Can You Get On Disability For Anxiety

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The 5 Types Of Anxiety Disorders

Can I Get Long Term Disability For Depression Or Anxiety? | Ohio LTD Attorney Answers
  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder

This anxiety disorder is most common among older adults and is frequently linked to traumatic events. It is distinguished by chronic anxiety, exaggerated worry, and tension even when there are hardly any triggers.

  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

OCD is characterized by recurring thoughts and a strong urge to do something repeatedly .

Many people believe that OCD causes people to be very tidy and organized. However, this is not true at all, in fact, it is more complicated than that.

People with OCD develop obsessions about certain things such as fear of dirt or disorganized objects. These obsessions can be observed in their repeated actions of cleaning or organizing.

OCD can also be observed in repeated hand washing, counting, and checking.

A panic disorder is characterized by intense fear and a sudden feeling of terror even when there is no real danger. Its physical symptoms include heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, and chest pain.

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

PTSD is often developed after going through a terrifying event that involved physical harm or threat. It is triggered by traumatic events that include violent assaults, accidents, natural disasters, and wars.

People with PTSD experience uncontrollable thoughts about their trauma, flashbacks, and nightmares.

  • Social Phobia or Social Anxiety Disorder

From its name, social phobia is the fear of getting surrounded by people.

Gather Medical Evidence To Support Your Disability

The most important aspect of your disability claim will be the objective medical evidence from your treating doctors of your anxiety disorder. For this reason, having a supportive doctor is essential.

Examples of objective medical evidence to support your claim include:

  • Medical records. Any office visit notes, hospitalization records, lab results, or other records from your doctors that substantiate your condition and symptoms should be included in your disability claim. All of your accompanying symptomsemotional and physicalshould be well-documented.
  • A narrative report from your doctor. If your doctor is supportive, consider whether they can write a letter documenting your anxiety disorder and how it prevents you from working. Their report should focus on the frequency and severity of your symptoms, along with the limitations your condition imposes that prevent you from working. Their opinion should be backed up by their examinations and direct observations of you during office visits.
  • A list of your medications, dosages, and their side effects. Records of your medications and side effects will help the insurance company understand how they may impact your ability to work

Veterans With Bipolar Disorder Disability

Veterans suffering from disabling mental disorders that occurred in or were aggravated during service may obtain disability compensation. Bipolar disorder is considered a disability by the VA. Its listed in their Schedule for Rating Disabilities under Mental Disorders, and specifically under Mood Disorders.

The VA rates disabilities according to loss of function and the effect on your ability to work and earn a living. The VA schedule doesnt cover all forms of mental illnesses, despite how disabling the condition may be. An incorrect diagnosis could result in denial of benefits you would otherwise be entitled to receive for bipolar disorder.

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Symptoms Affecting Your Functional Capacity

If you don’t qualify under one of Social Security’s impairment listings, you might still be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. As part of the disability determination process, the SSA will consider your symptoms and limitations to see the extent to which they affect your daily activities and if they prevent you from doing even the most low-stress jobs. The SSA will give you a rating of the type of work it thinks you can do based on your limitations and job skills. This is called your “residual functional capacity” . Your RFC will indicate if you can perform:

  • unskilled work, or
  • less than unskilled work.

For anxiety disorders, the key question is whether you can do even unskilled work without much stress. If your disorder sometimes keeps you from leaving the house or interacting with people appropriately, Social Security might consider those limitations disabling.

What Happens After Completion Of The Claim

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A claim is assigned to an expert for review, which may require you to take part in an interview. The interview might also include mental health sessions. These sessions would be conducted by a psychiatrist that is approved by the SSA.

The duration of the process will differ based on your unique case. Qualifying for benefits can be difficult at times and the specifics of the anxiety condition will be different for everyone. An experienced disability lawyer can help make your application process go more smoothly.

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Why Are Disability Claims For Generalized Anxiety Disorder Denied

Often, anxiety disorders are caused or aggravated by workplace stressors, such as a hostile boss or coworker. Removing yourself from a hostile work environment may be necessary for your recovery, but it can invite unwanted scrutiny of your short-term or long-term disability claim. Frequently, disability plan administrators will deny such claims by characterizing them as a âworkplace dispute.â However, the cause of your anxiety is mainly irrelevant to whether you are disabled. Far more important are the functional restrictions and limitations documented by your treating providers.

Another favorite tactic of insurers and disability plan administrators is to ignore or minimize the stressfulness of your occupation. Most standard occupational resources do not acknowledge the stressfulness of work unless it involves matters of life and death . Disability plan administrators exploit that omission by ignoring stress in their vocational analyses. For this reason, it is important that your doctors provide concrete restrictions and limitations that can serve as a proxy for stress, instead of offering only generic statements .

