EFFECTS OF COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT FOR PANIC DISORDER WITH AGORAPHOBIA ON CONCURRENT ALCOHOL-ABUSE

Research has shown that panic disorder with agoraphobia (PDA) and alco hol abuse co-occur frequently. One theory suggests that alcohol consum ption is motivated by the goal of tension reduction and that ''self-me dication'' will decrease with successful treatment of the anxiety diso rder as more adaptive coping skills are employed by the patient. The p resent study is a series of three case studies examining the effects o f a cognitive-behavioral treatment for PDA on concurrent alcohol abuse . At posttreatment, two patients reported a remission of PDA while the third patient had a decline, but not a remission, in the severity of PDA. All patients had diagnoses of alcohol abuse in early full remissi on at posttreatment. At 6-month follow-up, one patient continued to ha ve no clinical diagnoses, one patient had a clinical diagnosis of PDA but no alcohol abuse, and one patient had clinical diagnoses of PDA an d alcohol abuse. Suggestions for future research with this population are discussed.