Fear of Emotions and Related Physical Sensations

Abstract

Chapter 5 provides an overview of fear of emotions and related physical sensations and introduces exposure methods to address the fear of what lies within. This chapter is particularly focused on planning, delivering, and processing in vivo exposures to fear of fear (interoceptive exposure). The chapter describes how to modify the exposures to fit with different patient presentations and across multiple contexts, while fading the use of safety behaviors. Case examples are presented along with methods to avoid traps that can impede improvement. Research shows that relative comfort with the experience of anxiety-related symptoms predicts resilience in a wide range of situations.