A case of choking phobia: assesment and treatment

Abstract

This report wich we present is a twenty-five year woman, who has been diagnosed a specific phobia, fear to choke. In this kind of phobia one restricts consumed food and the way of swallowing (generally ground food is easier to swallow). The patient requested help in Servicio de Atención Psicológica (SAP) in Málaga University, after a broad case history of pharmacological treatment to overcome the problem, but there were not any positive results. After an assessment period, we elaborated a psychological treatment mixing cognitive and behavioral methods (relaxation, thought control and “in vivo” systematic desensitization). Results are good after seven weeks of treatment. Therapeutic objectives are maintaning one year after the end of the psychological treatment.