Desensitization and Flooding (Implosion) in Treatment of Phobias
Abstract
A controlled cross-over trial of desensitization and flooding therapy assisted by intravenous thiopental or saline infusion was carried out in 40 patients with agoraphobia or social phobias. Patients showed gradual symptom improvement with desensitization treatment, whether it was assisted by saline or thiopental, and continued to improve after cross-over. Patients receiving thiopental-assisted flooding showed marked and faster improvement, while those receiving saline-assisted flooding treatment showed slight improvement. The author concludes that desensitization and flooding produce the best results with phobic patients but could also prove useful in general psychiatric management.
Access content
To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.- Personal login
- Institutional Login
- Sign in via OpenAthens
- Register for access
-
Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability.
Not a subscriber?
PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.
Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).