90 Don’t Let A nxiety Run Your Life
target). For this example, let’s assume that you want to go on
vacation with your family, but the driving route entails
crossing a rather tall bridge. Thus, exposure might include
first looking at pictures of the bridge from various angles,
watching videos of people driving across the bridge, think-
ing about crossing the bridge, driving over smaller bridges
with a progressive escalation in size, driving to the bridge to
see it in person, and eventually driving over the bridge. (This
is a somewhat simplified example.)
There are several types of exposures, all of which vary in
their approach and difficulty with regard to implementing
them in your own life. These include:
- In vivo exposure: Directly facing a feared object,
situation, or activity in real life
For example, someone with a fear of snakes
might first look at pictures of snakes, with the
goal of working up to handling actual snakes
under supervision. - Imaginal exposure: Vividly imagining a feared
object or situation
For example, someone with a fear of germs
might be asked to imagine coming into contact
with germs and how he or she might react in
terms of emotions, bodily sensations, behaviors,
or even thoughts. - Virtual reality exposure: Virtual reality tech-
nology can be used when in vivo exposure is not
realistic.
For example, someone with a fear of f lying
might use a virtual reality f light simulator to