Interoceptive Cue Exposure for Depersonalization: A Case Series

Cognitive-behavioral treatment for panic disorder relies heavily on interoceptive exposure. Specifically, therapists induce physical symptoms associated with panic in order to produce habituation to those sensations. Many common symptoms of panic are easily induced, such as increased heart rate and dizziness. However, depersonalization is a difficult symptom to induce in the office. Three uncontrolled cases are presented here where a novel intervention, the use of 3D glasses, was used to successfully induce depersonalization with positive effect. The application of the procedure resulted in rapid habituation within session, and all three patients had significant reductions in panic following treatment. Additional research is necessary to examine the application of this, and other, novel methods for inducing depersonalization as part of a comprehensive approach to treating panic and other psychiatric conditions where depersonalization is present.