Phobic symptoms in an elderly woman: a multidisciplinary case conference

A 67-year-old woman, previously self-sufficient, became housebound by phobic symptoms. During the patient's hospitalization for treatment of these disabling symptoms, a multidisciplinary case conference served to identify the underlying psychodynamic issues, which were related to separation anxiety. Treatment included helping the patient understand her relationships with her daughter and her own mother, and behavior modification to reduce the secondary gains of her symptoms. After treatment, the patient successfully returned to self-care.