The role of safety behaviors and their elimination

Safety-seeking behaviors are actions that anxious people perform in feared situations with the intention of preventing an anticipated catastrophe or reducing their distress.

Although they may provide momentary relief, these behaviors are counterproductive in the long run, as they maintain the fear and prevent adaptive learning.

Their identification and gradual elimination are a crucial component of exposure therapy.

Definition and Apparent Function

Safety behaviors are "tricks" or "crutches" that the person uses to feel safer or to prevent the fear from happening.

Unlike complete avoidance of the situation, the person still confronts the feared stimulus, but does so with these aids.

For example, someone with a fear of flying might take a tranquilizer before the flight; a person with social anxiety might rehearse every line or always bring a friend to meetings; Or someone with a panic might check the emergency exits or carry a water bottle.

Their apparent function is to protect oneself from danger or discomfort.

How They Maintain Anxiety

The fundamental problem with safety behaviors is that they interfere with the process of disconfirming fears.

If the feared catastrophe does not occur while the safety behavior is being used, the person tends to attribute the absence of danger to the behavior itself, rather than to the actual safety of the situation or to their own ability to cope with it.

For example, if the person with a fear of flying takes a tranquilizer and the flight goes uneventfully, they may think, "The flight went well because I took the tranquilizer," rather than "The flight went well because flying is safe."

In this way, the belief that the situation is dangerous and can be handled only by using the safety behavior is reinforced, perpetuating the anxiety.

These behaviors prevent the person from learning that:

• The situation is not as dangerous as anticipated.

• The person can tolerate the anxiety and physical sensations without catastrophizing.

• The person has the ability to cope with the situation on their own.

Identification and Phasing Out

An important step in exposure therapy is helping the person identify their specific safety behaviors, as they are often subtle and deep-rooted.

Once identified, they are gradually and systematically eliminated during exposure exercises.

The person is encouraged to face the feared situations without resorting to these "crutches."

For example, the person with panic might start going places without their medication "just in case," or the person with social anxiety might try to speak in a meeting without rehearsing every word.

By removing safety behaviors, corrective learning based on direct experience is allowed to occur, leading to a more lasting and significant reduction in anxiety.