Abstract
The present case study reports treatment with graded exposure, coping skills training, and cognitive restructuring for anticipatory anxiety and agoraphobic symptoms in a patient with ventricular tachycardia. The patient was a 30-year-old woman without a history of anxiety disorder. Her anxiety symptoms and agoraphobic symptoms developed after she experienced a severe heart attack. She reported that this illness led her to anticipate impending sudden death. The treatment focused on improving her controllability and the efficacy of her coping with the feared situation. In addition, collaboration among the doctors, nurses, and behavior therapist appeared to be effective in relieving her anxiety symptoms. The effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy for anxiety symptoms in patients with heart disease was discussed.
