How would you define the disorder?
Social Anxiety Disorder
How would you define the disorder?
In situations where they may be inspected, assessed, or judged by others, such as speaking in public, meeting new people, answering a question in class, or having to chat to a cashier in a store, a person with social anxiety disorder experiences anxiety or terror; commonplace activities such as eating or drinking in front of people or using a public lavatory, might generate anxiety or dread of being embarrassed, judged, or rejected (Mayo Foundation for medical Education and Research, 2021).
What signs/symptoms would one see in the patient that demonstrate the disorder?
Unlike ordinary uneasiness, social anxiety disorder include fear, anxiety, and avoidance that interfere with relationships, daily routines, job, school, or other activities (Mayo Foundation for medical Education and Research, 2021).
What are the main DSM-5 criteria for this disorder?
Several criteria are involved when diagnosing someone with social anxiety disorder (DSM-5 definition of social anxiety disorder, n.d).
persistent anxiety of being exposed to unfamiliar people or being scrutinized by others in one or more social or performance circumstances. The person is afraid that he or she may do something embarrassing and humiliating (or show anxiety symptoms).
Being exposed to the feared situation nearly always causes worry, which can manifest as a situationally bound or predisposed Panic Attack.
The individual recognizes that his or her fear is irrational or excessive.
Fearful circumstances are avoided or endured with a great deal of anxiety and distress.
The avoidance, nervous anticipation, or distress in the dreaded social or performance situation(s) severely interferes with the person’s usual routine, occupational (academic) functioning, social activities, or relationships, or the person feels distressed by having the phobia.
The fear, worry, or avoidance is long-term, usually lasting six months or more.
4.
What are the top 3 differential diagnosis for this disorder from the DSM-5?
panic disorder
agoraphobia
atypical depression
5.
What medications would you use? Why? Black box warnings?
Though there are a variety of drugs available, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are frequently used to treat chronic social anxiety symptoms. Sertraline or paroxetine (Paxil) may be prescribed by your doctor (Zoloft); Venlafaxine (Effexor XR), a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), may also be used to treat social anxiety disorder (Mayo Foundation for medical Education and Research, 2021).
What type of therapy would you recommend for this patient?
Most patients with social anxiety disorder benefit from psychotherapy. In therapy, you will learn how to recognize and modify negative beliefs about yourself as well as build skills to help you achieve social confidence; CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) is the most successful type of psychotherapy for anxiety, and it can be used either individually or in groups (Mayo Foundation for medical Education and Research, 2021).
What do you see as the possible outcomes for this patient?
Combination of an appropriate therapy and medications as last resort should be helpful to this patient to a high degree and go a long way in increasing the prognosis
What are the 5 components of a suicide risk assessment (From the PowerPoint/Kaltura in Week1) that the patient needs to be asked?
I’ll as if the patient has any plans of killing themselves
Ask what the plan is
Seek to know if they has any access to the plan
Seek to know their intention
Seek to find out what is keeping them from executing the plan so far
