Na ja, nicht ganz. Aber so ähnlich. Der amerikanische Psychologe David H. Barlow behandelt seine Klienten nach einer Methode, die dem Gegenteil dessen entspricht, was der gemeine Verhaltenstherapeut bei Angststörungen für wirksam hält.

For homework, Ben, the poet, is instructed to stand on a busy city street and read his work to all who rush past. A woman who fears cancer to the point of paralysis is instructed to drink three cups of coffee while watching ''Terms of Endearment'' repeatedly. A man who can't face being in a car is told to drive down a dark wet road at night. Jeff, a claustrophobic businessman, has the assignment of shutting himself in a small space for as long as he can stand it. When I spoke with Jeff about his treatment, he explained that he had decided to lock himself in the trunk of his car. The first time, he lasted only three minutes, in an intense state of anxiety. He curled up in a fetal position and balled his fist up near his mouth. Eventually he conditioned himself to last up to a half-hour in the trunk. By the last time, he says, ''I was bored.''

Lauren Slater: The Cruelest Cure. Artikel im New York Times Magazine (kostenlose Registrierung erforderlich).