Can Anxiety Qualify for Disability in Michigan & Ohio?
If you’re suffering from severe anxiety, you may be able to claim disability benefits to help you financially. But successfully applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) isn’t easy.
The world is stressful, and anxiety is something all of us feel. The National Institute of Mental Health says one in five Americans suffers from an anxiety disorder.
The challenge of applying for disability benefits for anxiety is proving that your case rises to the level of making it impossible for you to maintain a job.
Many people manage their symptoms and get through their workdays, but if your anxiety is so intense that it affects your ability to work and support yourself, you need financial help so you can take care of yourself.
Let the Levine Benjamin Law Firm Detroit disability lawyers help you. We’ve been helping hard-working people in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana for more than 60 years.
You should know that applying for disability isn’t just for people with physical ailments. Mental health issues like anxiety can also affect your ability to work and support yourself.
It’s just that disability benefit claims for mental health conditions that other people can’t see, feel or understand require certain kinds of evidence and approaches. We’ll discuss that below.
Benefits could make a huge difference in your life. Give your anxiety disability claim the best possible chance of succeeding by working with lawyers who know the Social Security Disability system well.
Levine Benjamin has helped over 100,000 people.
From applying to appealing, we help you every step of the way.
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When Can You Claim Social Security Disability for Anxiety?
Anxiety can manifest in many ways, but the Social Security Administration (SSA) has a specific way of evaluating anxiety disability claims and deciding when someone’s symptoms are severe enough to qualify for SSDI or SSI benefits.
There are three specific requirements. You must meet two of the three to claim disability for anxiety without being denied:
Requirement #1: Show three or more of the following symptoms:
- Restlessness
- Frequent fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Muscle tension
- Sleep disturbances
- Irritability
Requirement #2: Have an extreme limitation of one or a marked limitation of two of the following capabilities:
- Understanding, remembering and applying information
- Concentrating and staying on task
- Managing your own behaviors and emotions
- Interacting with others
Requirement #3: Show that your anxiety disorder has existed for at least two years and that it is “serious and persistent.”
Additionally, you have to meet Social Security’s basic requirements for disability benefits that apply to every kind of case. You’ll need to show that:
- You can’t work at your current or most recent job due to significant health problems.
- You can’t switch jobs due to your health, your age, your training or other factors.
- Your health issues will keep you from working for 12 months or more.
Knowing what the SSA is looking for is an advantage, but it’s still tough to get approved for benefits on your own.
Get help from Michigan disability lawyers who’ve navigated this system for people thousands of times. Levine Benjamin is Michigan’s top disability firm measured by the amount of benefits we’ve won for our clients.
Proving Your Anxiety Disability Claim
If you’re suffering from severe anxiety, you know how hard it can be to get people to understand what you’re going through.
Even if you can describe your symptoms and how they affect your ability to work thoroughly, a claims examiner isn’t going to take your word for it alone.
If you want to qualify for benefits, you need to back up your anxiety disability claim with evidence that Social Security takes seriously.
Items that can strengthen your claim include:
- Diagnosis notes from a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health professionals
- Results of psychological testing and functional evaluations
- A list of medications you’re taking
- Detailed therapy and treatment notes
- Evidence that you’ve been following treatment plans and trying to manage your anxiety
- Evidence of disruptions to your work, like missed days or a reduction in workload
- Statements from friends, family members, coworkers, and anyone else who has seen you struggle with anxiety symptoms
The more evidence you have, the easier it is to convince Social Security that you meet two of its three criteria for anxiety disability claims.
Also, don’t forget to look at your entire health situation, not just your anxiety.
Anxiety can come with many other medical problems, both physical and psychological. Even if your struggle with anxiety is primarily what you’re concerned with, documentation of any and all other health issues can give you a stronger case for benefits.
The Levine Benjamin disability attorneys can ask you questions you might not have thought about, leading to information that boosts your claim.
Why Work with a Disability Lawyer on your Anxiety Case?
Most people get denied when they submit a disability claim. The standards set by the SSA are high, and many obstacles in this system can trip up applicants.
That’s why you should work with our Michigan disability lawyers. We support you at every step of this process.
Your disability attorney from Levine Benjamin:
- Takes time to meet with you in person and understand your claim
- Help you determine if you qualify for disability benefits
- Help you fill out application forms
- Answer questions you have at any point in this process
- Help you avoid common mistakes that lead to delays and denials
- Identify evidence that can strengthen your anxiety disability claim
- Keep you informed about important deadlines
- Support your appeal if your initial application gets denied
- Represent you at your disability hearing in front of an administrative law judge
- Question vocational and medical experts at your hearing
- Appeal your claim to higher levels if needed
Winning disability benefits on your own is difficult, so don’t leave your anxiety disability claim to chance.
The lawyers of Levine Benjamin Law Firm help people in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Flint, Elkhart, Toledo, and across Michigan, Ohio and Indiana when they need a financial lifeline.
You focus on your health, and we’ll make sure that your disability claim doesn’t get lost in the system.