Behavior therapy, MHN

behavior therapy , techniques and indication

1. BEHAVIOR THERAPY By Saurabh Kumar, Dept. Of MHN, RCN , Kanpur

2. BEHAVIOR THERAPY It is a form of treatment for problems in which a trained person deliberately establishes a professional relationship with the patient , with the objective of removing or modifying existing symptoms and promoting positive personality. It involves identifying mal – adaptive behaviors and seeking to correct these by applying the principles of learning.

3. Major assumptions of behavior therapy All behavior is learned. Human beings can be learned by conditioned or to do anything if correct responses are rewarded or reinforced. Maladaptive behavior can be unlearned and replaced by adaptive behavior. Behavioral assessment is focused more on the current behavior rather than old historical antecedents. Treatment strategies are individuality tailored.

4. Behavior techniques Systematic desensitization : in this patients attain a state of complete relaxation and are then exposed to the stimulus that elicits the anxiety response. The negative reaction of anxiety is inhibited by the relaxed state, a process called reciprocal inhibition . Indication : phobia, OCD, certain sexual disoreder

5. 2. Flooding The patient is directly exposed to the phobic stimulus, but escape is made impossible. By prolonged contact with the phobic stimulus, the therapist’s guidance and encouragement and his modeling behavior reduce anxiety . Indication : specific phobias

6. 3. Aversion therapy Pairing of the pleasant stimulus with an unpleasant response, so that even in absence of the unpleasant response the pleasant stimulus becomes unpleasant by association. Unpleasant response is produced by electric stimulus , drugs , social disapproval or even fantasy. Indication : alcohol abuse, parahilias , homosexuality, transvestism .

7. 4. Operant conditioning procedures for increasing adaptive behavior When a behavioral response is followed by a generally rewarding event such as food, praise or gifts. This techniques is used to increase desired behavior.

8. 5. Operant conditioning procedures to teach new behavior In this method by modeling , shaping, chaining individual learn new task and new behavior. In modeling demonstrate task followed by individual. In shaping reinforcing behavior step by step. In chaining a complex task turn divided in short task.

9. 6. Operant conditioning procedures for decreasing maladaptive behavior In this techniques discourage maladaptive behavior by ignoring, punishment, timeout , restitution and response cost.