Dysmorphophobia and Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits
Anxiety disorder is a broad term that is used to refer to several different types of abnormal, pathological anxiety, phobia and fears. Anxiety disorder is the term that is used for nervous system disorders that involve illogical or irrational worry that has no basis in fact. An anxiety disorder is a serious problem that is characterized by several things. It is evidenced by extreme, chronic anxiety that upsets your mood, behavior, thought and/or physiological activity. Anxiety disorder is a major difficulty in the United States. Somewhere around 19 million adults have some type of anxiety disorder in America according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Although it varies with each individual case, dysmorphophobia may be looked at as an anxiety disorder or as an aspect of an eating disorder, or both. Dysmorphophobia is an excessive concern about and a preoccupation with a defect that you think you have in your physical features. Dysmorphophobia involves a debilitating or excessive fear of being judged by other people. It is an overwhelming fear that your body image will cause you not to be accepted socially. Your may complain about one single feature or several specific physical features. You may be unhappy about your physical appearance in general or a vague feature.. Dysmorphophobia may result in such psychological distress that it inhibits your ability to work and/or function socially. Dysmorphophobia may lead to severe anxiety and depression, social withdrawal, complete social isolation or the development of other anxiety disorders. There are several possible signs and symptoms of dysmorphophobia. These may include:- Preoccupation with your personal appearance
- Excessively grooming yourself
- Comparing your appearance with that of others
- Being extremely self-conscious
- Either obsessively examining yourself in front of a mirror or avoiding mirrors
- Picking your skin
- Avoiding social situations
- A believe that other people are taking special notice of your appearance in a bad way
- Having cosmetic procedures done over and over, but not being satisfied with the results
- Being sure that you have a defect or abnormality in your personal appearance that makes you think you are ugly
- Refusing to allow your picture to be taken
- Wearing too much makeup or clothing to cover up body flaws that you perceive.