Can You Go On Disability for Anxiety? Is Anxiety Considered a Disability?
Yes, you can when you have a serious anxiety condition. If you are diagnosed with severe anxiety disorder, you may get disability benefits. Some of these severe disorders include OCD and PTSD among others.
Most people always claim they have anxiety or stress. However, an anxiety disorder is a mental condition characterized by constant feelings of uneasiness, tension or apprehension. Let’s have a look at the types of anxiety disorder in relation to the symptoms.
List of Different Kinds of Anxiety
1. Generalized anxiety disorder
It usually lasts for six months. It is a moderately persistent state of worry and tension which is not affiliated to any specific event or situation.
2. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
It is typically referred to as OCD. It is the repetitive behavior performed to minimize the symptoms of anxiety. It somehow resembles a ritualistic behavior. Such symptoms include recurrent thoughts or impulses.
3. Phobias
Involuntary fears of ordinary things, situations, events or places. The entire case can be irrational and overwhelming. You certainly have heard of people who are scared of heights, large water bodies, crowded areas and closed spaces among others.
4. Panic disorder
This is when repeated attacks of terror or anxiety last for about ten minutes. Such attacks usually have no known causes.
5. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
It is usually referred to as PTSD. It is the aftermath of witnessing a traumatic event. PTSD is characterized by severe stress symptoms. It usually lasts for an extended period, which can be from months to years.
Why You Can Go on Disability for Anxiety
Severe symptoms of anxiety can significantly affect you in many ways. It can affect your ability to function properly at work as well as at home. At this point, it can be termed that you have a disability for anxiety.
Symptoms tend to be worse especially when left untreated. It makes your ordinary life pursuits impossible or difficult to perform. It can lead to loss of jobs, relationships or education issues.
Most times it may be difficult to even get out of the house. Such states can qualify to be referred to as disability for anxiety. Through the Social Security Administration, you become eligible for disability benefits.
Qualifications Under a Disability Listing
The first requirement is having an authentic doctor’s diagnosis of anxiety. The second one is having at least three of the following symptoms of anxiety:
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Sleep disturbance
- Irritability
- Being tired easily and all the time
- Restlessness
Apart from having three or more of the above characteristics, you must also prove that it affects your daily activities. You must show that your ability to function correctly and normally is affected.
Examples of Disabilities for Anxiety
- When you are unable to interact with others
- When you are unable to understand, remember or decipher information
- When you are unable to complete any tasks due to concentration problems
- When you are unable to take care of yourself or adapt to changes.
Reasons Why You May NOT Go On Disability for Anxiety
The first apparent reason is when your condition is not severe. If you have anxiety or stress, but you can still function quite well, then you cannot be eligible for disability. If you feel that your problem is affecting some parts of your life, then you can consider getting medication.
Sometimes, the SSA might not consider your condition to be severe. If you strongly feel you cannot function properly and you can even prove, then all you need to do is file an appeal. When the evidence is strong SSA should grant you benefits.
Thinking about disability? Here’s some things you need to know before you apply. Still not sure whether you can go on disability for anxiety? An experienced SSDI attorney can assess your condition and advise you accordingly. Contact us today for further assistance.
