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Anxiety disorder and Social Security Disability benefits

On Behalf of | May 9, 2019 | SSD - Social Security Disability Benefits For Mental Conditions |

Everyone struggles with anxiety from time to time. However, some people experience anxiety so severe that it effectively cripples their ability to function normally or hold down a job.

If you have a problem with chronic anxiety, you may qualify for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits. Before you file a claim, however, read this post to gain some valuable insights into the approval process.

1. Is it necessary to list all your medical or mental conditions on the application?

Yes. Social Security maintains a Listing of Impairments that the agency considers legally disabling. You don’t necessarily need to have a condition that’s on that list to qualify for benefits. However, if you do, you have to meet all of the qualifications under that listing in order to be approved for that condition.

List all your conditions, physical and mental, that affect your ability to function and hold a job — just in case you don’t perfectly meet the disability eligibility requirements for anxiety. That way, the claims examiner can consider your additional problems when making a decision.

2. What is the claims examiner looking for?

Essentially, to be considered disabled due to an anxiety disorder, you must have at least three of the following symptoms:

  • Sleep disturbances
  • Muscle tension
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Irritability
  • Restlessness
  • Easily fatigued

In addition, you must have extreme limitations in one of the following areas (or “marked limitation” in two):

  • The ability to remember, understand or apply information
  • The ability to concentrate or keep pace
  • The ability to interact with others appropriately
  • The ability to adapt or self-manage

Alternately, if you have three of the symptoms of severe anxiety and a minimum two-year history of medical documentation showing the existence of the disorder, along with proof that you’ve sought treatment and had minimal success adapting to anything outside of your daily routine, you can also qualify.

3. Why is it smart to have an attorney help you with your claim?

It’s been found that some of the people deciding disability claims spend as little as 12 minutes, on average per file — even though they’re supposed to be reviewing hundreds of pages. If you don’t present them the information they want to see in the way they want to see it, your risk of denial is huge.

Find out more about your legal right to disability benefits for anxiety today.

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