Abstract
The effects of cognitive behavior therapy on Meniere's disease were examined through conducting cognitive behavior therapy by a clinical psychotherapist, inner ear treatment and psychotropic drug therapy. The patient was a 52-year-old woman with agoraphobia without panic disorder that was affected by the psychosomatic symptoms of Meniere's disease. Though her psychosomatic symptoms got better after inner ear treatment and psychothropic drug therapy, anticipatory anxiety persisted. Decreasing psychoactive drugs resulted in the worsening of her anxiety and physical symptoms. Therefore, she was treated with cognitive behavior therapy using phased exposure to eliminate avoidance behavior and cognitive restructuring to change her cognitions about the dangers of her physical symptoms. The result indicated that anticipatory anxiety, which caused aggravation of symptoms and relapses improved, agoraphobia disappeared, and psychosomatic symptoms were remarkably improved to the extent that medication could be stopped. This case study suggests the effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy for the treatment of Meniere's disease associated with psychosocial factors.
