Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
The feeling of “always being uncomfortable,” as Diane describes it, is often characteristic of GAD. Even in situations of significantly milder discomfort, Diane still recalls feelings of extreme nervousness that regularly produced physical symptoms (OBs). In school, her hands shook uncontrollably. She also blushed easily, provoking negative attention and teasing from her classmates. We feel it necessary to couple a GAD diagnosis with PDA and SAD diagnoses because, while PDA and SAD pertain to situations with identifiable stress-producing agents, sufferers of GAD claim to feel anxious even in situations that should not be stressful. While Diane’s symptoms of GAD, PDA, and SAD have significantly declined during her self-imposed isolation in her parents’ house, it should not be assumed that Diane is cured, or even in a state of recovery. On the contrary, our observations indicate that she has merely adapted ways to suppress her various anxieties, dangerous behaviors that indicate stasis, even regression. Were Diane to experience panic-inducing anxiety at this point (vis-à-vis ST), the risk of Total Relapse (TR) would be very great. We cannot estimate the damage such an event might cause.