“I’m Not Going To Work Today”: A Case of Agoraphobia

“I’m not going to work today.” That quote was the first crystallized conscious hint of the problem in a 60-year-old woman who for the past 20 years, had worked as a bookkeeper for the same firm. She had never married, and despite her modest income, owned her own luxurious condominium apartment in a large metropolitan area. In addition, she owned an expensive luxury automobile, and her closets were literally jammed with the latest and most expensive tailor-made clothing. She vacationed twice a year for a month at a time. She never cooked for herself, and dined in expensive restaurants. All of this considered, her only visible source of income was that from her job as bookkeeper.