Can I Go On Disability For Depression

Proving Disability From Depression Anxiety And Other Psychological Conditions

A quick story about my client lets call her Debra . Debra worked for a local hospital for a number of years until a series of unfortunate events happened in her life. Debra had always dealt with some depression since she was a child, but she was able to manage with some anti-depressants from her general practitioner and from the positive support in her life. Unfortunately, Debras life began to spiral out of control including an unexpected divorce due to a cheating spouse and a major illness to one of her children. Her depression reared its head and the medication no longer worked even in higher doses. Some days Debra could not even get out of bed she did not want to face the day. Debras depression progressed to the point where she had to file for long-term disability benefits. She was shocked and angry when the long-term disability company told her that they were denying her claim! Why?

Have questions or concerns about your long-term disability claim? At Louisiana Disability Law, we have experience obtaining disability benefits for clients with depression and anxiety. Give us a call right now at 985-240-9773. The call is free and we can help you determine quickly if we can help with your claim.

Social Security Will Then Rate Your Ability To Perform Skilled Semi

Your chances for approval are better if you have another impairment for example, high blood pressure or arthritis. Applicants often have more than one illness or injury that prevents them from working full time. While one disorder may not meet the requirements of an impairment as stated in Social Securitys Blue Book, if you have multiple medical conditions, Social Security must consider how those health issues, combined together, limit your ability to hold a job and perform necessary daily tasks.

What Are The Symptoms Of Depression

• Pervasive feelings of sadness and worthlessness
• Fatigue and loss of energy
• Inability to concentrate or focus
• Slowed speech and physical movements
• Unusual sleep patterns
• Loss of interest or enjoyment in all activities
• Loss of appetite and/or significant change in body weight and
• Suicidal thoughts

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Helping People Suffering From Depression

Depression can make it difficult to perform basic daily activities, let alone sustain gainful employment. At Jeffrey A Rabin & Associates, Ltd. we understand this and want to assist you in getting the help you need. We can help you file a disability claim for Social Security benefits from any of our five locations in northern Illinois.

Reach out today to schedule a free consultation with a Chicago Social Security Disability attorney. You can contact us online or call us at 888-529-0600.

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There Are Several Types Of Depression:

• Persistent depressive disorder or dysthymia. A depressed mood characterized by periods of major depression and periods of less severe symptoms that lasts for at least two years.
• Psychotic depression. Depression related to some type of psychosis, such as hallucinations or delusions.
• Seasonal affective disorder. Depression that is connected to the loss of natural light in winter and characterized by increased sleep, social withdrawal, and weight gain. It occurs in winter and disappears in spring.
• Postpartum depression. Severe depression experienced by women during pregnancy or after the birth of a child where sadness, anxiety and exhaustion make it difficult to care for the baby or themselves.
• Bipolar disorder. Though bipolar disorder is considered a type of depression, it differs from other types of depression in that individuals experience periods of euphoria as well as periods of deep depression.

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Tips For Being Successful In A Long

Gather the appropriate evidence of the depression, the treatment received, and why it is disabling from the appropriate medical professional. A report from your chiropractor setting out your depression is unlikely to be good enough. A report from a psychologist or psychiatrist is best, a family doctor can also be sufficient.

Follow your treatment. If you are not following counseling and medication recommendations from your doctor the insurer will take that as evidence that you likely arent suffering as much as you claim

Record your day-to-day feelings and symptoms and how they are affecting your daily life.

If a claim becomes disputed and must be appealed or litigated. More corroborating evidence from friends, family, and colleagues may be needed.

Meeting The Listing For Depression

The listing for Depression reflects criteria that mental health profession have agreed would qualify for disability benefits. The listing for depression is particularly important because most depression disability claims if approved are approved based upon meeting a listing.

Ths listing for Depression include two parts: Part A deals with symptoms, and Part B deals with the functional results of those symptoms. Many of the symptoms in Part A are the same as those symptoms documented in reaching the depression diagnosis under the DSM-V, but not all.

Part B is particularly important: many depression disability cases meet the A criteria of the listing, but fail under Part B. These are the functional criteria found in Part B:

• Understand, remember, or apply information
• Interact with others.
• Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace
• Adapt or manage oneself

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How To Get Short Term Disability Approved For Anxiety And Depression

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America reports that 40 million people in the United States live with some form of anxiety disorder and more than 17 million adults live with depression. If you have been diagnosed with anxiety and depression that affects your ability to work and earn a living, a short-term disability may be available to provide financial assistance.

