I did exposure therapy because of my social anxiety it was scary at first but it really helped me a lot. I work and retail now and I'm still a little shy but I can walk up to my customers now without feeling so overwhelmed.
I found exposure therapy to be extremely helpful. I also think it's really important to have a good relationship with your therapist before starting exposure therapy so you can trust that your therapist would never put you in any actual harm.
Couldn't agree more!! It is very important to have a good relationship with your therapist. Thanks for adding that in and sharing your experience!! xoxo
I've been in therapy since Feb and I've just realised my therapist has been doing exposure therapy for my PTSD.. Especially the flooding part, it's really helped me. Thanks for this video.
I had agoraphobia about 2 months ago. It was the hardest thing I have ever been through. Through CBT and exposure therapy I am able to leave the house now. I still have trouble going a certain distance though and I don't want to be alone so we're still using exposure therapy for panic disorder.
I think exposure is a part of treatment for many types of anxiety. At least for me, the longer I avoid something scary, the bigger the fear becomes. Of course, though, exposure therapy can be very delicate, so if you're struggling with very crippling fears, it's always best to get professional help!
Katie! This is totally random, but I wanted to thank you so much for doing these videos. Seriously, thank you so much for spreading awareness, education and compassion towards mental illnesses, even "scary" mental illnesses that no one seems to want to talk about without stigma (like one of my diagnoses). It seriously means the world, especially because you're probably also networking with other therapists to spread this amazing positive mindset. Stigma still exists among people in the psychology field, and it hurts as a patient, so thank you. (and sorry for rambling!)
My therapist and I have been discussing trying exposure therapy for a trauma I went through. She's already explained all of this to me, but it's still good to hear it from someone else! Thanks for the video, Kati, it was really helpful :)
Hey Kati! I was thinking it might be interesting if you did a video about highly sensitive people, my therapist brought it up in one of our sessions and I've been reading about it recently. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it and how it relates to/coexists with mental illness. Thanks!
I've been putting myself through exposure therapy. Something as simple as walking around downtown Athens, sitting in a coffee shop and reading the local paper was incredibly unnerving for me. I've even improved my social skills by meeting random people on the street, baristas and art shop employees. It's only been three weeks of pushing myself into the world that I've become much more emotionally stable. Now anxiety only comes in waves and not nearly as intense.
Exposure therapy is truly the treatment of choice for many psychological disorders including phobias, panic attacks, and OCD. Thank you for educating the public about this gold standard treatment, Kati!
Exposure therapy really changed my life. I went from being effectually terrified of socializing in school, to leading a small company and being sort of a social butterfly. Now I am a true extrovert. Treating ADHD (Adderall and Intuniv) was hugely helpful for quieting my mind, too... So it may not always just be "anxiety".. But one must train the brain. Good video
My new T is going to do the exposure therapy online. I've been diagnosed with PTSD (CPTSD really). My dissociation makes it really hard to ground and stay on track.
When I was in ED treatment we did exposure therapy in a group setting twice a week and sometimes individually. I found it extremely helpful and I wish I could continue to do it outpatient. The great part about doing it in a group was you had instant process space and support. Some exposures I did were things like going to the mall and trying on jeans, going grocery shopping, or doing a group Q&A session about my ED.
Flooding: a behavioral technique used to treat phobias (e.g., fear of spiders) when we are flooded with the object of our fear (buckets of spiders) until the fear disappears. Contrasts with fading procedures when the object of our fear is introduced gradually (one teensy spider at a time), and generally preferred avoidance procedures when we eliminate (shoe on spider) the fearful object once and for all. From Dr. Mezmer’s World of Bad Psychology, at an internet near you!
so i dont know what videos you look at to get video topics or anything like that but i was hoping maybe you could talk about teen pregnancy, miscarriage and how to handle these things. i was 15 when i lost my virginity and the same day i got pregnant and i didnt tell anyone i got pregnant. i miscarried and i still havent truly handled it and i no longer have a therapist and was hoping you could touch on this topic. i cant seem to find this topic if you have already touched on this. i love you so much and i love your videos. you are amazing and i hope you see this comment.
I was assigned a psychiatrist who specialises in treating patients with agoraphobia (in my case, agoraphobia w/panic attacks) and was completely traumatised. after a few weeks with him, I could not stay alone in my home for two weeks. As for the mindfulness practices, I know they are important and try to implement them into my routine but the moment depression hits, I can barely get out of bed nevermind putting much effort into anything. The thought alone exhausts me. Whereas when I'm elevated (recently disgnosed bipolar II), I'm too high on life to care and my anxiety and agoraphobia diminish quite a bit. I'm on new medication for bipolar so hopefully my mood swings will stabilize enough to gain traction with the work I need to do regarding agoraphobia. Thank you so much for your videos! Lately they've been exactly what I need.
Thank you for sharing your experience! I am so sorry that you were harmed in therapy.. but I hope with your new medication and other tools you get the help and support that you need and deserve. xoxo
Seems a reasonable treatment if you were just afraid of one thing/experience. I have general anxiety I could be anxious about anything (and a lot of things) so I guess that's why i'm still working on the breathing thing...it helps somewhat sometimes. But I'm relatively new at working on things.
Thanks Kati I really appreciate your videos. I have found exposing myself to what I am afraid of, as in going back to having control in my life, when the trauma happened to be very scary but beneficial as I realise I am safe now, I can protect myself now more, and that I do have control over myself, which is surprising! Kelly
ahhhh Kati your videos always come at the perfect time !! My psychologist is starting this with me for social anxiety and to help me stop dismissing my emotions 😊 Thank you so so much for this. She's going to start exposure with me in September and this has made me much less nervous about it. I hope you're well x
I went through exposure therapy for emetophobia a couple years ago. I just came back to this video because a friend was asking me about exposure therapy and what it is and I needed a refresher lol
A thing that's meant to help with exposure therapy is the drug propranolol, its a beta blocker, what reinforces a phobia is the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline which your body releases when you approach your fear or even just think about your fear, when you panic these chemicals are released which reinforces the fear, by taking propranolol it helps block this reaction within the body as it helps stop your heart racing etc so when you think of the fear the same time you take propranolol the fear doesn't have a profound effect on you like it once did.
