Explain The Difference Between Adjustment Disorder And Anxie

Explain The Difference Between An Adjustment Disorder And Anxiety Dis

Explain the difference between an adjustment disorder and anxiety disorder. Provide examples to illustrate your rationale. Explain the diagnostic criteria for social anxiety disorder (social phobia). Discuss evidence-based psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacologic treatments for social anxiety disorder (social phobia). Support your rationale with references to the Learning Resources or other academic sources.

Paper For Above instruction

Adjustment disorder and anxiety disorder are both common mental health conditions that can significantly impair an individual's functioning, but they differ in etiology, symptomatology, diagnostic criteria, and treatment approaches.

Adjustment disorder is characterized by the development of emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to an identifiable stressor within three months of the stressor's onset (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). These symptoms are disproportionate to the severity or nature of the stressor and cause significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. For example, an individual who loses their job and subsequently exhibits persistent sadness, anxiety, or withdrawal may be diagnosed with adjustment disorder.

In contrast, anxiety disorder refers to a group of mental health conditions characterized primarily by excessive fear, worry, or avoidance behaviors that are persistent and not necessarily linked to a specific stressor (Sadock, Sadock & Ruiz, 2014). Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), for instance, involves pervasive anxiety across various domains without a specific triggering event, lasting for at least six months. Anxiety disorders tend to be chronic if untreated and often involve physiological symptoms such as tachycardia, sweating, and gastrointestinal complaints.

While adjustment disorder is directly linked to a recent stressor and often resolves within six months after the stressor or its consequences have ceased, anxiety disorders tend to have a more enduring course. For example, an individual may continue to experience social anxiety even after a stressful social event has passed, indicating a different pathology.

Regarding diagnosis, the DSM-5 specifies that adjustment disorder involves emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to identifiable stressors, whereas anxiety disorders have specific criteria depending on the subtype. For social anxiety disorder (social phobia), the DSM-5 criteria include a marked fear or anxiety about social situations where the individual is exposed to possible scrutiny, with avoidance or intense distress in such situations that interfere with daily life (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

Specifically, social anxiety disorder is characterized by an intense fear of being judged, embarrassed, or humiliated in social or performance situations. This fear leads to avoidance behaviors or enduring anxiety that is out of proportion to the actual threat posed by the situation. Symptoms often include blushing, trembling, sweating, and difficulty speaking, which impair social and occupational functioning.

Evidenced-based treatments for social anxiety disorder include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), particularly exposure therapy and cognitive restructuring, which have shown high efficacy in reducing symptoms (Gabbard, 2014). Pharmacologic options include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like paroxetine or sertraline, and occasionally serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), which help alleviate anxiety symptoms. Benzodiazepines are generally avoided long-term due to dependence risks.

In conclusion, understanding the differences between adjustment disorder and anxiety disorders is crucial for accurate diagnosis and appropriate intervention. Social anxiety disorder, a specific subtype of anxiety disorder, requires targeted therapy and medication to improve social functioning and quality of life for affected individuals.

References

• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).
• Gabbard, G. O. (2014). Treatments of Psychiatric Disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Publishing.
• Sadock, B. J., Sadock, V. A., & Ruiz, P. (2014). Kaplan & Sadock’s synopsis of psychiatry: Behavioral sciences/clinical psychiatry (11th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
• Stahl, S. M. (2017). Prescriber’s Guide: Stahl’s Essential Psychopharmacology (6th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
• American Nurses Association. (2014). Psychiatric-mental health nursing: Scope and standards of practice (2nd ed.).