To be diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), you must have either obsessions or compulsions alone, or obsessions and compulsions, according to the DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria.

Obsessions are defined by:

• Persistent and recurrent thoughts, images or impulses that are experienced at some time during the disturbance. These are intrusive and inappropriate, and they cause marked anxiety or distress.
• These thoughts, images or impulses are not simply excessive worries about real-life problems.
• You try to ignore or suppress such thoughts, images or impulses, or you try to neutralize them with some other thought or action.
• You recognize that the obsessional thoughts, images or impulses are a product of your own mind and are not based in reality.

Compulsions are defined by:

• Repetitive mental acts or behaviors that you feel driven to perform in response to an obsession or according to rules that must be applied rigidly.
• The mental acts or behaviors are aimed at reducing or preventing distress, or preventing some dreaded situation or event; however, these mental acts or behaviors either are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent, or are clearly excessive.

In addition to these criteria, at some point during the course of the disorder, you must realize that your obsessions or compulsions are unreasonable or excessive.

There are many different effects of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).  Some of these are:

• Repeated hand washing
• Repeated clearing of your throat when nothing needs to be cleared
• Fear of acting out violent or aggressive impulses, or feeling overly responsible for the safety of others
• Unwanted sexual thoughts or obsessions
• Fear of going crazy
• A fear of contamination
• An obsession with numbers
• A need for both sides of your body to feel even
• Fear of transformation into someone or something else.
• Fear of germs or being hurt.

You or a loved one may have obsessive-compulsive disorder. It may be the cause of your disability.

You or your loved one may need help. You may need financial assistance.

You or your loved one may have tried to get financial help by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by obsessive-compulsive disorder. Were you or your loved one denied?

If you or your loved one is thinking about appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration, there is something important that you should know. People who are represented in this procedure by a disability attorney like the one you will find at socialsecurityhome.com are approved more often than those people who do not have a lawyer.

Agoraphobia is a condition where you become anxious in environments that are unfamiliar, or where you perceive that you will have little control. Crowds, traveling, even when it is for short distances, or wide open spaces can all be triggers for this anxiety.

Agoraphobia is often compounded by a fear of social embarrassment, as you may be afraid that you will have a panic attack and appear to be distraught in public. Agoraphobics may have panic attacks in situations where they feel insecure, out of control, trapped or too far from their personal comfort zone. As a result, people with agoraphobia may avoid public and/or unfamiliar places. In severe cases, the person may become confined to their home, experiencing difficulty traveling from this “safe place.”

At any given time, the National Institute of Mental Health estimates that there are 3.2 million people in America between the ages of 18-54 who have agoraphobia.  Agoraphobia is about twice as common in women as in men.

Agoraphobia will cause anxiety that you will have a panic attack when you are in a situation from which escape is not possible or is embarrassing or difficult. Other affects caused by this disorder are disorientation, rapid heartbeat, intense fear, diarrhea and dizziness.

There are serious complications that can result or be associated with agoraphobia that can cause you to be unable to work. Some of these are becoming homebound for years, difficulty doing normal, daily activities, difficulty with relationships, alcohol or substance abuse, depression and anxiety and extreme dependence on others.

If this describes the situation of you or a loved one, you may need help. You may need financial help.

Who can you turn to for help? Who can and will help you? Where will the financial assistance that you need come from?

Have you or your loved one thought about applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by agoraphobia and/or complications resulting from it. Have you or your loved one already done this and been denied?

You or your loved one may be wondering what to do next? What can you do? What options do you have?

One option that is open to you or your loved one is to appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you decide to do this, here is something to consider.

You may need a disability lawyer like the one at socialsecurityhome.com to assist you in this process. This is true because people who are represented by a disability attorney are approved more often than those people without a lawyer.

Do not put this off. Contact the skilled disability attorney at socialsecurityhome.com, today.

There are several types of anxiety disorders.  Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, phobic disorders, separation anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and stress disorders are examples of the various types of anxiety disorders.

An anxiety disorder is a serious condition that is characterized by several things. It is characterized by extreme, chronic anxiety which disturbs thought, mood, behavior and/or physiological activity.

Anxiety disorder is a large problem in the United States. About 19,000,000 adults have some kind of anxiety disorder in America according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

There are many different ways that an anxiety disorder may affect you. Some of these are:

• Constant, chronic, unfounded worry that causes significant stress and upsets your social life
• Avoiding common social situations for fear of being humiliated, judged or being embarrassed
• Random, repeated panic attacks, and fear of future panic attacks
• Feelings of approaching catastrophe and terror
• Irrational fear or staying away from a situation, place or object where there is no real danger
• Doing things over and over, uncontrollably
• Recurring, ongoing nightmares or flashbacks to a traumatic event that happened several months or years ago.

The effects produced by an anxiety disorder can make it hard to do normal daily activities, not to mention holding a job. An anxiety disorder may be affecting you or a loved one to the point that you are unable to work. It may be causing you or your loved one’s disability.

Do you or your loved one need help because of your disability? Do you need financial help?

Who can you turn to? Who can you look to for the financial aid that you need? Where will it come from?

Have you or your loved one applied for financial assistance from the Social Security Administration by applying for Social Security disability benefits because of the disability caused by an anxiety disorder? Were you or your loved one denied by the Social Security Administration?

You or your loved one may be thinking about appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration. If this is what you decide to do, here is something that you need to think about.

You or your loved one may need a disability lawyer like the one you will find at socialsecurityhome.com to counsel and guide you in what can be a long and trying process. The reason for this being true is because people who are helped and represented by a disability attorney are approved more often than those people who do not have a lawyer.

Do not wait. Do not put this off. This is something that could affect you or your loved one for the rest of your life. Contact the disability attorney at socialsecurityhome.com, today.