# Novel therapy



## Edwin (Jun 19, 2008)

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## leonardess (Jun 30, 2009)

sounds interesting!


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## Edwin (Jun 19, 2008)

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## exotica (Jan 14, 2010)

I'd love to take a look on it! And what is beta-test?


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## strawberryjulius (Jun 28, 2009)

This sounds interesting. :yes


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## Edwin (Jun 19, 2008)

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## NervousInDublin (Feb 19, 2010)

hi edwin, not interested in trying the therapy itself as I'm trying to push through on existing things but if your looking for people to test the software and website as opposed to the theory, I'm your man. I should be able to suggest usablity issues/fixes if there are any, i'm a developer and usability consultant... well I was before I got afraid to leave my house.

Send me the link


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## rickthegreat (Dec 22, 2008)

Hi. Any updates? I bookmarked www.satherapy.net. How's it coming along?


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## Edwin (Jun 19, 2008)

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## Edwin (Jun 19, 2008)

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## Edwin (Jun 19, 2008)

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## csrpj (Feb 24, 2010)

after this trail is over, what's the next step? are you going to release it at some point?


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## Edwin (Jun 19, 2008)

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## sprinter (Nov 22, 2003)

Couldn't you give us the general theory or description of the therapy how it's supposed to work etc.? I'm interested in anything that helps panic attacks due to social anxiety and since you mentioned it is supposed to help that now I'm really interested.


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## mrwhite (Mar 15, 2010)

Hi, I stumbled across this thread and believe I have heard of this treatment. The treatment is based on the idea that people with social anxiety have an attentional bias towards negative things like threatening faces. In some sense we scan for threats more than normal people. The computer programs are designed to train you to ignore the threatening (i.e., disgusted, angry, etc) faces and look for the more welcoming type expressions. It's sort of like a simple video game to retrain your brain to look for positive feedback in people's faces rather than negative feedback. 

I have read some studies on this and it does seem promising. I also know that a researcher in the U.S. plans to market similar software this year.


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## sprinter (Nov 22, 2003)

mrwhite said:


> Hi, I stumbled across this thread and believe I have heard of this treatment. The treatment is based on the idea that people with social anxiety have an attentional bias towards negative things like threatening faces. In some sense we scan for threats more than normal people. The computer programs are designed to train you to ignore the threatening (i.e., disgusted, angry, etc) faces and look for the more welcoming type expressions. It's sort of like a simple video game to retrain your brain to look for positive feedback in people's faces rather than negative feedback.
> 
> I have read some studies on this and it does seem promising. I also know that a researcher in the U.S. plans to market similar software this year.


Thanks for the info mrwhite. I think I participated in a study of this theory a couple years ago at a university based anxiety clinic that involved looking at images of different faces etc. I think I got $15 for doing it.


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## mrwhite (Mar 15, 2010)

I actually just was reading some more about this. How the program works is the following. It shows you pictures of two faces on a screen. The trials are varied, but many of them will contain a neutral face and an angry face. These pictures are flashed together on the screen very briefly. After they are removed, the letter E or F appears on the screen where one of the two pictures used to be. The goal of the game is to determine whether or not the letter is an E or an F and hit the corresponding key as quickly as possible. You are given feedback on your speed so you can try to get better at it as you go through successive trials.

So, how does this retrain your brain you're probably wondering. The program is designed so that _the letters are most likely to appear where the neutral face was_ (or in other words, not where the angry face was on the screen). So, your brain subconsciously picks up on the fact that it can be more successful at the game by looking away from the angry face and towards the neutral face. This is because if you do that you will be looking at the spot where the E or F will appear, and thereby be able to more quickly hit the E or F key. The idea then is that not only do you get better at the game but you get an attentional bias away from negative faces. It makes sense to me, since I often find myself looking at people's faces trying to detect some kind of disapproval.

Anyways, I hope that made sense. It's a fairly simple concept once you get the idea. The papers I am reading on this show pretty impressive results for something so simple.


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## Edwin (Jun 19, 2008)

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## sprinter (Nov 22, 2003)

mrwhite said:


> I actually just was reading some more about this. How the program works is the following. It shows you pictures of two faces on a screen. The trials are varied, but many of them will contain a neutral face and an angry face. These pictures are flashed together on the screen very briefly. After they are removed, the letter E or F appears on the screen where one of the two pictures used to be. The goal of the game is to determine whether or not the letter is an E or an F and hit the corresponding key as quickly as possible. You are given feedback on your speed so you can try to get better at it as you go through successive trials.


My memory is hazy but I think that's what I was instructed to do or something similar. Also I seem to remember having to wear some kind of tracking device for at least one of the tests.

Have to say I'm not convinced this will help with panic attacks brought on when giving a presentation etc. Looking back to my school days when I had those I don't think I even payed any attention to people's faces at all. All I was focused on were the internal sensations. Like when I had to get up in front of class to read something I don't think I even looked at anyone just focused on what I had to read and the horrible sensations of an anxiety attack.


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## rickthegreat (Dec 22, 2008)

mrwhite;1299328... The papers I am reading on this show pretty impressive results for something so simple.[/QUOTE said:


> Yeah. WTH huh? I just wonder what things you can do if any to improve results? Maybe take therapy session right before a stressful event? Right after? Neither? Well the experiments probably didn't even take that into account. I think I will try playing binaural music during my next one though.


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## csrpj (Feb 24, 2010)

is there a name to this form of treatment? are there any resources that pertain to this treatment? this is incredibly fascinating!


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## csrpj (Feb 24, 2010)

also, does this work as well for people who are shy and insecure as it does for those with panic attacks? if not, to what extent is it effective for the former group?


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## csrpj (Feb 24, 2010)

i've been thinking of many variations of this concept. imagine you had a VR simulation, where there were also an angry expression or action and a neutral and positive one, and the program trained you to focus more on the neutral or positive... edwin, can you program VR? =)


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## rickthegreat (Dec 22, 2008)

csrpj said:


> also, does this work as well for people who are shy and insecure as it does for those with panic attacks? if not, to what extent is it effective for the former group?


I think this type of therapy is predicated on the idea that the patient focuses too much, or notices too often threat cues (unhappy faces) around him/her, so if shyness is due to this than yeah I would think it would work too. Not sure shyness works that way though. But I no expert.


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