Which two disorders no longer require adults to recognize that their fear is excessive or unreasonable?

Which two disorders no longer require adults to recognize that their fear is excessive or unreasonable?

• A. Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia
• B. Specific Phobia and Social Anxiety Disorder
• C. Separation Anxiety Disorder and Selective Mutism
• D. Excoriation Disorder and Sleep Apnea

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is whether a diagnosis requires the person to recognize that their fear is excessive or unreasonable. In DSM-5, two anxiety disorders do not require this level of insight for adults to meet the criteria: specific phobia and social anxiety disorder. For specific phobia, the core issue is a persistent, intense fear of a specific object or situation and the resulting avoidance or distress, with the fear being out of proportion to the actual danger. The diagnosis focuses on the presence and impact of the fear, not whether the person believes it’s irrational. Similarly, for social anxiety disorder, the main factors are fear or anxiety about one or more social situations and the avoidance or impairment that results, again without needing the person to recognize the fear as irrational. In contrast, other disorders often emphasize the person’s awareness or belief about the irrationality of their fear or anxiety as part of the diagnostic picture, which is why those options don’t fit as well in this question.

The idea being tested is whether a diagnosis requires the person to recognize that their fear is excessive or unreasonable. In DSM-5, two anxiety disorders do not require this level of insight for adults to meet the criteria: specific phobia and social anxiety disorder.

For specific phobia, the core issue is a persistent, intense fear of a specific object or situation and the resulting avoidance or distress, with the fear being out of proportion to the actual danger. The diagnosis focuses on the presence and impact of the fear, not whether the person believes it’s irrational. Similarly, for social anxiety disorder, the main factors are fear or anxiety about one or more social situations and the avoidance or impairment that results, again without needing the person to recognize the fear as irrational.

In contrast, other disorders often emphasize the person’s awareness or belief about the irrationality of their fear or anxiety as part of the diagnostic picture, which is why those options don’t fit as well in this question.