Each May, we like to remind readers that it is National Mental Health Awareness Month, aimed at raising awareness for illnesses like severe depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and borderline personality disorder.
National Mental Health Awareness Month is honored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), which estimates that about one in four Americans, or 62 million people, suffer from some type of mental illness episode each year.
The illnesses reportedly cost employees an estimated $193.2 billion in lost earnings each year, as they have to miss work due to episodes or complications. You may see several people wearing green ribbons this month in support of raising awareness.
Additionally, in June, the Oklahoma branch of NAMI is having a 5K event in Oklahoma City to help raise funds. For more information about 2015 NAMIWalks Oklahoma, you can click here.
Seeking Social Security Disability Due to a Mental Illness
If you suffer from one of the mental illnesses listed above, you should know that you might be able to collect Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Specifically, in order to collect SSDI, a person with a mental illness has to have earned work credits from previous employment, and now show that he or she can no longer perform a job. In order to obtain benefits, you may have to provide the Social Security Administration with medical evidence of your disability. If you have questions about this process, you can visit our Social Security FAQ page.
If you have additional questions, you can contact our office. We understand all of the legal aspects surrounding SSDI and SSI eligibility and work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you do not have to pay fees up front.
Troutman & Troutman, P.C. – Tulsa Social Security disability lawyers
