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Provoked Anxiety as a Treatment of Exhibitionism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Ivor H. Jones
Affiliation:
University of Melbourne Department of Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne
Dorothy Z. Frei
Affiliation:
University of Melbourne Department of Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne

Summary

A treatment for male genital exposure (exhibitionism) has been given successfully to 15 persons who have previously been resistant to change. The procedure involves the subject undressing before a mixed sex audience, followed by video-taping and subsequent replay to the patient. During the period of nakedness the subject describes in detail the events, his expectations and attitudes, and those attributed to his victim during exposure.

The success of the treatment appears to depend on the profound anxiety induced. During the phase of greatly increased anxiety, cognitive changes previously resisted seem to be made possible.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists 1977 

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