If you have questions about obtaining disability benefits due to generalized anxiety disorder or other conditions, do not hesitate to contact the attorneys at DeBofsky Law for a free consultation.

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How Do I File A Disability Application Due To Anxiety Or Depression

The easiest way for most people to file for social security disability benefits is to complete an application online. The second easiest way is to call Social Security and complete an application by telephone.

When you apply, you should be ready to provide with the following information: Your basic information Your work and education history Your medical diagnoses that prevent you from working A list of your doctors and your medications The date you believe you could no longer work due to your impairments

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What Do I Do If My Claim Is Denied

The majority of applications are denied, but dont let a claim denial deter you. If you feel you cannot work because of your medical conditions, appeal the denial within 60 days.

Appealing an initial denial moves your claim to the second stage, which is called Reconsideration. Social Security assigns your claim to another disability examiner to reconsider the evidence. Social security may send you reports to complete, or schedule an evaluation with a doctor. It is important to your case that you comply.

The bad news is that most claims that reach the Reconsideration level are denied.

The good news is that if you appeal within 60 days you move to the third level, the Hearing, which is when the majority of applications are approved.

Basic Requirements For Disability

VA Disability for Anxiety | Everything You Need to Know!

Everyone who applies for Social Security disability insurance or Supplemental Security Income must also meet the following requirements.

  • You must not be doing a substantial amount of work at the time you apply.
  • Because of your medical condition, you aren’t able to do a substantial work for at least 12 consecutive months.

Whether you are financially eligible for SSDI or SSI depends on your work history and your household income levels. For more information, read our sections on SSI and SSDI.

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Could You Use Financial Assistance Right Now

If youre living with severe anxiety, you understand it is much more than just worrying sometimes or getting nervous. Everyday life can be a struggle. You feel unable to cope with daily activities like socializing with others. Maybe its even hard to leave the house.

When you cant work because of debilitating anxiety, the pressure to pay the bills without a source of income only makes your anxiety worse. What are you doing to do?

The good news is that the Social Security Administration provides income benefits to people who can no longer work because of physical and mental health conditions, and that absolutely includes anxiety.

Social Security Disability benefits provide monthly checks to pay for your bills, relieving the financial stress so you can focus on feeling better and moving on.

The problem is that most people who apply for benefits get denied the first time around. Convincing Social Security to award you benefits can be tricky with anxiety, because its a mental health condition difficult for other people to measure.

You have to prove that you cant work. That means sending these kinds of documentation:

  • Medical records
  • Doctors reports
  • Testimonials from friends, family and coworkers

If you were denied disability benefits for anxiety, support is here. The Morgan Law Firm disability attorneys in South Bend have helped thousands of people in Indiana and Michigan appeal their disability denials.

Social Security Disability Is All We Do.

Living With Anxiety And Depression

If you have the symptoms of an anxiety or depressive disorder, getting the disability payments you need to get by can be just the beginning of the battle. Dont hesitate to seek out the help you need to manage these chronic conditions, and lean on your family and friends for the emotional support you need to get through difficult periods.

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Inability To Perform Even Unskilled Work

If you can show that you have a marked impairment in any of the abilities required for unskilled work, your SSDI claim has a much greater chance of being approved even in the absence of any physical impairment.

How do you show impairment of ability to perform unskilled work?

You need to show some limitations associated with:

  • Ability to work with others
  • Ability to work at a consistent pace
  • Handle changes

Development of evidence of the above and the associated limitations can be complicated and time-consuming.

For example, how do you show memory deficit or your lack of decision-making skills?

Information from family members about how you behave at home and in social situations can help. Specific work-setting information may be obtained from former supervisors or co-workers if available.

Treating physicians may have made observations or have opinions regarding your ability to perform these basic capacities.

Anxiety Disorders Are Among The Most Claimed Disabling Conditions In The Country

Three Ways to Get Mental Health Help Anonymously

Anxiety disorders are characterized by chronic and excessive worry about day-to-day problems. Anxiety disorders produce inner turmoil and fear, often with a sense of distress or dread. The worrying is often severe and impedes a persons social and occupational functioning. For many who suffer from anxiety, it is extremely difficult to get through each day, much less hold down a job. Symptoms, complications, and treatment may make it impossible for you to work or earn a living. As disability claim attorneys, we can tell you that a huge percentage of the cases we handle involve anxiety and similar mental disorders.

Those suffering from anxiety may be eligible for important forms of disability benefits, including benefits under federal programs administered by the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs . You may also have a claim under an individual disability policy or an employer-sponsored long-term disability plan.

If you believe your disability benefits for anxiety were wrongly denied, do not hesitate to contact us. Whether your denial came from your insurance company, the SSA, or the VA, we can help you appeal and win your rightful benefits. The most important thing you can do is to stand firm and not give up. This is a time when skilled attorneys can legally intervene to overturn the denial and secure your compensation.

