How to create a hierarchy for phobia desensitization!
In order to desensitize yourself to your fears, you will need to work a program of gradual exposure through eye contact or real life contact with your fear. Most people do this through imagery, gradually exposing themselves to their fear in their mind.
Some people prefer to do real life exposure and others a combination. The method you choose depends on the level of your anxiety, as well as the practicality of confronting your fear in real life.
Facing your fear of shopping at the supermarket or in a crowded place is much more doable than working in gradual steps by flying on a plane or diving into the ocean if you live far from one.
The desensitization process requires the formation of a hierarchy of steps to achieve its goal. Making a hierarchy is the key to success because it will help you face your fear in a gradual and doable way and you will see real progress as you move up the list.
To create a hierarchy, write your fear at the top of a piece of paper and your goal at the bottom of the paper. Divide the steps to complete your goal into at least 8 parts. Each step should be more challenging than the last, and each step should elicit more of a fear-based reaction than the previous step.
one) Let’s say you’re afraid to go to the mall, it’s crowded, confusing, noisy, and overwhelming. Write your fear at the top of the page; Fear of crowded places or going to the mall.
2) Write your goal at the bottom of the page; being able to comfortably go to the mall and buy things.
3) Now that you have your fear and your goal, you need to break the exposure steps into at least 8 parts. Examples of your steps might include:
has) drive to the mall parking lot with your support person. If parking is part of your anxiety and it makes you afraid, try spending more time in the parking lot, first 1 minute, then five minutes, then 15 minutes and so on.
b) Once you’ve mastered the parking lot, get out of the car and walk to the mall entrance with your support person.
against) next time go to the mall with your support person and take advantage of that in increments of time.
d) then go to the stores and spend some time in them in increasing increments. Then you can work on buying things.
The goal is to build your resistance to this exposure and eventually do things without your support person.
You don’t have to expose yourself in real life; You may also become desensitized if you can visualize the sights, sounds, and smells of a shopping mall.
Creating your hierarchy gives you your road map to success. Check off each step as you successfully complete it and note the date you completed it. You’ll feel a real sense of accomplishment and see progress in the weeks and months to come as you work to overcome your fears.