Fear of spider therapy in the morning more effective

Fear of spiders: therapy more effective in the morning

07/21/2014

The fear of spiders is one of the most common phobias and widespread in Germany. German researchers have now found in a study that therapies that took place in the morning, were significantly more effective. This is probably related to the higher morning cortisol levels.

Human body releases more cortisol in the morning
As psychologists of the Saar University have found out, a spider phobia is best treated in the morning. Scientists cite the fact that early-stage therapy for anxiety disorders is far more effective than in the evening due to the higher levels of cortisol in the morning. Cortisol is an endogenous hormone that promotes learning. In the morning it is released by the human body in much larger quantities than in the evening. „Cortisol enhances learning and memory processes - and psychotherapy is nothing more than a learning process“, said the Saarbrücken psychologist Johanna Lass-Hennemann, according to an afp message.

Study participants should approach a large spider in the terrarium
The researchers from Saarbrücken had treated 60 patients suffering from fear of spiders in a three-hour therapy session for their study. Thirty patients were treated between eight and eleven in the morning and the other 30 patients in the evening from 6 to 9 pm. Both after one week and again after three months, a behavioral test was used to check how much the spider phobia has improved. The subjects should approach a large spider in a terrarium.

Treatment effect significantly higher with morning therapy
Some of the patients were unable to enter the spider terrarium space prior to therapy. As Lass-Hennemann explained, however, many had been so far after Therpapie that they could open the terrarium and even take the spider by the hand. In patients with morning therapy, the treatment effect was significantly higher at one week and three months later. The study results of psychologists Lass-Hennemann and Prof. Tanja Michael have now been published in the journal „Behavior Research and Therapy“ released. According to the scientists, it is still unclear whether their results can also be applied to the treatment of more complex mental disorders such as social phobia or panic disorder.

Anxiety disorders are common
Anxiety disorders in which people are afraid of numerous things or circumstances, such as spiders, beating or dizzying heights are widespread and belong in this country to the most common mental illnesses. In a spider phobia, anxiety-inducing situations (thinking, imagining, photographing, or seeing spiders in reality) often evoke the feeling of helplessness and uncontrollability in those affected. Physical symptoms that can occur are similar to those in other states of anxiety. These include trembling hands and legs, a dry mouth, sweats, or feelings of disgust, sometimes accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Patients also complain more often about a lump in the throat, dizziness or tachycardia. Phobias are often reduced or completely eliminated by psychotherapeutic procedures. In addition, depth-psychological, behavioral or hypnotic therapies have proven effective in treating anxiety. (Ad)