Is Anxiety Considered a Disability?
Answering this question can be tough. This is due in part to anxiety being such a complex condition. In actuality, the Social Security Administration (SSA), in fact, classifies anxiety as a disability. To qualify for disability benefits due to anxiety, you must meet a Blue Book listing and present sufficient medical evidence demonstrating that your anxiety will keep you from working for at least a year.
OCD, PTSD, phobias, and panic disorders are examples of anxiety disorders that are regarded as disabilities. As a result, people with such anxiety disorders may be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. A person with an anxiety disorder must, however, present the Social Security Administration with proof of the following in order to be eligible:
- highlights how severe their anxiety is, and
- demonstrates that their severe anxiety disorder symptoms prevent them from working.
Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits
A mental health issue, such as an anxiety disorder, is typically regarded as a disability when it impairs a person’s ability to function normally—that is, to carry out regular daily activities like work—significantly and for an extended period of time.
You can consider applying for Social Security disability benefits if you have an anxiety disorder and are unable to work for the following 12 months due to the severity of your anxiety disorder. For the best possibility of being granted disability benefits due to your anxiety disorder, you must be in possession of comprehensive medical records, paperwork, and letters from your doctor stating details of why anxiety is a disability that affects your work performance and you’re currently looking for treatment for it.
With a lot of things to do involving this process, it is beneficial to seek assistance from a Monroe Social Security attorney. Our Louisiana Social Security Attorneys at E. Orum Young Law are here to meet you and discuss your case. Schedule a FREE CASE REVIEW now!
What is Anxiety?
One of the most prevalent mental illnesses today is anxiety disorder. In general, the word “anxiety” refers to feelings of unease, fear, and dread. People usually become tense, possibly start sweating, and possibly notice their pulse rate increases when they feel anxious.
The phrase “anxiety disorder” is often referred to by its abbreviation, anxiety. A mental health condition known as an anxiety disorder is characterized by intense feelings of fear, worry, or anxiety that interfere with a person’s normal day-to-day activities.
What are the Types of Anxiety?
The following five anxiety disorders may sometimes qualify you for disability benefits:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Chronic anxiety, apprehension, and stress are characteristics of a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a very common disorder. The Social Security Administration (SSA) must be convinced that your generalized anxiety has significant negative physical or emotional impacts on your body, despite the fact that many people only experience modest levels of stress, worry, or fear. You must exhibit three or more of the following symptoms to have an anxiety disorder:
- restlessness
- becoming easily fatigued
- having trouble concentrating
- being prone to irritation
- muscle tension, or
- sleep disruption
- Panic Attacks
Physical signs including sweating, an elevated heart rate, and shaking are also present during panic attacks. These episodes are characterized by brief moments of extreme fear. Many people have had moderate anxiety episodes, but they are able to control them with medicine or counseling.
You must experience severe manic episodes, followed by ongoing worry about having more attacks to come or fear of their effects, in order to qualify as disabled under Social Security.
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by persistent, undesirable thoughts that drive a person to engage in repetitive behaviors, like frequent cleaning or checking, in an effort to relieve them. The uncontrollable ideas frequently revolve around sex, violence, religion, or germs. Even with therapy, the SSA requires that you have one of the following to be eligible for benefits for OCD:
- an involuntary, time-consuming preoccupation with unwanted, intrusive thoughts, or
- repetitive behaviors designed to reduce anxiousness.
- Phobias
A phobia is a long-lasting, extremely strong, or irrational fear of anything. A phobia makes you feel desperate to stay away from the thing you’re afraid of.
This subcategory can include social phobia, also known as social anxiety disorder, which is characterized by a strong fear of interacting with others and an avoidance of doing so. Social Security requires that you have overwhelming fear or anxiety about at least two distinct situations in order to qualify as disabled. For instance, if your social phobia causes you to fear two or more of the following, it may be disabling:
- making use of public transportation
- presence in a crowd
- standing up in a line
- a trip away from home, or
- occupying an open area.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
An adverse reaction to a traumatic incident, like rape, physical violence, killing, or natural disaster, is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recurring flashback episodes and nightmares are symptoms of PTSD and can interfere with daily life. Exaggerated startle reactions and hypervigilance are two symptoms of PTSD.
Even with therapy, the SSA requires that you have medical records for each of the following to be eligible for disability:
- exposure to the possibility of death, life-threatening injury, violence, or another person’s death (that caused your PTSD)
- repetition of the painful experience, involuntarily (like having intrusive dreams, memories, or flashbacks)
- avoiding external reminders of the incident
- disturbances in behavior and mood, and
- arousal and reactivity levels rise (like having an exaggerated startle response or sleep disturbance).
People with severe anxiety disorders find it difficult or impossible to carry out daily tasks. They cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms. Such problems could be related to prior trauma.
Who Is Qualified for Anxiety Disability Benefits?
You might be qualified for benefits if you have been diagnosed with one of the mentioned disorders and it limits your ability to:
- perform socially
- leave the house
- focus, or
- manage daily living tasks
The stressful, modern lifestyles of many people, unfortunately, include some anxiety and nervousness. A “case of the nerves” is frequently used to describe an uncomfortable feeling that won’t go away.
What Different Remedies Are There For Anxiety Disorders?
If you’ve been showing any of the mentioned symptoms, it is crucial that you speak with your doctor about your condition and get expert assistance. To discuss your symptoms, a mental health professional will refer you. Typically, therapy, medication, or a combination of the two are used to treat anxiety disorders.
Medication
Different groups of medications are frequently administered to relieve anxiety. Since anxiety can manifest in many ways, physicians can choose the drugs that will work best for the patient’s particular kind of anxiety.
Psychotherapy
In this type of counseling, sometimes known as “talk therapy,” a mental health professional aids the patient by assisting them in accepting their worry. Receiving disability benefits for anxiety also depends on the type of care you need. In the end, the SSA wants to see that the anxious person is making an effort to feel better.
How Should I Begin My Disability Claim?
Even if you are unsure of your eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you can still start your disability application (SSI). Workers who have contributed enough to Social Security are for SSDI, whereas low-income filers are for SSI. You automatically submit an application for both disability programs when you submit one.
Applying for Social Security disability benefits due to an anxiety disorder is possible online. The online application can be finished from any location, and you can pause and restart it as often as necessary. To schedule an appointment to submit a disability application in person or over the phone, contact your local Social Security office.
Include a thorough description of what an episode of severe anxiety looks like for you when you fill out your application. Include the following:
- how frequently you have them,
- how they affect your ability to do work.
Your situation may be more challenging if you suffer from both an anxiety problem and a physical impairment that prevents you from working. If you are unsure whether your condition corresponds to the one listed, you might think about consulting a social security disability attorney to assist you in filing your claim.
Get Disability Help Now!
It can be quite challenging to understand Social Security law on your own, and many people find it to be exceedingly complicated. Therefore, it is advisable to contact a Social Security disability attorney if you want to apply for disability benefits.
Social Security Disability cases matter to your family and dependents as much as to you. As a result, the Social Security attorney you choose could have a significant impact on your life. With their knowledge and experience, social security disability attorneys can aid in the Social Security Administration’s approval of your disability claim.
You can get the assistance you require by working with E. Orum Young Law to understand the disability benefits application system, its requirements, and how to approach it. You’ll find us to be a priceless asset to have when it comes to paperwork or documentation. We are knowledgeable about the system and are able to direct and assist you while you complete the application.
Get in touch with our Monroe, Louisiana law firm if you have more legal inquiries regarding Social Security Disability matters (i.e. Is anxiety considered a disability?, etc.) and schedule for a free case review.
