It works by exposing the patient to their painful memories,[1] with the goal of reintegrating their repressed emotions with their current awareness.
In order to demonstrate the irrationality of the fear, a psychologist would put a person in a situation where they would face their phobia.
The theory is that the adrenaline and fear response has a time limit, so a person should eventually have to calm down and realize that their phobia is unwarranted.
[3] Flooding can be done through the use of virtual reality and has been shown to be fairly effective in patients with flight phobia.
[citation needed] Psychologist Aletha Solter used flooding successfully with a 5-month-old infant who showed symptoms of post-traumatic stress following surgery.
[7] Flooding therapy is not for every individual, and the therapist will discuss with the patient the levels of anxiety they are prepared to endure during the session.