N212: Health Differences Across the Life Span 2

Health Differences Across the Lifespan 2 Study Guide • Walk in to the elevator with a trusted person and disembark before the door closes • Walk into an elevator with a trusted person and allow the door to close, then open the door and walk out • Rise one floor with the trusted person, then walk down the stairs • Ride the elevator one floor with a trusted person and ride the elevator backdown • Ride the elevator alone Desensitization: Desensitization of the stimulus is the final step. Patients proceed systematically through the list from the least to the most anxiety provoking scene while in a deeply relaxed state. Under the guidance of the therapist, the patient begins the item on the list that causes minimal fear and looks at it, thinks about it, or actually confronts it while remaining in a relaxed state. The idea is that the phobic object or the situation is conditioned stimulus that the patient has learned to fear because it was originally paired with a real fearful stimulus. By paring the old, conditioned stimulus with a new relaxation response that is compatible with the emotions and the physical arousal associated with the fear, the person’s fear is reduced and relieved. The person then proceeds to the next item on the hierarchy until the phobia is gone. Therapeutic graded exposure: Therapeutic graded exposure is similar to the systematic desensitization, except relaxation training is not involved and treatment is carried out in a real-life context. The individual must be in contact with the warning stimulus to learn firsthand that dangerous consequences will not ensue. Exposure is graded according to the hierarchy. Aversion Therapy Aversion therapy is another way to use classical conditioning. It reduces the frequency of the undesirable behavior, such as smoking or over eating, by teaching the client to pair an unpleasant stimulus that results in undesirable response. Types of aversion therapy include: • Overt sensitization: This is a type of aversion therapy that produces unpleasant consequences for undesirable behavior. For example, if an individual consumes alcohol while on Antabuse therapy, symptoms of severe nausea, vomiting, dyspnea, palpitation, and headache will occur. Instead of a euphoria feeling normally experienced from the alcohol, the individual receives a punishment that is intended to extinguish the unacceptable behavior. • Covert sensitization: This technique is under the patient’s control and can be used whenever it is required. The individual learns through mental imagery to visualize nauseating scenes and even to induce a mild feeling of nausea. It is most effective when paired with relaxation exercises that are performed instead of the undesirable behavior. Preparation for aversion therapy: Depending upon his/her customary practice, a therapist administering aversion therapy may establish a behavioral contract defining the treatment, objectives, expected outcome, and what will be required of the patient. The patient may be asked to keep a behavioral diary to establish a baseline measure of the behavior targeted for change. The patient undergoing this type of treatment should have enough information beforehand to give full consent for the procedure. Patients with medical problems, or who are otherwise vulnerable to ©2017 Achieve Test Prep Page 24 of 140