Interoceptive exposure is a cognitive behavioral therapy technique used in the treatment of panic disorder.
Joseph Wolpe pioneered the method of systematic desensitization, which started the search for fear reduction techniques.
Barlow and Craske (2007) constructed a popular treatment procedure in which therapists use a low dose of IE therapy along with controlled breathing skills.
[8] Panic disorder has been found to commonly co-occur with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Specifically, IE extinguishes the learned fear response paired with breathing difficulties and disconfirms the catastrophic cognitions connected with increased physiological arousal.
[7] Researchers reported high degrees of anxiety sensitivity in patients with GAD, social phobia, and panic disorder.
For example, for those with GAD, caffeine could be administered to make thoughts race and provoke worry about loss of cognitive control.