Mental health diagnoses and treatment has come a long way in the last several decades. There was once a time when mental health issues were not even considered a medical illness. Thankfully, today there are medical diagnoses and treatments that can aid those suffering from mental illness. Just like with any illness, the ability to work when suffering from illness can be compromised.
Because mental illness may render one unable to work, one suffering from mental illness could quality for social security disability benefits for illness. Certain disorders like schizophrenia, anxiety and autism are on the list of illnesses that could be receiving of SSDI. There are other mental illnesses that are often covered that are not listed above. Essentially, the mental illness must prevent one from working for at least 12 months or more.
As those with mental illnesses may know, they can be more difficult to diagnose than most physical illnesses. Sadly, this is also often true of gaining SSDI benefits when suffering from mental illness. It may be more difficult to prove that your mental disability renders you unable to work in comparison to a physical illness. It’s possible that the government agency may order a mental consultation exam in order to determine specifics about a person’s mental illness and why it renders them unable to work.
There are often additional steps involved in the process of requesting and achieving SSDI benefits. Sometimes the process can be more complex in comparison to pursuing benefits for a physical illness or injury. Ironically, mental illness can also manifest in physical ways. Consider how SSDI benefits could impact the life for the better for yourself or a loved one suffering from mental illness.
Source: socialsecurity.findlaw.com, “Mental Health Disability Claims,” Accessed January 2, 2017