I think it's great! I did it with my therapist when I was in high school and had really bad OCD. My hands were always dry and on the verge of cracking because not only did I wash my hands all the time, I had to wash them 3 times every time, *especially* after doing the dishes, and then there was my hand sanitzer use...so my therapist basically made a ladder of my fears with the lowest rung being my least fearful thing, and the top being the most fearful. We tackled one at a time until I was able to wash and sanitize my hands no more than the average Joe. We did "homework" each week where I would have to try to do X and I would report back to her the next week. It really worked! Now it's mostly under control. It still will come out sometimes, especially when I'm stressed or anxious, but I can usually get myself out of it. Sorry for this being so long. I feel like I wrote an essay!
I know in one of your other vids you said you wanted to slow down a bit and explain the topic, but are you okay? you looked a little out of it. I liked this topic by the way, I've only heard of exposure therapy but nothing really about it. what kind of therapy works best with PTSD? I thought this was a cool vid, and I'm excited for the coffee and chat! hope your day is good, Kati ❤
I am fine :) Thanks for your concern! xox Exposure therapy does work well with PTSD, as does CBT and EMDR. It all depends on where you are in the work, how you are doing with it all, and what your therapist thinks is best. xoxo
Thanks for this warnings. I'm usually a "whatever it takes" kind of person so i don't always think about the process, just the outcome. I'll be sure to ask some of these questions. Especially since this is a btw treatment experience with a new therapist. I just met him today. He seems really cool and with the times but I've never heard of exposure therapy before. Looking forward to keeping the past in the past and moving forward. So thank again for sharing.
Fun story: for a long time when I was a kid (probably from about age 4 to age 10) I had a fairly severe phobia of corpses, mummies, skeletons, etc. It got to a point where at times I was afraid to go outside or walk into dark rooms due to the wildly irrational fear of encountering something dead. I was fully aware that it wasn't normal or rational (especially since it was so specific; I wasn't really affected by a lot of other stuff such as dissections and violent movies) so instead of doing something a normal kid would do like tell my parents I was scared I just kinda did my best to ignore it. Anyway, when I was in middle school/early high school I decided I'd had enough and unknowingly systematically desensitized myself to it by taking an anatomy class, seeking out creepy films that I would've avoided earlier on, and reading books about mummies and such. It may have worked too well because I ended up taking forensic anthropology for fun as a sophomore and now I'm pretty much unaffected by any and all violence, but I guess it's better than jumping out of my own skin every time I see a shadow, right? Moral of the story: tell someone if you're dealing with some mental/emotional problem. Fixing it on your own is really not a great plan.
You are such an inspirational person! I love every single one of your videos, just recently subscribed! You have helped me so much, especially in starting my education to become a therapist.
this was very interesting we are trying to do this coz of my sensativety of noise which is gonna scare the he'll out of me . love all your vids kati your an awsome therapist and an awsome person .
I am glad you found this helpful :) Yes it can be scary.. but you get to go at your own pace and learn better ways to calm yourself down as well :) xoxo let me know how it goes! xox
Hey Kati, I hate to get off topic, but I was wondering if maybe you might be willing to do a segment on abandonment issues and how they might be linked to other illnesses…?
My exposure for agoraphobia where I poop myself when I feel trapped in buses, cars,queues etc didn't work. If anything it reinforced my fear and made it worse
Hey Kati I just wanted to share this with you and the community because I don't know how to bring it up or even bring it up to my therapist. I feel like my therapist doesn't understand me at all is it just me? I feel like I'm just not understanding myself I feel alone and empty and my MDD is acting up because I just feel really down about this. Hope you or anyone else can give me tips. Thanks everyone!
I have social anxiety to people who want to be my friend, what should I do? I feel scare because I have trust issue with opposite sex. I feel scare when I get too close with them.
Thank you for clarifying that exposure therapy is NOT what many in popular culture think it is, an excuse to shove someone's triggers down their throats "for their own good."
...Sounds really interesting , been binging your videos since I found this channel! and a new one got me all excited lol you have so much information to share AND.. your voice is sooo calming just love it xo
This is really helpful information! I've been wondering if this type of therapy might help me make more progress, but with having just recently changed therapists, I unfortunately have to spend a while getting to know the new one, and obviously letting her get to know me first, before its something that I can consider - but I would like to try it some time and thus, really appreciate you sharing this! Thank you! :)
I love your hair... My therapist told me that PTSD is only diagnosed when the person is afraid for their life or the lives of those around them.I am not sure what to think because I have symptoms of PTSD and have been diagnosed with it by other clinicians
Now I'm not professional but if most other people say you have it and one person says you don't, your therapist may be incorrect. There are good and bad therapists out there. Once I had a therapist who told me not to call what happened to me sexual assault (it was). She said to call it inappropriate touching instead.
She is correct.. that's how we define PTSD: When you are in a situation which makes you afraid for your life or the lives of others. In the end, it really depends on your symptoms. I find that many of my clients who experienced a trauma when they were young won't always fear for their lives or someone else's. I would bring up your concerns in your next session just so you are clear on what she is saying and why or why not she feels you have PTSD. xoxo
Thanks Kati... please would be able to go in more details about Exposure Therapy... I hv been diagnosed with Complex PTSD... and a service that I m linked to it is pushing that on me. I try to explain to the Therapist that I dont know her yet and feel the pressure wont help me open up. I have asked her explain how the therapy would go... and her reply was helpful.. she took as i was doubting her studies... and she was the one that did years of psychology. Also she doesn't have 10 years to spend on me... and because my caution she thinks I don't get better.😢 I feel confused and pressured and knowing my self I won't be able to be completely honest with the therapy because I feel uneasy with her. Please just more information I dont want get worse.
wow thanks for that video! i think i should ask my therapist if this could be good for me.... i'm now 6 months in therapy and things are still very complicated... maybe if i try another way it will help... thank a lot!
Hi Kati, I was wondering, since you're a professional, would you be so kind as to look into the Marina Joyce issue and maybe give your input on if Marina seems unstable or on something? I know it wouldn't really fit your channel, but I think it would give a lot of people some perspective to hear from a professional what they think is going on..
