Case study of Sex-avoidance and Anxiety Disorder

Background: This document pertains to the case study of Sex Avoidance and Anxiety Disorder.

Case presentation: The subject of the disorder was Mrs. Z.R. (Initials instead of real name), age 28 years being a Housewife. The client was referred to my clinic by an old client. She had been under treatment by different clinical psychologists, most of them used CBT but nothing good came out of the treatment. She visited my clinic along with her husband. Client told me that all day she has this feeling of apprehensiveness all over her. She avoided facing her husband when he returns home after the duty. In the night whenever her husband tries to come near her and tries to hold her in his arms, her heart starts palpitating and she bear feelings of fearfulness resulting in her whole body being shivering and sweating out. She usually sleeps alone and not with her husband and if by chance it happens so, she fails to sleep all the night. Another specific symptom about which the client informed therapist was that she felt fear and restlessness especially when her husband tries to grip her at under-neck as some husbands do while making love to their wives at the time of sexual intercourse. Client’s husband informed the therapist that at times she becomes aggressive without any apparent reason.

Management & Results: The assessment was made after taking semi-structured interviews to Mrs. Z.R. and her husband. In the light of assessment and as per [1] Mrs. Z.R was diagnosed for ‘Sex Avoidance and Anxiety disorder’. After diagnosis, treatment was started in the light of FSIT method. Five sessions per week and a total of 55 sessions were conducted. It was observed that there were pre and post- assessment differences in personality and behavior of Mrs. Z.R. that insures the efficacy of FSIT.

Conclusion: In the course of treatment, the client and her husband reported about the positive behavioral change in the client’s life. Clinical observations during treatment also indicated a gradual positive change in patient’s personality. The difference between pre-assessment and postassessment confirmed precision of hypotheses and efficacy of FSIT.

Keywords:Sex Avoidance and Anxiety Disorder, Fear-Stimuli Identification Therapy (FSIT), Behavioral Change