A rare diagnosis: The counterphobic personality

Abstract

The patient is a 56-year-old man of English heritage. He left England in his 20s, and went to South America where he worked in the cocoa industry successfully. His high risk-taking behavior in business and in his early life—in playing with “live”, undetonated bombs, catching poisonous snakes with his bare hands, and swimming in shark-infested waters—were dynamically linked to his earlier years in England as a young boy during World War II. During these years the patient had experienced daily air raids and bombings, which were a commonplace occurrence during his childhood. The therapeutic approach and the short-term nature of the treatment are discussed.