desensitisation
Losing reactive sensitivity
Desensitisation is the process of making someone or something less sensitive to a stimulus.
In psychology, it's a therapeutic technique for reducing phobias or anxiety by gradual exposure: systematic desensitisation helped her overcome her fear of flying.
More broadly, repeated exposure to violence, tragedy, or shocking content can cause emotional desensitisation—people stop reacting strongly to what once disturbed them.
British spelling of desensitization.
Diminished reaction over time
- exposure therapyAnxiety treatment through confrontation
- counterconditioningReplacing conditioned response therapeutically
- anxiety reductionLowering excessive worry
- cognitive-behavioral therapyTreatment restructuring harmful thought patterns
flooding · trauma processing · relaxation techniques · gradual exposure · aversion therapy · behavioral conditioning · coping mechanisms · mindfulness training
Diminished reaction over time
- acclimatizationAdjusting to new conditions
- conditioningLearned behavioral adaptation
- familiarityKnowledge through experience
- inurementAdaptation through repeated exposure
adjustment · resilience · tempering · normalization · sensory adaptation · repeated exposure · attunement
Causing loss of sensation
- detachmentSeparation or emotional uninvolvement
- apathyAbsence of feeling
- indifferenceLack of interest
- callousnessCruel emotional indifference
compassion fatigue · dispassion · coldness · unresponsiveness · impassivity · burnout · hardening · shutdown
Disease treatment via body's defenses
- allergy shotsInjections that reduce sensitivity
- tolerance inductionCreating immunological acceptance of antigens
- allergic responseImmune system's mistaken attack
- cross-reactivityAntibody binding to similar antigens
Emotional depletion from overexposure
- news fatigueExhaustion from media overload
- content warningsNotices flagging sensitive material
- doom scrollingCompulsive consumption of distressing content
- shock valueCapacity to disturb
habituation
Diminished reaction over time
- exposure therapyAnxiety treatment through confrontation
- counterconditioningReplacing conditioned response therapeutically
- anxiety reductionLowering excessive worry
cognitive-behavioral therapy · flooding · trauma processing · relaxation techniques · gradual exposure · aversion therapy · behavioral conditioning · coping mechanisms · mindfulness training · psychotherapy
habituation
Diminished reaction over time
- acclimatizationAdjusting to new conditions
- conditioningLearned behavioral adaptation
- familiarityKnowledge through experience
inurement · adjustment · resilience · tempering · normalization · sensory adaptation · repeated exposure · attunement
numbing
Causing loss of sensation
- detachmentSeparation or emotional uninvolvement
- apathyAbsence of feeling
- indifferenceLack of interest
callousness · compassion fatigue · dispassion · coldness · unresponsiveness · impassivity · burnout · hardening · shutdown · disconnection
immunotherapy
Disease treatment via body's defenses
- allergy shotsInjections that reduce sensitivity
- tolerance inductionCreating immunological acceptance of antigens
- allergic responseImmune system's mistaken attack
compassion fatigue
Emotional depletion from overexposure
- news fatigueExhaustion from media overload
- content warningsNotices flagging sensitive material
- doom scrollingCompulsive consumption of distressing content
shock value · media saturation · overexposure · trigger warnings
desensitisationsensitisation
Increased responsiveness to stimuli
sensitization · heightened sensitivity · sensitizing · hypersensitivity · oversensitivity
desensitisationawareness training
Education increasing social consciousness
desensitisationmoral awakening
New grasp of right
humanisation · awakening · sensitisation · reawakening · emotional engagement
sense, sensitive, sensation, sensitivity, senseless, insensitive, sensual, sensor, sensing