A woman with increasing anxiety and physical complaints is likely suffering from which condition?

The correct answer is that the woman is most likely suffering from somatic symptom disorder. This condition is characterized by an individual experiencing significant physical complaints that are distressing and disruptive to daily life, which cannot be fully explained by a medical condition. In this case, the woman's increasing anxiety and physical complaints suggest that her emotional distress is manifesting in physical symptoms.

Individuals with somatic symptom disorder may show excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors related to their physical symptoms, which can lead to heightened anxiety. This is consistent with the description of the woman's situation, where her physical complaints are coupled with increasing anxiety, indicating a strong interplay between her emotional state and physical symptoms.

While generalized anxiety disorder involves excessive worry about various aspects of life, it typically does not present with the same level of severe physical symptoms as seen in somatic symptom disorder. Illness anxiety disorder primarily focuses on the fear of having a serious illness despite little to no symptoms, which differs in emphasis from the reported physical complaints. Panic disorder is characterized by recurrent panic attacks and fear of situations that might trigger these attacks, rather than ongoing physical complaints and anxiety. Thus, somatic symptom disorder aligns best with her presenting symptoms.