Desensitization

In psychology, lowered arousal due to frequent exposure.

A fairly brief and transient decrease in the responsiveness of cellular receptors to drug effects.

Removal of the sensation of pain, as by cutting a nerve.

Procedure for making a person insensitive to an antigen; antianaphylaxis.

A therapy for treating extreme fears (phobias) in which a person learns how to avoid anxiety and panic when facing the feared object or event. In the technique called systematic desensitization, the person is taught how to relax on cue, then presented with the feared situation in progressive steps, from least frightening to most, and trained to relax at each step. This technique works well with phobias such as fear of flying, heights, or insects such as spiders.

A method for reducing the effects of a known allergen by injecting, over a period, gradually increasing doses of the allergen, until resistance is built up.

Treatment of an allergy by repeated injections of a dilute solution containing the allergen. The concentration is designed to be too weak to cause symptoms but strong enough to promote gradual immune tolerance. It increases the levels of immunoglobulin G, which blocks immunoglobulin E from binding to mast cells and initiating the release of the chemical mediators of inflammation. Although not always successful, desensitization is still commonly used, particularly for patients whose allergic response to an antigen is systemic anaphylaxis.

The process of removing or diminishing an emotional response, such as fear or anxiety, towards specific stimuli is referred to as desensitization.

A method employed in behavior therapy to address phobias involves gradually introducing the individual to the feared object or situation. This process is accompanied by the utilization of relaxation techniques to manage and regulate their emotions. The exposure is repeated over a period of several weeks or months until the person no longer experiences fear when faced with the object or situation.