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Alprazolam (Xanax) and exposure for
panic disorder with agoraphobia. Attribution of improvement
to medication predicts subsequent relapse.
The British Journal of Psychiatry, Volume 164, 1994, Pages
652-659.
M. Basoglu, I.M. Marks, C. Kilie, C. R. Brewin and RP
Swinson; Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill, London.
Summary:
In an experimental study,
patients with panic disorder with agoraphobia underwent
eight weeks of drug treatment (Xanax or a placebo) and
psychological treatment (exposure or relaxation). At the end
of treatment, patients who had improved were asked to rate
how much their improvement had to do with medication or
their own effort.
Patients who attributed their
improvement to their own effort were more likely to maintain
improvement after an eight week period of tapering off
medication and at follow-up (after 43 weeks of no
treatment). Patients who attributed their improvement to
medication were more likely to relapse, especially among
those who took the Xanax and not the placebo.
The conclusion of the study is that what you attribute your
recovery to may have consequences. If you recover from
agoraphobia its best to attribute recovery to your own
efforts. But if you think it was the Xanax that did it, you
will probably prove yourself right.
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