Social Security Disability & Stronger Support for You
Living with depression feels like it consumes everything in your life. It’s overwhelming. It’s isolating.
Depression can rob you of the ability to move through the world like people not suffering from this condition. It can make it impossible to get up and go to work.
Social Security Disability benefits provide financial reinforcement for people who can’t work.
But is depression a disability as far as Social Security is concerned?
You don’t need anyone to tell you that mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and others are complicated.
Some people might think of “disability” as a physical limitation, not a mental health issue. Many people don’t understand depression, what it’s like to have it, and how it can be so debilitating.
Depression, however, is considered to be a qualifying disability by Social Security, if your case has these elements:
- It’s severe.
- It prevents you from doing pretty much any kind of work.
- Your inability to work has lasted a year, or health care providers say it will.
These points can be tough to prove partly because millions of people—17.3 million adults in the United States in a given year according to the National Institute of Mental Health —have depression, but many of them can work.
People manage depression with medication and therapy and continue to work as best they can. But again, for Social Security Disability you must be unable to work.
How do you make them see that your case of depression is different?
Talk to the Arizona Social Security Disability lawyers at Slepian Ellexson. They know how you can get disability benefits for depression, what information you need, how to collect it, and how to present it.
Slepian Ellexson has helped thousands of people, including many experiencing depression. And as a local disability law firm for Arizonans, we provide the personal attention and care you need in a difficult time.
The last thing you have energy for is grappling your way through a tangled bureaucratic process to get economic assistance. Your Slepian Ellexson disability attorney can take on the process for you, so you can protect your well-being.
How to Get Disability for Depression: Steps to Take
When you’re applying for Social Security Disability for depression, these are some of the most important things you can do:
- Compile Comprehensive Medical Evidence: Gather all records of your diagnosis, treatments, and how your condition affects your life.
- Make Sure to Get Consistent Treatment: Regular visits to your health care provider can reinforce to Social Security that your depression is serious, and you’re trying hard to manage it. Be sure to tell your provider about how your depression affects your day-to-day life.
- Document Daily Limitations: Keep a detailed record of how your depression or anxiety limits your daily functioning, including in work and social situations.
- Collect Personal Accounts from Others: Statements from family, friends, and coworkers can support what you say about the impact depression is having on your life.
- Get Legal Guidance: A knowledgeable disability lawyer can guide you through the application process and improve your chances of a successful disability claim for depression.
You shouldn’t be expected to know everything Social Security wants you to provide for a disability claim for depression. This program has thousands of rules. It’s your Social Security Disability lawyer’s job to know what to do.
Your lawyer lightens the burden on you, helps you avoid mistakes, and sticks with you through a process that often includes getting denied and appealing the denial. You pay no attorney fee until you win benefits.
You don’t have to worry about paying to talk with us to understand your next steps. It’s free to contact us and find out more about whether you can get disability for depression.
You can call us and discuss your situation for free, and we’ll let you know what your disability claim for depression could look like.
Get your FREE disability claim evaluation.
Information to Show How Your Depression Is a Disability
Even though people don’t always think of conditions like depression as a “disability,” mental health conditions are one of the largest groups of health impairments for people who currently receive Social Security Disability benefits.
Social Security specifically lists depression as a mental health disorder that qualifies for benefits. Because it’s listed, Social Security provides details on the information you need to get approved for benefits with depression.
Reports from your doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, counselors and other health care providers you see should document that you struggle with symptoms like these:
- Low mood
- Lost interest in activities
- Irregular appetite
- Weight changes
- Sleep problems
- Agitated movement
- Slowed movement
- Loss of energy
- Disorganized thinking
- Lack of concentration
- Difficulty processing information
- Difficulty interacting with other people
- Trouble managing your behavior
- Guilty feelings
- Worthless feelings
- Thoughts of death
- Suicidal thoughts
In addition to having these symptoms, Social Security asks to see how they persist over time. Regular and consistent treatment is important.
Your records need to show you’re getting ongoing treatment to reduce the effects of your depression and that you still struggle to adjust to life with this disorder.
Depression also frequently goes along with other physical and mental health conditions.
It’s common for a disability claim for depression to include other impairments and how your mental health struggles combine with other ailments to further rule out working.
For every impairment you include in your disability claim, you’ll need to add the medical evidence Social Security expects for that impairment. Experienced disability lawyers have handled claims for all kinds of health problems and can strengthen your claim for depression.
Slepian Ellexson disability attorneys devote themselves to helping our Arizona neighbors get the support they need to take care of themselves and find hope for a better future.
The monthly checks and Medicare access you get with Social Security Disability benefits can help you achieve healthier, more steady life.
