LogFAQs > #968623642

averagejoel posted...

do you think that prolonged exposure (like, say, many years) to similarly alarming things might result in a more consistent sustained effect on mental health, making it more likely to result in a diagnosis?

I would say if the anxiety generalizes outside the scope of normal behavior (as in, outside expected contexts) is when the diagnosis would be more likely. As it should, as that anxiety at that point will no longer serve a functional purpose, and will likely interfere with everyday life.

Clinicians understand that there are normal responses to abnormal situations, and abnormal responses to normal situations. It's literally in the diagnosis criteria of every mental illness.