The nurse is evaluating the plan of care for a client diagnosed with social anxiety disorder who has a fear of eating and drinking in public. Which of the following client statements demonstrate an improvement in coping? Select all that apply.

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Social anxiety disorder (ie, social phobia) is characterized as intense anxiety or fear when exposed to a public or social situation (eg, public speaking, eating or drinking in front of others). Clients who have social anxiety disorder tend to avoid participating in social situations because of the heightened anxiety and insecurity they experience. Treatment of social phobias may include medication (eg, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, benzodiazepines) and psychotherapy (eg, cognitive-behavioral therapy, systematic desensitization) to assist in developing effective coping strategies. As part of systematic desensitization, the client is gradually exposed to the phobic trigger, which in turn decreases anxiety. Effective coping with social phobia is demonstrated by: Experiencing increased comfort while engaging in phobic situations (eg, drinking a cola while watching people eat) (Option B) Developing insight and verbalizing feelings about the irrational fear (Option C) Distracting oneself by focusing on something other than the phobic situation (eg, preparing for a meeting while drinking a latte) (Option E) (Options A and D) Avoiding phobic situations (eg, planning activities unrelated to food, going out of town) reinforces maladaptive coping and prevents the client from working through the fear. Educational objective: Social anxiety disorder (ie, social phobia) is characterized by intense anxiety or fear when exposed to a public or social situation. Effective coping is demonstrated by experiencing increased comfort when exposed to the phobia, developing insight and verbalizing feelings about the phobia, and distracting oneself during the phobic situation.

The Nurse Is Evaluating the Plan of Care for a Client