Hi Kati :) New subscriber here! I find your channel very helpful not only for persons with disorders but also to those who are studying in the field of psychology. I'm now reviewing for my board exams (to be a Licensed Psychometrician), so thank you very much for the wonderful informative videos :D yay!
hi Kati thank you for all of your videos, they have helped me so much❤️❤️❤️I was wondering maybe could you do a video about why people shoplift? i know it's a bit different than your other videos, but I was reading about shoplifting and I discovered a lot of people with mental illnesses struggle with doing it. I wanted to know your opinion. why do people do it? how do you stop? is it true a lot of shoplifters struggle with mental illnesses? thx so much☺️
Just think about how God loves everyone, he made everyone and everything, he is greater than everything and yet he can be seen in the smallest things. Do not fear. Do not worry. He will never let you fall if you place yourself in his arms.
I‘m tempted to try exposure to my abuser to stop the crazy ptsd anxiety attacks his sight triggers but I don‘t want him to know he is affecting me like this. For right now, I unblocked him on my phone and I think about the exposure or just talking to him on the phone, the thought alone makes me uneasy.
Sounds helpful. But I think going back over what happened would just make me put it in the back of my mind once again, make me want to forget about it. I have recurring nightmares about it, so waking up distressed and breaking down over it. if that happened with somebody in the room I don't know if I could let my walls down so easily to do that. it's being completely vulnerable to what happened. I didn't mean for this to be long, just conflicted at what to do with myself now.
Maybe I tapped too quickly but the flooding technique just made me feel worse. Gradual desensitization would've worked way better for my personality I think. Thanks for the vids
Hey Kati, I know this is kind of long but if possible, I would like to hear your thoughts on the following scenario: You're in a CBT group with elements of exposure therapy. From the team of therapists, a few are mentors. Out of those few, there is one specific therapist you seem to connect with (idealised transference?) however, this person is unavailable due to the limited amount of people that can be mentored by one person. Repeated attempts to voice this 'need' have resulted in negative transference to (some of) the other therapists. You begin to question your own thoughts and needs and you feel stuck with feelings of rejection, alienation and loneliness. This situation then begins to fuel the problem as you're beginning to withhold your thoughts and emotions; avoidance becomes standard. I personally think it's reasonable to want that bit of extra support from the idealised person to boost the therapeutic process. Having to do without this person continues to bug me and slow me down. As a result, I can't really focus and work as efficiently on my goals. With the therapy ending soon (after 1 year), I feel desperate because of the idea that I could have achieved more. I can't seem to let go of the frustration caused by this but mindfulness helps a little. I don't know if this is normal. Am I just crazy or is this all part of CBT?
Today i had my first therapy session. I dont know how to feel about it. It was very brief less than an hour. and it was a questionnaire based session so i didn't really talk much, i more or less answered yes or no to the questions she asked me. I did want to talk more but didn't know where to start. I don't know if that is a usual first therapy session but i hope they start picking up and getting more in depth. Anyway thanks for your videos i don't feel as alone as i did before (:
Sometimes the first session can feel more like that.. because they are gathering info on you and your history. In the next couple of sessions you should have more time to talk. If that doesn't change, know that you can speak up and let them know you want that.. or look for another therapist :) There are many options and we just want you to find the best one for you. xoxo
***** Yeah i talked to my counselor at school about it she said the therapist was doing more of an intake sort of thing. Thank you for your advise. I am very anxious and any advice is very helpful.
kati can you do a video about adults who self harm, as adults we may have jobs and children and other responsibilities and is it OK to self harm if it helps? and its not hurting anyone else?
Hi Kati, your videos have been very helpful. Thanks so much. Can you do video on hypnotherapy? Is that helpful if I have bottled up my emotions and sometimes I don't even know how I feel?
I was wondering how exposure therapy works on someone who disassociates and struggles coming out of it? Would a Flooding experience be a bad tool for my therapist to use if this is the case. She wants to start Monday and I am worried.
I have a question;Is it exposure therapy when the therapist is helping the client dealing with uncomfortable feelings, memories or desires so that the client can process (and become less overwhelmed and scared) instead of repressing them?
Im wrapping up my IOP for my OCD using exposure therapy. It is amazing. I scored a 33 out of 40 on the sidebox and in the middle of my therapy i webt down to a 22. Tgat was five weeks ago. Im doing one more sidebox tgis week and i will be done with tge program! I used to be borderline agorophobic, i used to have to cross the street when i saw ants, i ate a couple weeks ago. Exposure therapy works, and you become the bwst version of you ever. But the thing im dissapointed in, kati, is that to get over your phobia and OCD is that tou arebt allowed to calm yourself down, you ride the wave and you jump in, wading into exposure therapy is really stupid and takes away valuable time. You are going to freak out, you are going to cry, that's how it works. Your suds will be at a 10 you cant keep it at a 3 the whole time, that doesnt work.
As a victim of sexual abuse I need to have an internal examination. But I'm scared, I have PTSD and I'm scared I'll be trigged. Any advice will be really appreciated. Thank you
Kati have you ever heard of a person developing twitching due to high levels of anxiety and panic? Suffered since a child and now I have something called benign fasciculation syndrome where I twitch 24/7 in several areas of my body. They are blaming it on anxiety seeing all my tests were clean. Thanks!
Exposure therapy sounds a bit scary... An individual going through PTSD or a phobia tend to try abandoning the situation, right? Here, they relive it?! I'm sure if it's done correctly with the right person, just like you said, though, everything would work out fine. (:
It definitely is hard and can be scary at times.. but that's why it's so important to take your time and have solid ways to relax yourself. No one is rushing you.. you can go at your own pace :) xoxo
it is interesting all the talk, I just hope that she is ok & nothing bad has happened to her. My opinion & just my opinion, I think something is not right.
I'm doing the Exposure by Tele Communication Video for my CPTSD. Not sure it's the best option, due to so many intrusive memories. Then we click off the monitor and I have to deal with this on my own. *sigh*
Could You send to me or Tell some paper/book/material teaching How to use imagery techniques in cognitive or behavior therapy? That's something to solve imagery that comes with feelings like fear and works like a trauma.
