Abstract
A 24-year-old female dental hygienist who had suffered from aichmophobia for about 10 years was successfully treated by the modified method of systematic desensitization. The following hierarchy was used upon treating the patient. 1. Five needles are placed in front of the patient with their tips pointing at her face. 2. Four needles are placed in front of the patient with their tips pointing at her face. 3. Two needles are placed in front of the patient with their tips pointing at her face. 4. Three needles are placed in front of the patient with their tips pointing at her face. 5. One needl is placed in front of the patient with its tip pointing at her face. 6. One needle is placed in front of the patient with its tip turned 45° counter-clockwise from a vertical line to her face. 7. One needle is placed in front of the patient with its tip turned 90° counter-clockwise to her face. 8. One needle is placed in front of the patient with its tip turned 135° counter-clockwise to her face. 9. One needle is placed in front of the patient with its tip pointing in the opposite direction to her face. The patient was given autogenic training by the method of first standard exercise (heaviness) before learning the condition of muscular relaxation adequate for desensitization and comfortably sat on a reclining chair with her eyes closed. The patient was informed of the presence of a needle actually being placed before her eyes in the condition of the hierarchy order No.9 and was instructed to image it with her eyes closed. When she no longer felt fear, she was told to open her eyes and sense the actual stimulation. However, when she felt any fear, the preceding desensitization procedure was repeated until her fear had disappeared. Similar steps were repeated in this way in the reverse order of the desensitization hierarchy up to No.1. Approximately 3 months after the patient was treated by the modified method of desensitization, she was relieved from her aichmophobia which had lasted for nearly 10 years.