At NY Disability, we understand that anybody can be affected by anxiety and depression which makes it difficult to live a normal and productive life. A consultation with a disability lawyer provides you with options about programs available to help ease the financial pressures brought on by disorders that affect your ability to work.

The following information about short-term disability for individuals diagnosed with depression or anxiety may answer some of your questions and provide an incentive to speak with a disability lawyer.

How To Start A Disability Claim For Depression

An applicant can apply for disability benefits online. Through online means, you can fill the application form anytime. You can even call the SSA to schedule an appointment if you are facing any problems in filling out the disability application form.

In the form, you need to mention all the details of your depression and how it has affected your daily life activities, social communication, concentration, and inability to complete tasks on time. The form should also include how frequently your symptoms of depression are affecting your life.

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Insufficient Objective Evidence Of Disability

Although insurers often cite insufficient objective evidence of disability to deny claims, this reason doesnt work with depression. Modern medicine has yet to find objective evidence for depression.

If you receive this as a reason, you should address it in your appeal letter. Fortunately, objective evidence is not a requirement under plans and programs.

Your letter should then focus on how your doctor followed best practices for diagnosis and treatment. Mention how you adhered to the recommended treatment faithfully. You should also emphasize all the things youve done to keep working. These aspects can make up for a lack of objective evidence.

How Can I Prove My Mental Health Disability

To prove your mental disability, you will need to have medical documentations, records and notes from any physicians you are seeing to show that your mental disability makes it impossible for you to work full time. The more medical evidence you have, the easier it is to prove your mental disability.

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Drugs And Alcohol And Depression

If you have been diagnosed with drug or alcohol dependency, then you have a major roadblock to obtaining disability benefits for depression or bipolar disorder. An examining psychologist might assume that your symptoms result from drug usage and not from your underlying condition. It is your burden to show the SSA that you would be disabled by your depression bipolar disorder regardless of your use of drugs or alcohol. In these situations, it is helpful to have a period of sobriety in your medical records during which you still have been diagnosed with severe depression or bipolar disorder. Also, you can try to request a statement from your doctor stating that drugs or alcohol are not the cause of your mental condition and that stopping use would not make your condition improve. For more information, read Nolo’s article on how drugs and alcohol can keep you from getting disability.

You could be eligible for up to $3,345 per month In SSDI Benefits

How Hard Is It To Get Disability For Anxiety

It can be difficult to bring a claim for disability benefits on the basis of anxiety or depression because the evidence used to support the diagnosis is based on subjective criteria. Objective measures, like an X-ray or a blood test, cannot tell your doctor what you are thinking or feeling in your day-to-day life.

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Symptoms And Types Of Depression

According to Our World Data, 300 million people worldwide live with depression, with over 5% residing in the United States. Symptoms of depression may include:

• Loss of interest in activities

• Feelings of worthlessness and guilt

• Constant fatigue

• Thoughts of suicide

Depression becomes diagnosable if these symptoms last longer than two weeks and begin to affect a persons everyday functions. For example, it can mean missing school or work, or becoming antisocial. In addition to this, depression can manifest in other forms that occur based on certain conditions.

Why You Need A Lawyer To Help You Receive Your Benefits

Does all of this sound difficult and confusing? Unfortunately, it can be. Proving to the SSA that you tick all of these boxes can be a nightmare, and certainly more than many people living with debilitatingly severe depression can handle.

Fortunately, help is available. An experienced disability lawyer will be familiar with which symptoms of depression are recognized by the SSA, which forms of medical documentation are necessary, how to package all of the evidence most effectively, and how to build a persuasive claim. With skilled legal assistance, you will have a better chance of securing the disability payments you need.

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Starting A Disability Claim For Depression

You can apply for Social Security disability benefits online at your convenience. You can access the online application from anywhere at any time and pause the application process as much as you need to. Or you can call the SSA at 800-772-1213 to set up an appointment to fill out an application for disability benefits.

When you fill out your application, include a detailed description of how your depression affects:

• your daily life and the activities you used to do
• your social functioning and how often you get out of the house
• your ability to concentrate and complete tasks quickly and follow directions, and
• how often you have episodes of worsening symptoms.

