Which statement describes prolonged exposure in exposure-based CBT?

Which statement describes prolonged exposure in exposure-based CBT?

• A. Prolonged exposure is a form of exposure-based CBT used for PTSD.
• B. Prolonged exposure is a pharmacological treatment.
• C. It is used for OCD exclusively.
• D. It involves avoiding trauma memories.

Answer: (A)

Prolonged exposure therapy is a form of exposure-based cognitive-behavioral therapy designed to treat PTSD by guiding the person to repeatedly and safely confront the trauma memory and reminders. The goal is to reduce the fear and avoidance that have become attached to the trauma through a process called habituation and extinction. In practice, this involves two main components: imaginational exposure, where the person vividly recounts and explores the traumatic memory in detail, and in-vivo exposure, where they gradually face real-life situations they have been avoiding because of reminders of the trauma. By revisiting the memory and approaching feared cues in a controlled way over time, the distress associated with the trauma decreases. This is not a pharmacological treatment; it is a psychotherapy. It is not used exclusively for OCD; its primary evidence base is for PTSD, though other anxiety-related conditions may benefit from exposure approaches. And it does not involve avoiding trauma memories; instead, it requires careful, structured confrontation of those memories and triggers to reduce avoidance and fear.

Prolonged exposure therapy is a form of exposure-based cognitive-behavioral therapy designed to treat PTSD by guiding the person to repeatedly and safely confront the trauma memory and reminders. The goal is to reduce the fear and avoidance that have become attached to the trauma through a process called habituation and extinction. In practice, this involves two main components: imaginational exposure, where the person vividly recounts and explores the traumatic memory in detail, and in-vivo exposure, where they gradually face real-life situations they have been avoiding because of reminders of the trauma. By revisiting the memory and approaching feared cues in a controlled way over time, the distress associated with the trauma decreases.

This is not a pharmacological treatment; it is a psychotherapy. It is not used exclusively for OCD; its primary evidence base is for PTSD, though other anxiety-related conditions may benefit from exposure approaches. And it does not involve avoiding trauma memories; instead, it requires careful, structured confrontation of those memories and triggers to reduce avoidance and fear.