somatic obsession

preoccupation with one’s body or any part of it. This concern may be associated with compulsive checking of the body part (e.g., in a mirror or by touch), comparing oneself to others, and seeking reassurance about one’s body. Somatic obsession is the central feature of body dysmorphic disorder but may also be a feature of obsessive-compulsive disorder if other obsessive-compulsive symptoms are present.

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Psychology term of the day

May 4th 2024

anxiety sensitivity

fear of sensations associated with anxiety because of the belief that they will have harmful consequences. For example, an individual with high anxiety sensitivity is likely to regard feeling lightheaded as a sign of impending illness or fainting, whereas an individual with low anxiety sensitivity would tend to regard this sensation as simply unpleasant. Research indicates that anxiety sensitivity is a traitlike risk factor that has been linked to the development of panic attacks and panic disorder. [defined in 1985 by U.S. clinical psychologists Steven Reiss and Richard J. McNally]