When you have an anxiety disorder, it may be extremely debilitating. Severe episodes may impact your ability to interact at work or socially. If this condition affects your daily life, there are ways you may be able to get the help you need.
The Social Security Administration offers Social Security disability for qualifying anxiety disorders. If you are suffering from this condition, you may qualify for benefits.
Qualifying symptoms
The SSA lists anxiety disorder under the mental disorders category within the blue book. Your symptoms need to have lasted for a minimum of six months to qualify. Severe anxiety may display itself through a variety of symptoms. To qualify, you need to have three of the following conditions:
• Concentration issues
• Restlessness
• Chronic fatigue
• Irritability
• Muscle tension
• Sleep disturbances
You also need to have limited ability to understand information, interact with others, concentrate or adapt. If you do not display any of those four conditions, you need to have a documented medical treatment for the anxiety condition for a minimum of two years and a limited ability to adapt to change.
Providing evidence
The SSA needs medical proof of your anxiety condition. It may be difficult to receive SSD without strong medical records demonstrating the effect on your life. If a therapist has diagnosed your condition, it is crucial to provide it as evidence. You may want to discuss your plans to request SSD with your therapist and ask for any notes that he or she may offer to support your claim.
It is also important that you provide detailed descriptions of how anxiety prohibits you from continuing your normal work or social activities. For example, explaining how traveling for work or being in a crowd is difficult is useful information when the SSA evaluates your case.
Filing a claim
You may apply for benefits through your local office, online or by phone. If you decide to do so in person, make sure to have any useful evidence with you, in case you need to submit documentation at the time of your application.
— On behalf of Mark Knight Attorney at Law