Actual exposure therapy relies on anticipation and control "Okay so here's the button, it plays audio of a barking dog when you push it, here's the slider to turn the volume up or down, whenever you're ready" It RELIES ON THE CONCEPT OF A TRIGGER WARNING
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Giving you findings conscious awareness and control of your exposure to the trigger is how you gain resilience against it Doing the opposite - putting you in an environment where exposure is random, unpredictable and nonconsensual - *strengthens the trigger*
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Replying to @arthur_affect
There is a problem when people are unwilling to start with even the level zero exposure. When you suspect that the level fear (it translates to other discomforts too by the way) they are willing to take on is zero fear. Basically they don't want to experience any discomfort now.
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Replying to @szymon12463
Honestly? That's fine There are plenty of phobias that are of things it is rational to be afraid of and avoid, for which there is no benefit If someone wants to stay afraid of sharks their whole life what are they missing out on
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Replying to @arthur_affect @szymon12463
Should I pressure them into pursuing exposure therapy so they can swim in the open ocean someday Even though swimming in the ocean is legitimately dangerous (even if sharks are an exaggerated danger), plenty of plenty die that way, and many people live happy lives never doing so
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Replying to @arthur_affect
Well obviously that depends on one basic question - is it reasonable to expect they will be able to avoid said discomfort most of their lives, or will this strategy cripple them and make them dependent on external support. Fear of dogs - you don't absolutely need to overcome.
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Replying to @szymon12463
I am saying that exposure therapy is a difficult and costly procedure that only works if you put in the effort to do it right "Natural", stochastic exposure to traumatic events is not "exposure therapy", it is the exact opposite - it causes be reinforces phobias
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Replying to @arthur_affect @szymon12463
It is "natural" to have phobias It is, seen in the light of "our ancestral natural environment", not even a bad thing - a phobic reaction to predators, to fire, to the dark, etc is a survival skill
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Replying to @arthur_affect @szymon12463
Having a calm "rational" reaction to these things in a genuine survival situation is quite likely to get you killed There is nothing actually "irrational" about fear, about humans having a strong negative reaction to danger and to the prospect of future suffering
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Replying to @arthur_affect @szymon12463
It *sucks* to go through life afraid and worried and miserable all the time but there is nothing more "natural" You want to not live like that, you need to engineer the highly "unnatural" scenario of 1) actually being safe, 2) fully believing you're safe
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And 1) is much more important than 2) Trying to make someone lose their fear of dogs in neighborhoods where feral dogs are a huge legitimate threat to their safety is trying to harm them
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