What is desensitizing?

Desensitization is the process of gradually reducing sensitivity to a specific trigger or stimulus. This technique is often used in therapy to help people overcome phobias, anxieties, and other forms of emotional distress. The basic idea of desensitization is to expose the individual to the thing that causes their distress in a controlled and gradually increasing way until they become more comfortable and less reactive to it.

There are different approaches to desensitization, but one commonly used method is systematic desensitization. This involves creating a hierarchy of increasingly anxiety-provoking scenarios related to the trigger, and then gradually exposing the person to each one while using relaxation techniques to manage their stress response. For example, a person with a fear of dogs might first look at a picture of a dog, then watch a video of a dog, then stand near a dog that is behind a fence, and so on until they can confidently interact with a dog without fear.

Desensitization has been found effective in treating a wide range of conditions, including PTSD, OCD, and social anxiety disorder. It is considered a safe and relatively low-risk treatment when done under the guidance of a trained professional.