategy in phobias where individuals avoid situations that may trigger their fear.
What is avoidance behavior?
Avoiding school or play due to fear of vomiting can negatively affect this aspect of a child’s development.
What is social functioning?
A list of feared situations ranked from least to most anxiety-provoking.
What is an anxiety hierarchy?
The triggering event that appears to have contributed to Emma’s fear.
What is vomiting in front of her crush and classmates in middle school?
A type of exposure therapy that involves gradually confronting feared situations while practicing relaxation techniques.
What is systematic desensitization?
Genetic predisposition and heightened sensitivity to bodily sensations.
What is the biological factor of the biopsychosocial model?
In children, avoidance may involve school or play, while in adults it may involve work, travel, or restaurants.
How does emetophobia differ across age groups?
Exposure typically begins with these types of scenarios in the hierarchy.
What are low-anxiety or least feared situations?
When Emma avoids social activities because of fear of vomiting, it begins to impact this area of functioning.
What is social functioning?
Client intensely imagines being exposed to an anxiety producing stimuli
What is Imaginal Flooding?
A cognitive distortion often seen in emetophobia where a person believes vomiting will lead to choking, losing control, or death.
What is catastrophic thinking?
In a study by Faye et al. (2013), this type of therapy helped reduce symptoms in an 8-year-old girl with emetophobia.
What is graduated exposure therapy?
A technique where the client imagines feared situations in detail while practicing relaxation.
What is imaginal exposure?
A treatment technique that could gradually help Emma face situations like eating in the cafeteria again.
What is systematic desensitization or graduated exposure?
A modern form of exposure therapy where individuals experience feared situations through computer-generated environments.
What is virtual reality exposure therapy?
A behavioural pattern where individuals constantly monitor bodily sensations like stomach pain or nausea.
What is hypervigilance to bodily sensations?
These medications may be used alongside therapy to reduce nausea sensations that trigger fear in emetophobia.
What are gastrointestinal medications?
This psychological process occurs when repeated exposure to a feared stimulus leads to reduced anxiety over time.
What is anxiety reduction through habituation?
The combination of Emma’s past embarrassing vomiting experience, her physical sensitivity to nausea, and the social embarrassment from peers laughing at her..
What are the biopsychosocial factors contributing to Emma’s fear of vomiting?