<P> ERP is predicated on the idea that a therapeutic effect is achieved as subjects confront their fears, but refrain from engaging in the escape response or ritual that delays or eliminates distress . In the case of individuals with OCD or an anxiety disorder, there is a thought or situation that causes distress . Individuals usually combat this distress through specific behaviors that include avoidance or rituals . However, ERP involves purposefully evoking fear, anxiety, and or distress in the individual by exposing him / her to the feared stimulus . The response prevention then involves having the individual refrain from the ritualistic or otherwise compulsive behavior that functions to decrease distress . The patient is then taught to tolerate distress until it fades away on its own, thereby learning that rituals are not always necessary to decrease distress or anxiety . Over repeated practice of ERP, patients with OCD expect to find that they can have obsessive thoughts and images but not have the need to engage in compulsive rituals to decrease distress . </P> <P> The AACAP's practice parameters for OCD recommends cognitive behavioral therapy, and more specifically ERP, as first line treatment for youth with mild to moderate severity OCD and combination psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for severe OCD . The Cochrane Review's examinations of different randomized control trials echoes repeated findings of the superiority of ERP over waitlist control or pill - placebos, the superiority of combination ERP and pharmacotherapy, but similar effect sizes of efficacy between ERP or pharmacotherapy alone . </P> <P> Exposure therapy is based on the principle of respondent conditioning often termed Pavlovian extinction . The exposure therapist identifies the cognitions, emotions and physiological arousal that accompany a fear - inducing stimulus and then tries to break the pattern of escape that maintains the fear . This is done by exposing the patient to progressively stronger fear - inducing stimuli . Fear is minimized at each of a series of steadily escalating steps or challenges (a hierarchy), which can be explicit ("static") or implicit ("dynamic"--see Method of Factors) until the fear is finally gone . The patient is able to terminate the procedure at any time . </P> <P> There are three types of exposure procedures . The first is in vivo or "real life ." This type exposes the patient to actual fear - inducing situations . For example, if someone fears public speaking, the person may be asked to give a speech to a small group of people . The second type of exposure is imaginal, where patients are asked to imagine a situation that they are afraid of . This procedure is helpful for people who need to confront feared thoughts and memories . The third type of exposure is interoceptive, which may be used for more specific disorders such as panic or post-traumatic stress disorder . Patients confront feared bodily symptoms such as increased heart rate and shortness of breath . All types of exposure may be used together or separately . </P>

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