Imagery rescripting for recurrent, distressing images

Intrusive cognitions and anxiety in cancer patients

“…This classification follows the criteria for identifying mild (8-10), moderate (11)(12)(13)(14), and severe (15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21) cases of anxiety using the HADS [35]. A one-way ANOVA indicated a significant overall effect of anxiety category on the number of intrusive cognitions reported [F(2,127)=22.63, P b.01, η p 2 =0.26].…”

“…More recently, research has found that large numbers of patients with various types of anxiety disorder report the presence of negative intrusive imagery, which is not of a specific event from the past but a fragment of sensory information relating to the past, present, or future [10,11]. Identifying intrusive imagery in anxious populations is important because of its suggested role in the maintenance of anxiety [5] and the possibility that psychological treatments tailored to target intrusive imagery may help reduce anxiety [12,13].…”

Imagery rescripting in cognitive behaviour therapy: Images, treatment techniques and outcomes

“…The earliest known form of imagery rescripting appears to have been employed in the latter part of the 19th century by Pierre Janet (1919), a prominent French physician, who used a procedure called ''imagery substitution'' (i.e., replacing one image with another) with hysterical patients (see Van Der Kolk & Van Der Hart, 1989, for a more detailed description of Janet's work). In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, there has been a renewed interest in the use of imagery rescripting with traumatic memories, which includes the seminal work of Arntz and Weertman (Arntz & Weertman, 1999;Weertman & Arntz, 2007) and Smucker and colleagues (Rusch, Grunert, Mendelsohn, & Smucker, 2000;Smucker & Dancu, 1999/2005Smucker, Dancu, Foa, & Niederee, 1995;. Yet, in spite of this recent burgeoning of interest in intrusive imagery, little research has directly addressed the relationship between mental imagery and emotions.…”

Occurrence of imagery and its link with early memories in agoraphobia

“…There has recently been a resurgence of treatments using imagery (e.g., Arntz & Weertman, 1999;Rusch, Grunert, Mendelsohn, & Smucker, 2000). Intriguingly, Rusch et al (2000) carried out a treatment trial of imagery rescripting for patients with PTSD using only one session.…”

“…Intriguingly, Rusch et al (2000) carried out a treatment trial of imagery rescripting for patients with PTSD using only one session. The trial resulted in a marked decrease in the frequency and emotional impact of the image.…”