What Mental Health Conditions Qualify for Disability Benefits in Indianapolis?
Mental health issues have really come to light in recent decades, and what I see in my practice is no exception.
Many of the disability claims that we handle are for mental health, and it’s noteworthy to provide an overview of mental health impairments, how they can keep you from working, and most importantly, how they may qualify you for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Contact us now for a free no obligation consultation via email or call us directly on (866) 950-5116.
Mental Health Impairments and Your Disability Case
We see so many diagnoses under the category of mental health, that include anxiety, depression, PTSD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and more.
What we also see in most cases is that many individuals don’t suffer from just one mental health illness, but that they often struggle with a combination of two or more diagnoses.
How Can a Mental Health Diagnosis Qualify Me for Social Security Disability?
Mental health impairments are very different than physical impairments, so how do we argue these cases in an SSDI or SSI claim to show that your mental health disorders are keeping you from working? Unlike physical health impairments, a claimant cannot be sent out for objective testing like an MRI, X-ray, or blood work.
So, what can be done to show the limitation caused by your mental illness?
What We Need in Order to Argue a Mental Health Disability Claim:
First off, an official diagnosis is usually required to help support a disability claim for mental health. Along with one or more diagnoses, the following will also help to support a disability claim.
Medical Records:
Sound notes from a psychiatric or mental health provider such as your therapist are crucial, along with provider records that show you have and have had ongoing treatment, such as medications, therapy, vocational support, and so on. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will look for this to support your mental health claim, and without such records, it can be assumed that your condition is not severe enough to deem you disabled.
Hospitalizations and Psychiatric Holds:
On occasion, a mental illness can begin with, or lead to hospitalization for various anxiety or psychotic episodes. In these instances, your hospital records will go a long way to potentially show the severity or history of your illness.
Medical Compliance:
For most mental health claims, medical compliance and medications are crucial. Usually, a claimant needs to be taking medication for a mental health disability claim. When evaluating your claim, Social Security wants to see that you are trying to get better and making effort to control or counteract any symptoms of your illness. If we cannot show that you are attempting to get better, it makes it more difficult to win your claim.
Medical Source Statements:
At Lewis Disability Law, we have devised a series of questionnaires specifically for mental health impairments. We will work with you to attempt to get these questionnaires to your mental health providers. When completed by your mental health treatment provider, these can serve as evidence in your case. These “questionnaires” can go a long way because your provider, who possibly sees you weekly or monthly, has documented your difficulties and can offer a professional opinion to show the struggles you may be experiencing and how they can prevent you from working.
As mentioned above, the limitations for mental health claims are very different than those for physical claims for disability. More specifically, what kind of medical restrictions are Social Security looking for in mental health disability claims?
While mental health issues may not affect your ability to walk, stand, or lift, they may still affect your ability to get to work, maintain focus on the job, and perform as expected by your supervisor.
Here are some examples of ways in which you may struggle at work and/or not be able to perform:
Examples
Focus:
Maintaining concentration and focus, staying on task, or working through anxiety attacks may interfere with your ability to accomplish assigned tasks. In such instances, you are not getting your work done.
Medical Source Statements:
At Lewis Disability Law, we have also developed additional documentation to help show the limitations caused by your disabilities. To help support your disability claim, we have put together Medical Provider Questionnaires that you can take to your doctors to complete. These questionnaires are customized for a variety of physical illnesses. Once completed by a medical professional, questionnaires can show your restrictions and how each diagnosis can affect your ability to perform daily tasks. These medical questions will help us show things like how long you can sit, stand, or walk; how much you can lift or carry; and can demonstrate other limitations you may have.
Social Interactions:
Getting along with others, picking up on social cues, collaborating with peers or following a supervisor’s orders may be difficult for someone with phobias or anxiety.
Attendance:
Sometimes, just getting to work can be a problem. Anxiety, trauma, and other stress-related disorders may impede your ability to leave the house or drive safely. Even depression can be so severe that you lack motivation and remain in bed most of the day.
These are just a few examples of criteria that can show how your mental health is disabling and affecting your ability to work, not to mention the overall pressure to perform at work, which can exacerbate symptoms of a mental illness.
The good news is that the Social Security Administration (SSA) does recognize the various circumstances and limitations due to mental health when evaluating your disability claim.
Rest assured, that with proper documentation and medical records, it is possible to win a disability claim for a mental health diagnosis.
Contact us now for a free no obligation consultation via email or call us directly on (866) 950-5116.