Hi Kati, I am enjoying your educational videos. I'm not sure if you had/have experience with working with an individual who suffers from selective mutism (MS) or elective mutism. I am familiar with this disorder but how can an individual work through their "episodes" during a situation where the person has to speak? Is it just as common for adults to have SM as children do? Thanks!
Or they look or say judgey thing s , they see it gets to me , I am usually out going creative and crazy and nice so yea ( and I never talked to most of these girls) .
Can you make another video on BPD but from the DSM 5? And maybe show the difference from the DSM IV? It makes me so confused because the criterion in the DSM 5 sounds complicated and uses big words, unlike the DSM IV which is easier to understand. #katiFAQ
I'm currently doing exposure therapy for ptsd and I agree with others that have said it's the hardest thing they've ever done. It is rough, and I constantly want to quit and skip appointments, but I know it will work and things will get better. For me personally, it has taken a lot longer than it "should" because I have a lot of trouble opening up and I'm worried about how much detail to share. Everything says "as much as possible", but I'm still not sure how much that means, even if it should be fairly obvious. Does my T really need to know every tiny detail of my assault or can I be a bit more general? It throws me off because nobody has a straight forward answer to that, not even my T. Thanks for doibg this video. It's one I had hoped you would do because tgere aren't many out there, especially when it comes to ptsd.
I need this bad. I have extreme arachnophobia and I've been placed in a job in an area where there are so, so many spiders. Everywhere. And I don't think there's anyone who does exposure therapy here, although I am looking into it.
#KatiFAQ I am struggling with suicidal idealization a lot lately and I have attempted suicide in the past. I'm really confused with WHEN to reach out for help, HOW to reach out for help, and WHO to reach out to? I do see a therapist weekly. I have told him about my suicidal thoughts. He has told me though, that he is not the person to contact when I am in a "crisis". He has given me resources like suicide hotlines and also of course that I can call 911. In the past I haven't reached out for help until AFTER I have began to harm myself. I don't feel like anyone can really help until I am actually in a "crisis" and harming myself. The thing is the closer I get to a "crisis" the harder it is and I am less likely to reach out for help. Why do I have to wait to be in a full blown "crisis"? Also I feel like the only help I get at that time is to be hospitalized until I'm no longer a threat to myself. My mindset lately is that nobody can truly help me, so I often ask myself WHY ask for help?
I will definitely create a video about this asap! I think this is important info for people to know. So stay tuned for that. As for who.. your therapist is the person (at least in CA.. and we are trained intensely on how to deal with suicide).. hotlines also work, in my experience you can take yourself to the hospital at any time. Even before you have started harming yourself (which is my goal for my clients.. so they are safe always). There are trained professionals at every hospital who will see you and assess what is going on. If you tell them you fear that you will hurt yourself and wanted to be kept safe (also give them your history of it). they should be able to keep you there and keep you safe. xoxo I hope this helps a bit.. and like I said, I will film a video about it asap!! xoo
What do you think of Virtual Reality to beat phobias? I have seen a few studies that are going on that show it can really help as it puts you "literally" in the situation, but you have a therapists right there talking to you too. The one I saw put a spider in a room with you and had it move randomly, but the therapists can see how you react and coaches you to fear it less and less. Also, there is a presentation app for the Samsung Gear VR that puts you in a business meeting or a theatre setting and allows you to read your speech to an audience all looking at you, and I will say it does bring up a lot of fear as if you are actually doing it in real life. However, now you can practise at the comforts of your own home everyday to get better and better at talking to crowds. I think it has potential to be a huge breakthrough, but would like to hear a professionals thoughts on it?
I have actually heard great things about it!! I know that it is still in the newer stages, but I think it has great potential for helping with PTSD and phobias. xoxo It definitely makes phobia treatment easier to do in session, as we used to almost always have to leave the office. xoxo
I did exposure therapy because of my social anxiety it was scary at first but it really helped me a lot. I work and retail now and I'm still a little shy but I can walk up to my customers now without feeling so overwhelmed.
Thank you SO much for sharing your experience! I am glad it was so helpful to you :) xoxo
Ashtin Paulet good progress
That’s so awesome! I’m so happy for you 😊
I definitely have a love hate relationship with exposure therapy it works but man doing it is hard!
I second that! It's one of those things that you hate in the moment but love/find helpful afterward, like running haha.
I agree. It's like impossible the very first moment you will get exposed. But after surviving that first exposure you feel you have made progress.
Ok
I found exposure therapy to be extremely helpful. I also think it's really important to have a good relationship with your therapist before starting exposure therapy so you can trust that your therapist would never put you in any actual harm.
Couldn't agree more!! It is very important to have a good relationship with your therapist. Thanks for adding that in and sharing your experience!! xoxo
+
I wish you were my therapist.
same
Me too
Me too!
This month I'm going to force myself to take a hr walk 2 or 3 times a week in my neighborhood.
@@steezy9871 they'll be naked, exposure
I've been in therapy since Feb and I've just realised my therapist has been doing exposure therapy for my PTSD.. Especially the flooding part, it's really helped me. Thanks for this video.
I'm currently having exposure therapy for agoraphobia, it's definitely hard but it's worth it!
I had agoraphobia about 2 months ago. It was the hardest thing I have ever been through. Through CBT and exposure therapy I am able to leave the house now. I still have trouble going a certain distance though and I don't want to be alone so we're still using exposure therapy for panic disorder.
Napsaly i know this was 3 years ago but how are you now!
Exposure sucks a lot, but it really does help and is worth it
Yeah it can be really really hard. xoxo
I think exposure is a part of treatment for many types of anxiety. At least for me, the longer I avoid something scary, the bigger the fear becomes. Of course, though, exposure therapy can be very delicate, so if you're struggling with very crippling fears, it's always best to get professional help!
Katie! This is totally random, but I wanted to thank you so much for doing these videos. Seriously, thank you so much for spreading awareness, education and compassion towards mental illnesses, even "scary" mental illnesses that no one seems to want to talk about without stigma (like one of my diagnoses). It seriously means the world, especially because you're probably also networking with other therapists to spread this amazing positive mindset. Stigma still exists among people in the psychology field, and it hurts as a patient, so thank you. (and sorry for rambling!)
