Steve is afraid of eating in public, expecting to be judged negatively and to feel humiliated. As a result, he makes up excuses when asked out to eat. His diagnosis would probably be:

Question

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Steve's fear of eating in public and expecting to be judged negatively and humiliated suggest that he is experiencing social anxiety, which is a primary feature of social phobia. Specific phobia involves a marked and persistent fear of a specific object or situation, such as spiders or flying. Generalized anxiety disorder involves excessive worry about a number of everyday events or activities. Posttraumatic stress disorder involves exposure to a traumatic event and subsequent symptoms such as avoidance and re-experiencing of the event.

Steve Is Afraid of Eating in Public, Expecting to Be