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Identifying The Residual Functional Capacity

If the Social Security Administration determines that your anxiety condition is not severe enough to satisfy criteria in listing 12.06, you may still be determined entitled to benefits based on your residual functional capacity . In that case, the SSA will examine the available medical documentation and may order additional testing to determine what restrictions you have on your ability to function in a worklike setting.

You may have the following RFC: an inability to perform complicated tasks but the ability to achieve short and easy tasks that can be mastered in 30 days or less, no public interaction, and only casual contact with colleagues and superiors. If so, you may be eligible for disability benefits from SSA.

Eligibility Criteria For Ssd And Ssi Benefits

Although people with anxiety may be eligible for SSD or SSI benefits, the evaluation process of social security administration is strict. Even if you believe you are qualified, your application will almost certainly be denied the first time around.

To make your anxiety disorder disability case more strong, your anxiety must:

  • Obstruct your ability to work full-time
  • Has lasted for at least one year or is anticipated to last for at least one year
  • Be dangerous to your life.

The following medical evidence regarding your anxiety will make you eligible to qualify for SSD benefits:

  • Autonomic hyperactivity/ apprehensive expectation
  • A persistent unreasonable fear of a situation, object, or activity leads to a strong desire to avoid the problem, thing, or activity
  • Severe panic attacks that occur at least once a week are characterized by sudden, unpredictable episodes of acute fear, apprehension, and a sense of impending doom
  • Obsessions or compulsions that cause significant distress regularly
  • Recurrent intrusive recollections of a traumatic event that causes significant discomfort
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    Ticket To Work Service Providers

    Several different types of Ticket to Work program service providers can help you transition to the workforce or progress in the job you have:

    600+ Employment Networks across the U.S. offer a range of free support services through the Ticket to Work program. Some ENs serve specific populations, while others may provide specialized support services. ENs can help you:

    • Prepare for the workforce
    • Stay in touch with Social Security

    Workforce ENs are providers that are also part of a states public workforce system. Like other ENs, Workforce ENs can give you access to a wide array of employment support services, including training programs and special programs for youth in transition and veterans. A Ticket program participant who assigns their ticket to a Workforce EN will work with providers in the workforce system .

    People who need more significant support services may find help at a State Vocational Rehabilitation agency. State VR agencies deliver a wide variety of services to help people with disabilities go to work. These services are designed to provide the client with the training and other services that are needed to return to work, to enter a new line of work, or to enter the workforce for the first time. State VR agencies can help you get ready to work. If necessary, you can then find an EN to help you keep your job and make more money.

    Qualifying For Social Security Disability With Anxiety

    Anxiety Disorder and Social Security Disability: Winning Strategies for Your Claim

    Having anxiety that limits your everyday life is common. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States: 40 million adults age 18 and older have it.

    Additionally, about one-half of people with depression also have anxiety. If you have a physical health problem or disability, you could also experience anxiety, depression, or both.

    Make sure your Social Security Disability appeal explains any combination of physical and mental health problems that you have. Linking a condition like anxiety to another medical condition can give you a stronger claim.

    There are two types of Social Security benefits you could qualify for: Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income .

    With SSDI, you qualify with these criteria:

    • You have a disability that makes working impossible.
    • As of the date your disability started, you worked at least five of the last 10 years

    With SSI, you can qualify with these criteria:

    • You have health problems that rule out working.
    • You meet the financial qualifications, which means you dont have too many assets or too much income.

    For anxiety in particular, youll need to show medical evidence of symptoms like sleep problems, mood swings, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, problems processing information, problems interacting with other people, problems taking care of yourself and a record of seeking therapy and other medical treatment.

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    How To File A Va Claim For Anxiety

    The claims process for receiving VA disability benefits takes some time yet is more than worthwhile.

    Disability compensation can help cover medical appointments and treatment associated with an anxiety disorder.

    Follow these steps to file a VA claim for an anxiety disorder:

    Step 1: Schedule a medical examination with a medical professional at an approved VA clinic or hospital.

    Step 2: The doctor will examine you and study your symptoms to reach a diagnosis. Be honest about your symptoms to get a realistic diagnosis.

    Step 3: The VA relies on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders to assign a VA disability rating. There are 6 different ratings .

    Step 4: Once you receive a VA disability rating you will understand the likelihood of receiving disability benefits. If your VA rating is higher , consider filing a claim. You will need to establish an in-service connection.

    Step 5: You can establish a direct service connection or attempt to establish one through a secondary basis. Either way, you must prove the medical condition started or worsened as the result of an in-service event.

    Step 6: Once a medical opinion/diagnosis and service connection is established you have grounds for filing a disability claim. Provide as many medical records and evidence as possible to prove a medical nexus connection.

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