My husband completed exposure therapy over 2 years and has helped a whole lot.
Hi, Kati. I just wanted to let you know that I greatly appreciate your videos. They are very helpful!
Currently on CBT, it's amazing. I've almost overcomed my lifelong shark fobia and I've been going for a month only
That is so amazing!! I am glad it's helping you :) xoxo
My therapist and I have been discussing trying exposure therapy for a trauma I went through. She's already explained all of this to me, but it's still good to hear it from someone else! Thanks for the video, Kati, it was really helpful :)
I am so glad you found it helpful :) Yay! xoxo
Hey Kati! I was thinking it might be interesting if you did a video about highly sensitive people, my therapist brought it up in one of our sessions and I've been reading about it recently. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it and how it relates to/coexists with mental illness. Thanks!
I've been putting myself through exposure therapy. Something as simple as walking around downtown Athens, sitting in a coffee shop and reading the local paper was incredibly unnerving for me. I've even improved my social skills by meeting random people on the street, baristas and art shop employees.
It's only been three weeks of pushing myself into the world that I've become much more emotionally stable. Now anxiety only comes in waves and not nearly as intense.
Exposure therapy is truly the treatment of choice for many psychological disorders including phobias, panic attacks, and OCD. Thank you for educating the public about this gold standard treatment, Kati!
Exposure therapy really changed my life. I went from being effectually terrified of socializing in school, to leading a small company and being sort of a social butterfly. Now I am a true extrovert. Treating ADHD (Adderall and Intuniv) was hugely helpful for quieting my mind, too... So it may not always just be "anxiety".. But one must train the brain. Good video
I have a phobia of driving and planes and it's ruining my life ... Ive never looked for help but maybe this is what I need
My new T is going to do the exposure therapy online. I've been diagnosed with PTSD (CPTSD really). My dissociation makes it really hard to ground and stay on track.
When I was in ED treatment we did exposure therapy in a group setting twice a week and sometimes individually. I found it extremely helpful and I wish I could continue to do it outpatient. The great part about doing it in a group was you had instant process space and support. Some exposures I did were things like going to the mall and trying on jeans, going grocery shopping, or doing a group Q&A session about my ED.
Flooding: a behavioral technique used to treat phobias (e.g., fear of spiders) when we are flooded with the object of our fear (buckets of spiders) until the fear disappears. Contrasts with fading procedures when the object of our fear is introduced gradually (one teensy spider at a time), and generally preferred avoidance procedures when we eliminate (shoe on spider) the fearful object once and for all.
From Dr. Mezmer’s World of Bad Psychology, at an internet near you!
so i dont know what videos you look at to get video topics or anything like that but i was hoping maybe you could talk about teen pregnancy, miscarriage and how to handle these things. i was 15 when i lost my virginity and the same day i got pregnant and i didnt tell anyone i got pregnant. i miscarried and i still havent truly handled it and i no longer have a therapist and was hoping you could touch on this topic. i cant seem to find this topic if you have already touched on this. i love you so much and i love your videos. you are amazing and i hope you see this comment.
I was assigned a psychiatrist who specialises in treating patients with agoraphobia (in my case, agoraphobia w/panic attacks) and was completely traumatised. after a few weeks with him, I could not stay alone in my home for two weeks. As for the mindfulness practices, I know they are important and try to implement them into my routine but the moment depression hits, I can barely get out of bed nevermind putting much effort into anything. The thought alone exhausts me. Whereas when I'm elevated (recently disgnosed bipolar II), I'm too high on life to care and my anxiety and agoraphobia diminish quite a bit. I'm on new medication for bipolar so hopefully my mood swings will stabilize enough to gain traction with the work I need to do regarding agoraphobia. Thank you so much for your videos! Lately they've been exactly what I need.
Thank you for sharing your experience! I am so sorry that you were harmed in therapy.. but I hope with your new medication and other tools you get the help and support that you need and deserve. xoxo
Seems a reasonable treatment if you were just afraid of one thing/experience. I have general anxiety I could be anxious about anything (and a lot of things) so I guess that's why i'm still working on the breathing thing...it helps somewhat sometimes. But I'm relatively new at working on things.
Thanks Kati I really appreciate your videos. I have found exposing myself to what I am afraid of, as in going back to having control in my life, when the trauma happened to be very scary but beneficial as I realise I am safe now, I can protect myself now more, and that I do have control over myself, which is surprising! Kelly
ahhhh Kati your videos always come at the perfect time !! My psychologist is starting this with me for social anxiety and to help me stop dismissing my emotions 😊 Thank you so so much for this. She's going to start exposure with me in September and this has made me much less nervous about it. I hope you're well x
Your videos always make me happy. I'm in therapy and like the extra information on what you talk about.
That is so great to hear :) xxoo
thank you for discussing this
I went through exposure therapy for emetophobia a couple years ago. I just came back to this video because a friend was asking me about exposure therapy and what it is and I needed a refresher lol
How Is exposure therapy for emethophobia???
A thing that's meant to help with exposure therapy is the drug propranolol, its a beta blocker, what reinforces a phobia is the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline which your body releases when you approach your fear or even just think about your fear, when you panic these chemicals are released which reinforces the fear, by taking propranolol it helps block this reaction within the body as it helps stop your heart racing etc so when you think of the fear the same time you take propranolol the fear doesn't have a profound effect on you like it once did.
What are your thoughts on Exposure Therapy?
I think it's great! I did it with my therapist when I was in high school and had really bad OCD. My hands were always dry and on the verge of cracking because not only did I wash my hands all the time, I had to wash them 3 times every time, *especially* after doing the dishes, and then there was my hand sanitzer use...so my therapist basically made a ladder of my fears with the lowest rung being my least fearful thing, and the top being the most fearful. We tackled one at a time until I was able to wash and sanitize my hands no more than the average Joe. We did "homework" each week where I would have to try to do X and I would report back to her the next week. It really worked! Now it's mostly under control. It still will come out sometimes, especially when I'm stressed or anxious, but I can usually get myself out of it. Sorry for this being so long. I feel like I wrote an essay!
