bevavioural treatment 2- flooding

What is flooding?

Derived from the behavioural approach, based on classical conditioning. Aim is to remove the stimulus-response link (phobic stimulus leading to fear)

What is the method of flooding?

Immediate exposure to a very frightening situation, such as letting a spider crawl on you. Longer sessions than systematic desensitisation, but normally only one required.

What are the three ways that flooding is performed?

Extinction- flooding stops phobic responses quickly as without the option of avoidance, they learn that the stimulus is harmless. The conditioned response of fear is removed when the conditioned stimulus (dog) is encountered without the unconditioned stimulus (being bitten). The conditioned stimulus no longer produces the conditioned response.

Exhaustion- patient may achieve relaxation around phobic stimulus as their fear response exhausts them

Virtual reality flooding- computer program produces a virtual environment simulating phobic situation. Flooding takes place virtually.

What are the ethical safeguards of flooding?

Patients give fully informed consent to the traumatic procedure, are fully prepared. Given choice of flooding or systematic desensitisation.

What are the positives of flooding?

-KAPLAN AND TOLIN show that flooding is very effective, in just one session 65% of patients with a specific phobia showed no symptoms of it 4 years later

-CHOY supports that traditional flooding and virtual reality flooding are both more effective than systematic desensitisation

-appropriate as because it is so quick and effective it is cheap, one session needed

What are the negatives of flooding?

-not appropriate, treatment is traumatic for many patients. It is ethical as consent is given but many patients cannot go through the whole treatment, wastes time and money

-too superficial, treats symptoms and doesn’t address deeper psychological or emotional issues related to disorder

-less effective for complex phobias like social phobias due to more cognitive aspects. Not just anxiety responses but ASL’s unpleasant thoughts, need cognitive therapies

-PERSONS was treated using flooding for her fear of death which declined but fear of criticism increased. Behavioural therapies only mask symptoms, don’t tackle underlying causes.