Question at position 64 Udo is frequently and suddenly overcome by intense fear, heart palpitations, dizziness, and difficulty breathing. They are distressed by these episodes and fear them occurring again. Udo is MOST likely suffering from _____.obsessive-compulsive disordera specific phobiapanic disorderagoraphobia

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The vignette describes an individual who experiences abrupt, intense episodes of fear accompanied by physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, dizziness, and shortness of breath, along with distress and a fear that these episodes will happen again.

Option 1: obsessive-compulsive disorder. This choice is not correct because OCD is characterized by intrusive obsessions (unwanted, distressing thoughts) and/or compulsions (repetitive behaviors or mental acts) performed to reduce anxiety. The scenario does not mention obsessions or compulsions.

Option 2: a specific phobia. A specific phobia involves an excessive, irrational fear of a particular object or situation (e.g., spiders, heights). The fear here is not tied to a specific object or situation but to sudden attack-like episodes, which does not fit a specific phobia.

Option 3: panic disorder. This is the best fit. Panic disorder involves recurrent unexpected panic attacks (sudden surges of intense fear with somatic symptoms) and persistent concern about having more attacks or changes in behavior to avoid them. The description of sudden fear, palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, and fear of recurrence aligns with panic attacks and the hallmark fear of future attacks.

Option 4: agoraphobia. Agoraphobia concerns fear and avoidance of situations where escape might be difficult or help unavailable during a panic-like symptom, often developing after panic attacks. While panic can contribute to agoraphobia, the vignette centers on the panic episodes themselves rather than avoidance of multiple environments, so agoraphobia is not the most direct diagnosis here.

In summary, the core feature presented is recurrent panic attacks with associated fear of recurrence, which most closely maps to panic disorder rather than the other listed conditions.

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