I know in one of your other vids you said you wanted to slow down a bit and explain the topic, but are you okay? you looked a little out of it.
I liked this topic by the way, I've only heard of exposure therapy but nothing really about it. what kind of therapy works best with PTSD? I thought this was a cool vid, and I'm excited for the coffee and chat! hope your day is good, Kati ❤
Exposure Therapy sounds really interesting, I can see how it can really help people with traumatic experiences.
Yeah.. it definitely can help :) xoox
I am fine :) Thanks for your concern! xox Exposure therapy does work well with PTSD, as does CBT and EMDR. It all depends on where you are in the work, how you are doing with it all, and what your therapist thinks is best. xoxo
Thanks for this warnings. I'm usually a "whatever it takes" kind of person so i don't always think about the process, just the outcome. I'll be sure to ask some of these questions. Especially since this is a btw treatment experience with a new therapist. I just met him today. He seems really cool and with the times but I've never heard of exposure therapy before. Looking forward to keeping the past in the past and moving forward. So thank again for sharing.
Fun story: for a long time when I was a kid (probably from about age 4 to age 10) I had a fairly severe phobia of corpses, mummies, skeletons, etc. It got to a point where at times I was afraid to go outside or walk into dark rooms due to the wildly irrational fear of encountering something dead. I was fully aware that it wasn't normal or rational (especially since it was so specific; I wasn't really affected by a lot of other stuff such as dissections and violent movies) so instead of doing something a normal kid would do like tell my parents I was scared I just kinda did my best to ignore it. Anyway, when I was in middle school/early high school I decided I'd had enough and unknowingly systematically desensitized myself to it by taking an anatomy class, seeking out creepy films that I would've avoided earlier on, and reading books about mummies and such. It may have worked too well because I ended up taking forensic anthropology for fun as a sophomore and now I'm pretty much unaffected by any and all violence, but I guess it's better than jumping out of my own skin every time I see a shadow, right? Moral of the story: tell someone if you're dealing with some mental/emotional problem. Fixing it on your own is really not a great plan.
Im so intrigued about this!
I hope you found it helpful and interesting!! xoxo
Thank you for this!
Hello Katy, I wish you could post your videos more often! They are very informative and helpful. 🍀🍀💛
I love your videos!
You are such an inspirational person! I love every single one of your videos, just recently subscribed! You have helped me so much, especially in starting my education to become a therapist.
this was very interesting we are trying to do this coz of my sensativety of noise which is gonna scare the he'll out of me . love all your vids kati your an awsome therapist and an awsome person .
I am glad you found this helpful :) Yes it can be scary.. but you get to go at your own pace and learn better ways to calm yourself down as well :) xoxo let me know how it goes! xox
Hey Kati, I hate to get off topic, but I was wondering if maybe you might be willing to do a segment on abandonment issues and how they might be linked to other illnesses…?
My exposure for agoraphobia where I poop myself when I feel trapped in buses, cars,queues etc didn't work. If anything it reinforced my fear and made it worse
Hey Kati I just wanted to share this with you and the community because I don't know how to bring it up or even bring it up to my therapist. I feel like my therapist doesn't understand me at all is it just me? I feel like I'm just not understanding myself I feel alone and empty and my MDD is acting up because I just feel really down about this. Hope you or anyone else can give me tips. Thanks everyone!
Hey Catherine!, I hope you are feeling better now, but it is not... please change your therapist.
I have social anxiety to people who want to be my friend, what should I do? I feel scare because I have trust issue with opposite sex. I feel scare when I get too close with them.
Relaxation technique
Breathing technique
Thank you for clarifying that exposure therapy is NOT what many in popular culture think it is, an excuse to shove someone's triggers down their throats "for their own good."
Thanks for the video kati, I'm learning about exposure therapy in my psychology class at the moment, and this is really informative 😊
Yay! Glad this could help with school work :)
...Sounds really interesting , been binging your videos since I found this channel! and a new one got me all excited lol you have so much information to share AND.. your voice is sooo calming just love it xo
I said I don’t want to do it.
They won’t stop.
This is really helpful information! I've been wondering if this type of therapy might help me make more progress, but with having just recently changed therapists, I unfortunately have to spend a while getting to know the new one, and obviously letting her get to know me first, before its something that I can consider - but I would like to try it some time and thus, really appreciate you sharing this! Thank you! :)
I love your hair... My therapist told me that PTSD is only diagnosed when the person is afraid for their life or the lives of those around them.I am not sure what to think because I have symptoms of PTSD and have been diagnosed with it by other clinicians
Now I'm not professional but if most other people say you have it and one person says you don't, your therapist may be incorrect. There are good and bad therapists out there. Once I had a therapist who told me not to call what happened to me sexual assault (it was). She said to call it inappropriate touching instead.
She is correct.. that's how we define PTSD: When you are in a situation which makes you afraid for your life or the lives of others. In the end, it really depends on your symptoms. I find that many of my clients who experienced a trauma when they were young won't always fear for their lives or someone else's. I would bring up your concerns in your next session just so you are clear on what she is saying and why or why not she feels you have PTSD. xoxo
Your videos are very informative.
Kindly make a video on systematic decensitization.
Hi Kati! I was wondering if you could do a video on mindfulness? This was really helpful thanks!
I remember some psychiatrist said some terrifying things about exposure therapy made me so scared of it. That person sucks
Thanks Kati... please would be able to go in more details about Exposure Therapy... I hv been diagnosed with Complex PTSD... and a service that I m linked to it is pushing that on me. I try to explain to the Therapist that I dont know her yet and feel the pressure wont help me open up. I have asked her explain how the therapy would go... and her reply was helpful.. she took as i was doubting her studies... and she was the one that did years of psychology. Also she doesn't have 10 years to spend on me... and because my caution she thinks I don't get better.😢 I feel confused and pressured and knowing my self I won't be able to be completely honest with the therapy because I feel uneasy with her. Please just more information I dont want get worse.
wow thanks for that video! i think i should ask my therapist if this could be good for me.... i'm now 6 months in therapy and things are still very complicated... maybe if i try another way it will help... thank a lot!
