Exposure therapy under psilocybin for general anxiety disorder and claustrophobia
Research Square (Research Square) – May 12, 2023
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
A patient suffering severe claustrophobia and anxiety, unresponsive to conventional treatment, found profound relief through psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. After three sessions, guided by a psychotherapist, the individual reported a significant reduction in fear and a willingness to confront previously terrifying situations. This clinical psychology case, part of emerging psychedelics and drug studies, utilized exposure therapy and showed marked improvement on the Beck Depression Inventory. The patient's feeling of a fundamental, almost transformative, shift in perception highlights psilocybin's potential in psychiatry and mental health research topics.
Abstract
Abstract Case report of a patient with GAD and claustrophobia who underwent exposure therapy using psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. The patient had failed to respond to conventional psychotherapeutic treatment. After three sessions of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy, the patient experienced a reduction in anxiety and fear associated with closed spaces, elevators, and planes. The protocol included both an imaginary exposure exercise and a classic exposure therapy in an elevator during the psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. the patient experienced a significant improvement in his score on the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Fear Questionnaire before and after therapy. He reported a generalization of the treatment effects, feeling more relaxed and having a greater willingness to confront fearful situations. He also described a shift in his perception of fearful stimuli, which may be explained as the development of new memory representations and a major disconfirmatory experience.