Symptom changes during the psychotherapy of patients with myasthenia gravis.

Four patients with myasthenia gravis were treated psychotherapeutically: two who suffered from generalized myasthenia gravis were treated without additional medical treatment. During the course of the therapy a clear correspondence of the patients' behavior and the severity of symptoms could be observed. The symptoms would improve, or even disappear, depending on the developed 'ego-strength' and the possibility of being aggressive and creative during therapy and also depending on the degree to which the 'meaning' of the symptoms could be understood. There seems to be a possibility of influencing decisively the course of myasthenia gravis by psychotherapy.