Hi Kati, I was wondering, since you're a professional, would you be so kind as to look into the Marina Joyce issue and maybe give your input on if Marina seems unstable or on something? I know it wouldn't really fit your channel, but I think it would give a lot of people some perspective to hear from a professional what they think is going on..
Hi Kati :) New subscriber here! I find your channel very helpful not only for persons with disorders but also to those who are studying in the field of psychology. I'm now reviewing for my board exams (to be a Licensed Psychometrician), so thank you very much for the wonderful informative videos :D yay!
This is my first time hearing exposure therapy and it sounds very scary for me. 🥶
I just subscribed I really like you channel content! Thanks for explaining this concept.
great video kati,i wish you were in the UK as i would be banging at your door!
you have a great way of putting information across!
Awe I am so glad you found it helpful and informative!! I hope to come to the UK soon as well :) xox
I have an intense fear of animatronics and just thinking of exposure therapy with one...I’d probably have a panic attack
I wonder if the therapist would use Five Nights at Freddy's for the sessions. lmao
hi Kati thank you for all of your videos, they have helped me so much❤️❤️❤️I was wondering maybe could you do a video about why people shoplift? i know it's a bit different than your other videos, but I was reading about shoplifting and I discovered a lot of people with mental illnesses struggle with doing it. I wanted to know your opinion. why do people do it? how do you stop? is it true a lot of shoplifters struggle with mental illnesses? thx so much☺️
Just think about how God loves everyone, he made everyone and everything, he is greater than everything and yet he can be seen in the smallest things. Do not fear. Do not worry. He will never let you fall if you place yourself in his arms.
I‘m tempted to try exposure to my abuser to stop the crazy ptsd anxiety attacks his sight triggers but I don‘t want him to know he is affecting me like this. For right now, I unblocked him on my phone and I think about the exposure or just talking to him on the phone, the thought alone makes me uneasy.
Sounds helpful. But I think going back over what happened would just make me put it in the back of my mind once again, make me want to forget about it. I have recurring nightmares about it, so waking up distressed and breaking down over it. if that happened with somebody in the room I don't know if I could let my walls down so easily to do that. it's being completely vulnerable to what happened. I didn't mean for this to be long, just conflicted at what to do with myself now.
Maybe I tapped too quickly but the flooding technique just made me feel worse. Gradual desensitization would've worked way better for my personality I think. Thanks for the vids
Hey Kati,
I know this is kind of long but if possible, I would like to hear your thoughts on the following scenario:
You're in a CBT group with elements of exposure therapy. From the team of therapists, a few are mentors. Out of those few, there is one specific therapist you seem to connect with (idealised transference?) however, this person is unavailable due to the limited amount of people that can be mentored by one person. Repeated attempts to voice this 'need' have resulted in negative transference to (some of) the other therapists. You begin to question your own thoughts and needs and you feel stuck with feelings of rejection, alienation and loneliness. This situation then begins to fuel the problem as you're beginning to withhold your thoughts and emotions; avoidance becomes standard.
I personally think it's reasonable to want that bit of extra support from the idealised person to boost the therapeutic process. Having to do without this person continues to bug me and slow me down.
As a result, I can't really focus and work as efficiently on my goals.
With the therapy ending soon (after 1 year), I feel desperate because of the idea that I could have achieved more.
I can't seem to let go of the frustration caused by this but mindfulness helps a little.
I don't know if this is normal. Am I just crazy or is this all part of CBT?
GREAT video Kati! I was wondering your thought on Biphasic sleep, polyphasic sleep, and monophasic sleep. BTW your livestreams are AMAZING! xoxo
Well everytime I go to watch it,i start getting anxiety. I'll try again to watch it
Today i had my first therapy session. I dont know how to feel about it. It was very brief less than an hour. and it was a questionnaire based session so i didn't really talk much, i more or less answered yes or no to the questions she asked me. I did want to talk more but didn't know where to start. I don't know if that is a usual first therapy session but i hope they start picking up and getting more in depth. Anyway thanks for your videos i don't feel as alone as i did before (:
Sometimes the first session can feel more like that.. because they are gathering info on you and your history. In the next couple of sessions you should have more time to talk. If that doesn't change, know that you can speak up and let them know you want that.. or look for another therapist :) There are many options and we just want you to find the best one for you. xoxo
***** Yeah i talked to my counselor at school about it she said the therapist was doing more of an intake sort of thing. Thank you for your advise. I am very anxious and any advice is very helpful.
kati can you do a video about adults who self harm, as adults we may have jobs and children and other responsibilities and is it OK to self harm if it helps? and its not hurting anyone else?
I actually have a video about your question.. although it's not geared towards adults.. hopefully it helps: ruclips.net/video/7Gwkk3QMwXg/видео.html
Hi Kati, your videos have been very helpful. Thanks so much. Can you do video on hypnotherapy? Is that helpful if I have bottled up my emotions and sometimes I don't even know how I feel?
Flooding
Gradual desensitization
Exposure therapy
I was wondering how exposure therapy works on someone who disassociates and struggles coming out of it? Would a Flooding experience be a bad tool for my therapist to use if this is the case. She wants to start Monday and I am worried.
I have a question;Is it exposure therapy when the therapist is helping the client dealing with uncomfortable feelings, memories or desires so that the client can process (and become less overwhelmed and scared) instead of repressing them?
omg the camera is so clear!
Im wrapping up my IOP for my OCD using exposure therapy. It is amazing. I scored a 33 out of 40 on the sidebox and in the middle of my therapy i webt down to a 22. Tgat was five weeks ago. Im doing one more sidebox tgis week and i will be done with tge program! I used to be borderline agorophobic, i used to have to cross the street when i saw ants, i ate a couple weeks ago. Exposure therapy works, and you become the bwst version of you ever. But the thing im dissapointed in, kati, is that to get over your phobia and OCD is that tou arebt allowed to calm yourself down, you ride the wave and you jump in, wading into exposure therapy is really stupid and takes away valuable time. You are going to freak out, you are going to cry, that's how it works. Your suds will be at a 10 you cant keep it at a 3 the whole time, that doesnt work.
