by Carol W. Berman, M.D.
August 19, 2011
Ed*, a freelance computer graphics artist, was so embarrassed by his appearance that he refused to attend most parties and social gatherings. Instead he spent his days alone, indoors, working on various assignments. At night he would venture out in a large hat covering most of his face and an overcoat to shop for groceries and other essentials. When friends or strangers observed him, they merely saw an average-sized, ordinary-appearing white man in his 30s…