Short-term focused cognitive therapy of panic disorder with aerophobia: a case report

The efficacy of focused cognitive therapy was evaluated in the short-term treatment of a flight instructor suffering from panic disorder with aerophobic and agoraphobic symptoms. A modified panic induction technique (hyperventilation) was used in session to activate the specific bodily sensations he typically experienced during panic attacks. The patient was then asked to articulate his catastrophic interpretations of the physiological sensations he was experiencing and taught to re-interpret them in a non-catastrophic manner, which enabled him to reduce his symptoms to a more manageable level. After four sessions of focused cognitive therapy, the patient's panic and phobic symptoms were significantly reduced and no longer interfered with his daily functioning. Posttreatment follow-up at 6 and 9 months revealed that the patient was completely free of panic while flying.