Brilliant video. In the UK it's near on impossible to be able to get consistent therapy to do exposure therapy with you. Grr.
As a victim of sexual abuse I need to have an internal examination. But I'm scared, I have PTSD and I'm scared I'll be trigged. Any advice will be really appreciated. Thank you
Hi. Can you explain the Implosive Therapy and it's connection to Exposure Therapy?
Kati have you ever heard of a person developing twitching due to high levels of anxiety and panic? Suffered since a child and now I have something called benign fasciculation syndrome where I twitch 24/7 in several areas of my body. They are blaming it on anxiety seeing all my tests were clean. Thanks!
Exposure therapy sounds a bit scary... An individual going through PTSD or a phobia tend to try abandoning the situation, right? Here, they relive it?! I'm sure if it's done correctly with the right person, just like you said, though, everything would work out fine. (:
It definitely is hard and can be scary at times.. but that's why it's so important to take your time and have solid ways to relax yourself. No one is rushing you.. you can go at your own pace :) xoxo
So helpful. More phobia videos would be great too!!
KATI WHY ARE YOU SO Beautiful 😍 you have the cutest face
Awe you are so sweet :) xxoo
I don't think this video was about exposure therapy, it was about getting a qualified therapist and what exposure therapy is used to treat.
hey kati please can you do a video on marina joyce! I'd love to know your opinion from a therapists point! thank you x
it is interesting all the talk, I just hope that she is ok & nothing bad has happened to her. My opinion & just my opinion, I think something is not right.
I'm doing the Exposure by Tele Communication Video for my CPTSD. Not sure it's the best option, due to so many intrusive memories. Then we click off the monitor and I have to deal with this on my own. *sigh*
Could You send to me or Tell some paper/book/material teaching How to use imagery techniques in cognitive or behavior therapy?
That's something to solve imagery that comes with feelings like fear and works like a trauma.
Hi Kati, I am enjoying your educational videos. I'm not sure if you had/have experience with working with an individual who suffers from selective mutism (MS) or elective mutism. I am familiar with this disorder but how can an individual work through their "episodes" during a situation where the person has to speak? Is it just as common for adults to have SM as children do? Thanks!
Or they look or say judgey thing s , they see it gets to me , I am usually out going creative and crazy and nice so yea ( and I never talked to most of these girls) .
Can you make another video on BPD but from the DSM 5? And maybe show the difference from the DSM IV? It makes me so confused because the criterion in the DSM 5 sounds complicated and uses big words, unlike the DSM IV which is easier to understand. #katiFAQ
I'm currently doing exposure therapy for ptsd and I agree with others that have said it's the hardest thing they've ever done. It is rough, and I constantly want to quit and skip appointments, but I know it will work and things will get better. For me personally, it has taken a lot longer than it "should" because I have a lot of trouble opening up and I'm worried about how much detail to share. Everything says "as much as possible", but I'm still not sure how much that means, even if it should be fairly obvious. Does my T really need to know every tiny detail of my assault or can I be a bit more general? It throws me off because nobody has a straight forward answer to that, not even my T. Thanks for doibg this video. It's one I had hoped you would do because tgere aren't many out there, especially when it comes to ptsd.
I start exposure therapy this month I’m scared, but I’m ready to start feeling like myself again:(
How is it going
How’s it going? I went through exposure therapy for emetophobia a couple years ago it worked amazing
I need this bad. I have extreme arachnophobia and I've been placed in a job in an area where there are so, so many spiders. Everywhere. And I don't think there's anyone who does exposure therapy here, although I am looking into it.
You said you went to Pepperdine in one video I went to the other"sister school", LCU.
how do you know you have a phobia or just an extreme fear? like what would qualify something as a phobia?
I have had problems for a long time and my parents think I should go to therapy but I don't know that will help
#KatiFAQ I am struggling with suicidal idealization a lot lately and I have attempted suicide in the past. I'm really confused with WHEN to reach out for help, HOW to reach out for help, and WHO to reach out to? I do see a therapist weekly. I have told him about my suicidal thoughts. He has told me though, that he is not the person to contact when I am in a "crisis". He has given me resources like suicide hotlines and also of course that I can call 911. In the past I haven't reached out for help until AFTER I have began to harm myself. I don't feel like anyone can really help until I am actually in a "crisis" and harming myself. The thing is the closer I get to a "crisis" the harder it is and I am less likely to reach out for help. Why do I have to wait to be in a full blown "crisis"? Also I feel like the only help I get at that time is to be hospitalized until I'm no longer a threat to myself. My mindset lately is that nobody can truly help me, so I often ask myself WHY ask for help?
I will definitely create a video about this asap! I think this is important info for people to know. So stay tuned for that. As for who.. your therapist is the person (at least in CA.. and we are trained intensely on how to deal with suicide).. hotlines also work, in my experience you can take yourself to the hospital at any time. Even before you have started harming yourself (which is my goal for my clients.. so they are safe always). There are trained professionals at every hospital who will see you and assess what is going on. If you tell them you fear that you will hurt yourself and wanted to be kept safe (also give them your history of it). they should be able to keep you there and keep you safe. xoxo I hope this helps a bit.. and like I said, I will film a video about it asap!! xoo
What do you think of Virtual Reality to beat phobias? I have seen a few studies that are going on that show it can really help as it puts you "literally" in the situation, but you have a therapists right there talking to you too. The one I saw put a spider in a room with you and had it move randomly, but the therapists can see how you react and coaches you to fear it less and less.
Also, there is a presentation app for the Samsung Gear VR that puts you in a business meeting or a theatre setting and allows you to read your speech to an audience all looking at you, and I will say it does bring up a lot of fear as if you are actually doing it in real life. However, now you can practise at the comforts of your own home everyday to get better and better at talking to crowds. I think it has potential to be a huge breakthrough, but would like to hear a professionals thoughts on it?
I have actually heard great things about it!! I know that it is still in the newer stages, but I think it has great potential for helping with PTSD and phobias. xoxo It definitely makes phobia treatment easier to do in session, as we used to almost always have to leave the office. xoxo