What is the behavioural treatment for phobias?

The behavioural treatment for phobias consists of two forms of therapy, which both aim to break the link between the phobia and the feared resonse. The first type is flooding; this is a quick and intense session of around 45 minutes where the sufferer is forced to be close to the phobia. The anxiety is so overwhelming that it is no longer possible to be scared after the session.

The second type is systematic desensitisation; this is a gradual process where fears are placed into a hierarchy and the sufferer progresses through it with relaxation techniques. When calm in the first situation, they move onto the next.