If you have both depression and a physical impairment that makes it impossible for you to work , consider hiring a disability lawyer to help you file your Social Security claim. And if your initial claim gets denied, an attorney can help you file an appeal with the SSA.

Documentation Is Key To A Successful Claim

Mental health conditions are unique in that many sufferers do not always seek medical care, only see a doctor sporadically when symptoms get worse, or discontinue treatment or medication when they feel better. However, it is important to keep in mind that LTD insurers rely heavily on medical records and your treating doctors opinion to determine whether you are eligible to receive disability benefits. Therefore, it is imperative that you receive regular treatment from a mental health professional, preferably a psychologist or psychiatrist, if you are to have any chance of prevailing on a disability claim based on depression. Remember, if your mental health symptoms are severe enough to keep you from working, the LTD carrier will expect you to be pursuing treatment consistent with a disabling impairment.

Always verify that your LTD insurer has received any and all medical documents that address your mental health condition. These documents will include records from any general practitioner, internist, psychologist/psychiatrist, psychiatric facility, and/or hospital where you have received treatment.

• Sustain a regular work schedule
• Understand and remember simple or complex instructions
• Focus-on and complete tasks

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How Can I Apply For Disability Under Ada

You dont have to apply for coverage. If you live with a disability as defined by the ADA, youre already protected. No action is required on your part.

If you feel youve experienced discrimination or unfair treatment at work due to your disability, you can file a civil rights complaint with the Department of Justice.

You can use the online form provided or choose to mail or fax your form.

The form will ask you to:

• give your contact information
• list the date or dates of the event
• give a personal description
• review your form before submission

After your complaint is received, itll go into the review process, which may take several months. You can check the status of your complaint at any time by calling the ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or .

What Are The Symptoms Of Major Depressive Disorder

Most people with MDD find that their symptoms sap their ability and desire to take part in daily living activities, even those they once most enjoyed. Feelings of fatigue and apathy, an inability to concentrate, constant sadness, irritability, and feelings of guilt or worthlessness, or even thoughts of suicide, are common among depressed individuals.

For many people, clinical depression can be successfully treated with psychotherapy and medication, but until the right combination of therapy or medication is arrived at, this condition can be crippling to some.

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How Can I Prove That I Qualify For Disability

If you apply for disability benefits under Anxiety-Related Disorders, you can prove your case through medical records, letters and reports from your doctor, and your own testimony.

Typically, there are two approaches to proving you qualify for disability:1. Using Social Securitys list of medical conditions and the criteria that prove them .2. Showing that you experience a severe impairment or a combination of impairments that prevent you from working a full-time job.

Is Generalized Anxiety Disorder A Disability

Generalized anxiety disorder and other forms of severe anxiety are often long-term, can be diagnosed by a doctor, and can limit someone from engaging in substantial gainful activity. As long as your condition meets those requirements, it will be considered a disability according to Social Security law.

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Correct Treatment But No Documentation

Insurance companies will deny many claims because of a lack of medical documentation. So, even if your doctor follows best practices and you follow their advice if it isnt recorded, its like it never happened.

Its common in cases of depression for the insurance company to ask for your doctors clinical records. They do this to see if the doctor is following best practices adjusting medication and making appropriate recommendations. If the doctors medical file doesnt document whats happening, then the insurance company will deny your claim.

How Can I Apply For Disability

If you meet the above criteria, you may qualify for disability benefits for depression. Its important to apply as soon as you can. It can take several months to receive SSDI and SSI.

Youll apply directly at your local SSA office. You may choose to hire an attorney to help prepare and file your application. Just be aware that a percentage of your benefits will then be awarded to your legal representative as compensation.

It can take up to half a year to receive a decision on your application for disability benefits. If youre approved, youll receive retroactive pay based on the date you first applied.

Many applications for disability benefits are denied by SSA. If this happens to you, you can appeal the decision in court. It can take up to 2 years to get a hearing. During this time you may consider hiring an attorney to help.

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Disability Tax Credit For Depression

The disability tax credit is a type of benefit that lowers your taxable income. To qualify, you must have a severe and prolonged impairment as defined by the program. But, this program has a higher standard than others.

Qualifying for this credit can get some of your previous taxes refunded. It depends on the timeline of your condition. You apply by filling out a T2201 form and sending it to Revenue Canada.

If Revenue Canada denies your claim, you can request an internal appeal. If that appeal fails, then you must go to the Tax Court of Canada to appeal again.