Book publication: Changing expectations and relearning in the case of anxiety

Together with colleagues from Cologne, Bochum and Dresden, Ingmar Heinig  has published a manual on the exposure-based treatment of anxiety disorders. The book is based on current research findings and describes a variant of exposure therapy. So-called inhibitory learning relies on naming and experience-based examination of central fears. Accordingly, exposure is not primarily about the passive endurance of fear with a focus on the onset of the habituation process, but about the active confrontation with new experiences. As the maximization and reduction of anxiety do not play a decisive role in the success of exposure, the message for therapists is:
"Don't be afraid of exposure! Go at your own pace!"
The approach is applicable across the board for various anxiety disorders, including comorbid ones (panic disorder, agoraphobia, social anxiety, multiple specific phobias) and was successfully evaluated in a large-scale study with over 700 people.

References:

Heinig I, Weiß M, Hamm AO, et al. Exposure traced in daily life: improvements in ecologically assessed social and physical activity following exposure-based psychotherapy for anxiety disorders. J Anxiety Disord. 2024;101:102792. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102792

Neudeck P, Heinig I, Hummel KV, im Brahm C, Hamm A, Bartnick C. Erwartungsveränderung Und Neulernen Bei Ängsten Ein Manual Zur Expositionsbasierten Behandlung. Hogrefe Verlag GmbH & Co. KG; 2024. doi:10.1026/03225-000