Orange County Networking Luncheon

and CE Event

Sovereign Health San Clemente welcomes Kevin  Murphy.

  

 Presenting on "Managing Cravings Through Exposure Therapy"

Course Abstract:

Exposure Therapy emerged in the 1950s as an intervention to treat panic-phobic disorders. Owing to the abundance of empirical support behind the intervention (Barlow, 2002), Exposure Therapy (ET) has become a staple in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Building on that long track record, Cue Exposure Therapy (CET) borrows heavily from the format used in ET, but is specifically designed to treat the cravings that perpetuate substance use disorders. CET acts to de-sensitize the effect of triggers (the feel of a cold bottle, the sight of a sandwich baggie, etc. that tend to prompt cravings. Research into CET is not nearly as robust as the literature that supports the efficacy of ET. Eventually, it’s predicted, CET will become as mainstream a practice in the field of chemical dependency as ET in the treatment of anxiety disorders.

The biochemical mechanics of a craving, as it is, are similar to those associated with anxiety and panic. Ask someone who has detoxed off of heroin, alcohol, or pills to detail the experience, and they will probably mention sweatiness, a pounding heart, agitation & fidgetiness, and racing thoughts - symptoms that closely mirror those associated with a panic attack. Panic and a craving, then, can each be conceptualized as an extreme stress response, with both activating an excitable area of the brain known as the extended amygdala region. Intuitively, CET acts in the same capacity of ET to down-regulate an area of the brain commonly linked to both addictive disorders and mood disturbances.

 

Course Objectives:

(1) Highlight the biochemical function of cravings and panic. 

(2) Outline the basics of Cue Exposure Therapy.

(3)  Define the 3 stages of CET. 

(4)  Address the risks of sensitization.

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This course meets the qualifications for 1 hour continuing education credit for MFT's, LPCC's, LEP's, and/or LCSW's required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) provider number - PCE5216

This course meets the qualifications for 1 hour continuing education credit for addiction professionals required by the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) provider number - 130835.

Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider  number CEP16424, for 1 Contact Hour.

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