Question

Maya is so preoccupied with fears of embarrassing or hu miliating herself in public that she avoids going shopping or out for walks in town. What disorder best describes this set of symptoms? a. generalized anxiety disorder b. specific phobia c. panic disorder d. social phobia

Short answer

d. social phobia

Step-by-step solution

Understand the Symptoms

Maya is experiencing intense fear specifically related to scenarios involving public settings, such as shopping or taking walks in town. This fear is focused on the potential embarrassment or humiliation she might face.

Review the Definition of Each Disorder

Each option needs to be reviewed: - **Generalized Anxiety Disorder**: Characterized by excessive anxiety and worry about various aspects of daily life, not limited to specific situations. - **Specific Phobia**: Intense fear or anxiety about a particular object or situation, which is not necessarily related to social situations. - **Panic Disorder**: Involves recurrent panic attacks and persistent concern about additional panic attacks, but not necessarily linked to social fear. - **Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder)**: Intense fear of social situations where there is the possibility of being scrutinized or judged by others.

Match Symptoms to the Disorders

The focal point of Maya's anxiety is the fear of embarrassment or humiliation in public. This type of fear aligns with the characteristics of **Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder)**, which involves anxiety triggered by social or performance situations due to concerns about negative evaluation by others.

Make a Conclusion

Given that Maya's symptoms are most closely aligned with a fear of social embarrassment, the disorder that best describes her symptoms is **Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder)**.

Key concepts

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is marked by persistent and excessive worry about multiple aspects of life. This worry is not confined to specific situations but is more widespread, affecting various domains of everyday living. Individuals with GAD often struggle to control their anxiety, which can lead to significant distress and impairment in daily functioning.

Key features of GAD include:

• Worrying about a wide range of topics such as health, finances, work, and relationships.
• Difficulty in controlling worry or limiting anxious thoughts.
• Physical symptoms like restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbances.

These symptoms have to persist for at least six months to consider a GAD diagnosis. It's important to note that GAD involves anxiety not tied down to any specific event or situation.

Specific Phobia

Specific Phobia is characterized by an intense, irrational fear of a particular object or situation. This fear is distinct and highly focused, leading to avoidance behavior towards the feared object or situation. Unlike GAD, Specific Phobia centers on a specific trigger rather than a broad category of concerns.

Common examples of specific phobias include:

• Fear of heights (acrophobia).
• Fear of flying (aviophobia).
• Fear of certain animals, like spiders or snakes.
• Fear of closed spaces (claustrophobia).

People with specific phobias often go to great lengths to avoid what they fear. The avoidance can significantly interfere with their daily life and can cause considerable distress. However, exposure to the feared object or situation can trigger intense anxiety or even a panic attack.

Panic Disorder

Panic Disorder is highlighted by recurrent and unexpected panic attacks. A panic attack is a sudden surge of overwhelming fear that peaks rapidly, accompanied by physical and psychological symptoms.

Symptoms of a panic attack can include:

• Rapid heartbeat or palpitations.
• Sweating and trembling.
• Shortness of breath and feelings of choking.
• Nausea or abdominal distress.
• Fear of losing control or "going crazy."
• Fear of dying.

Those with Panic Disorder often worry about recurring panic attacks and avoid situations that might trigger them. The disorder leads to persistent concerns about when the next attack might occur, causing major disruptions to the individual's daily life. Unlike Social Anxiety Disorder, panic disorder is less about fear of embarrassment in social contexts and more about the physical and mental experience of the attacks themselves.