Anthony has a very embarrassing problem. He has a tremendous and irrational fear of using a public restroom. No matter what his
bathroom needs are, he is intensely afraid that he will embarrass or humiliate himself when using a public facility. This has led to significant disturbances in his personal and professional life. What might be the best diagnosis for Anthony's particular problem?
Social phobia is such a degree of anxiety that it causes an individual to avoid doing anything in public, because a strong measure of something wrong happens. It is normal to feel a degree of concern and fear in using a public toilet, but most can handle this feeling of discomfort. Some people, however, even avoid using a public toilet so intensely that they compromise the quality of life. This kind of phobic avoidance is what we call social anxiety or social phobia.
As Anthony's fear of using the public toilet has already caused significant problems in his personal and professional life, we can say that Anthony may be suffering from social phobia.
