Push through your fear. Each time you jump backwards, curl into a little ball and cling to the bedpost, peel yourself away again and put on a sock, tie a shoe, take one more step toward the door. If this works it’ll desensitize you.
From what I read, it seems that the first step in applying desensitization therapy is to master some kind of relaxation technique. Then you put yourself in a (possibly artificial) situations that cause a manageable level of fear and apply the technique until the fear goes away. Maybe simply clenching your teeth and pushing through the fear works too but I suspect it doesn’t count as desensitization in the sense that the word is used in psychotherapy.
I expect the desensitization effect comes from doing frightening things with no consequences that reinforce the fear, and the relaxation and milder situation serve to make that feasible.
From what I read, it seems that the first step in applying desensitization therapy is to master some kind of relaxation technique. Then you put yourself in a (possibly artificial) situations that cause a manageable level of fear and apply the technique until the fear goes away. Maybe simply clenching your teeth and pushing through the fear works too but I suspect it doesn’t count as desensitization in the sense that the word is used in psychotherapy.
I expect the desensitization effect comes from doing frightening things with no consequences that reinforce the fear, and the relaxation and milder situation serve to make that feasible.