Is Anxiety Disorder a Disability?

Is Anxiety A Disability?

If you struggle with anxiety, you are not alone. In fact, millions of Americans struggle with this condition as well. Depending upon its severity, extreme anxiety can negatively impact your life in a number of ways, including potentially even rendering you unable to work and earn an income issue as you otherwise would. If you find yourself in this situation, you may wonder whether or not you qualify for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. Let’s take a closer look at the law together.

What Types of Benefits Are Available?

If you are considering pursuing disability benefits, you should be aware that there are two types of benefits available, depending on your circumstances. These include Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

To qualify for either type of benefit, you must meet two factors. First, you must have a qualifying medical condition. Secondly, that condition must have rendered you unable to work for a period of at least one continuous calendar year or more. Those who have a condition that lasts for a shorter duration may be eligible to collect other types of benefits but will not qualify for Social Security disability benefits.

If you satisfy each of the foregoing conditions, the type of benefit you may qualify for will depend upon other factors as well, including your work and earnings history and your income level.

In order to qualify for SSDI benefits, you must be considered “insured” by the Social Security Administration. Being “insured” may sound as if you need to have a specific type of insurance policy, but that is not, in fact, the case. Instead, to the Social Security Administration, being “insured” means that you worked a job for a sufficient period through which you regularly paid taxes into the Social Security system from your salary.

To receive SSI benefits, by contrast, an applicant does not need to be insured. Instead, they must have income and resources below a specific limit established by the Social Security Administration. This limit may change annually, so it is essential to consult with an attorney regarding your particular qualifications.

Is Anxiety a Qualifying Medical Condition?

As a general rule, to determine if a particular condition qualifies for benefits, the Social Security Administration will consult its listing of impairments, more commonly known as the Blue Book. The Blue Book lists various situations, along with their accompanying symptoms. If you have a condition that is not explicitly listed in the Blue Book, this does not mean that you will necessarily be denied benefits. It does, however, mean that you may need to present additional medical proof to substantiate your particular condition and its effects on your day-to-day life.

Fortunately, for those struggling with anxiety, the Blue Book does recognize anxiety disorders as conditions that may qualify for benefits. According to the Blue Book, those with anxiety may experience excessive worry and fear that interferes with their ability to live their daily lives normally. Additionally, they may avoid certain places or people due to their condition. Some other symptoms of anxiety may include restlessness, difficulty sleeping, becoming easily fatigued, fears regarding safety, inability to concentrate, and a variety of other symptoms.

The Blue Book groups anxiety disorders with a number of other similar mental conditions. Some types of anxiety that the Social Security Administration recognizes as disabling include:

• Obsessive, compulsive disorder
• Social anxiety disorder
• Panic disorder
• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Various phobias

If you have one of these conditions and you can substantiate that condition with sufficient medical proof, you will increase your chances of approval for benefits.

Of course, as we have noted, proving that you have a disabling medical condition is only one piece of a larger puzzle. You must also be able to show that your condition is severe enough that you have been unable to work for at least one calendar year or more. To establish this, the Social Security Administration will likely require medical record and possibly employment records that document the condition itself and its impact on your ability to function normally. In addition, you must also be able to establish that you meet the various other factors necessary for approval, including being “insured” or having income and resources below the established annual limit.

Call Disability Experts Today

Understandably, all of this information regarding pursuing benefits and how you may qualify can seem complicated and overwhelming. The good news is you don’t have to walk this path alone. At Disability Experts, we’re here to help. We know and understand every aspect of the law pertaining to disability benefits, and we are ready to walk with you each step of the way. If you’re ready to get started, give us a call today. We look forward to speaking with you soon.