Behavior psychoterapy in the treatment of agoraphobia

Abstract

The origin of the word agoraphobia is greek word agora = squere and phobos = fear; fear of public places, streets and squares as well as separation of safety situations and people. Behaviour therapy belongs in “covering” psychoterapy which is primarly interested in actual behaviour of patient in the broadest sence of that word, from the very beginnings of the motoric and autonomous behaviour, along with private thoughts, feelings and events, till freely expressed behaviour which is available to external observation. The basis for neurosa is not entering in the situation of fear and passive avoide reaction which expresses agoraphobia.

The material: Patient J.D. 27 years old, second marriage, mother of one, sales menager, fear from independent moving lasts for 6 months. The origin of the fear is traumatic, and the basis are marriage conflicts-weather stay in marriage or to divorce for the second time (two undesirable goals).

Type of perssonality: Anxious.

The treatment: Behavioural therapy analysis, systematic desensivation in vivo, therapeutics was achieved; independently mobile in duration of 1 hour (depression as the second phenomenon has disappeared, anxiety as the leading one is reduced to minimum)