Is My Mental Health Condition Eligible for Social Security Disability Benefits?
While dealing with a mental illness can be overwhelming, take comfort that you’re not alone.
More than 23 percent of adults in the United States have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Over 2 million workers received Social Security Disability benefits for mental or intellectual disorders as of 2023.
Social Security has come a long way in recognizing mental conditions as eligible health problems. The government includes several specific illnesses in its official listing of impairments for Social Security Disability.
They include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Somatic disorders
- Impulse-control disorders
- Eating disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Delusional disorders
Social Security allows some flexibility when your symptoms don’t fit neatly into a category but still leave you unable to work.
In that case, Social Security will assess your “residual functional capacity” (RFC), in other words your day-to-day ability to function so you can earn a living.
This is a measurement of your alertness, stamina, cognitive functions, physical limitations and other capabilities.
Social Security doesn’t make it easy whether you have a readily recognized disorder or not. Most people are denied benefits at least once.
At Troutman & Troutman, our Oklahoma disability attorneys take the frustration out of applying for Social Security Disability. We’re dedicated to helping Oklahomans, and we’ll be with you every step of the way.
Let’s have a conversation about what you need. It costs you nothing for us to take an initial look at your case.
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Proving Your Mental Health Condition Qualifies for Disability Benefits
The core challenge of mental disorders is that they’re often invisible. Unlike physical disorders or injuries, they hide below the surface with few outward signs.
As a result, Social Security puts it on you and your disability lawyer to prove you can’t work. To do that, you need evidence.
This starts with gathering the paper trail created by your visits to doctors, psychologists, nurse practitioners and other medical professionals.
It may involve testimonials from friends, family members, social workers, and other people who know you well. Among other things, they will want to see:
- An official diagnosis
- Psychological evaluations
- Laboratory results
- Medical imaging
- Details of the medications you take and how your condition responds to them
- Treatment plans and their impact on your life
Social Security will look in your treatment records to see how well you interact with others, concentrate on tasks, process information, and manage your daily life.
To get benefits, you’ll have to show you can’t work and that your condition will keep you from holding a job for at least a year.
That can be a lot.
But you don’t have to do this without support. The Social Security Disability lawyers at Troutman & Troutman will go through every corner of your case with compassion and care.
We’ll present Social Security with the strongest story to give you the best chance to win the benefits you need to bring stability to your life.
Don’t wait. Call us today and let’s get you on the road to a calmer, more comfortable place.
Wherever You Are in the Disability Benefits Process, We Can Help
You may be trying to determine if Social Security Disability benefits are right for you. You may be facing a long, complicated benefits application. Or maybe you’ve applied and been denied. Now what? The Troutman & Troutman Oklahoma disability attorneys can help.
Disability Attorneys Answer Your Questions about Social Security
Your life has been disrupted by health problems. You’ve had to leave work. You’re worried about money. Social Security Disability benefits can provide relief, but they’re complicated. You’ve got a lot of questions. The Troutman & Troutman Tulsa disability lawyers have answers.
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