Anxiety and Depression information from Disability Lawyers
Statistics show that approximately 21 million Americans have experienced at least one major depressive episode. This number equates to approximately 8.4% of Americans struggling to deal with some type of mental illness. Of all adults in our country, in addition to those who suffer from depression, around 31.1% of adults in America have experienced some type of anxiety disorder at some time during their life.
The unfortunate truth is that many people in America deal with some type of mental illness. Dealing with depression and anxiety is incredibly exhausting. These mental health conditions can impact nearly every aspect of a person’s life, making it difficult to interact with others, work, or enjoy their lives.
In some cases, people who suffer from anxiety and depression may qualify for Social Security disability benefits. If you are interested in pursuing a disability claim for either anxiety or depression, our Social Security disability lawyers at Edelstein Martin & Nelson can help you through the disability claims process. We can represent you in many states across the country, so don’t hesitate to reach out.
For more than three decades, our dedicated legal team has fought to help those who suffer from an anxiety disorder or mental disorder get the benefits to which they are rightfully entitled. Our team will help you through the claims process, assist with appeals, and/or provide guidance throughout the process to ensure you have the best chance of getting the benefits you deserve. Contact our law firm now to get started on your case.
Understanding Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety is a condition that is characterized by people feeling incredibly worried, tense, or experiencing physical changes, such as increased blood pressure. People who suffer from anxiety disorders often experience multiple episodes of feelings of intense fear or anxiousness. This can result in panic attacks lasting several minutes. Common symptoms of anxiety include:
- Difficulty sleeping
- Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems
- Having difficulty controlling worry
- Breathing rapidly
- Sweating
- Feeling restless, nervous, or tense
- Having a sense of impending danger, panic, or doom
- Having an increased heart rate
- Difficulties thinking or concentrating on anything
- Trembling
- Feeling weak or tired
- Having the sudden and unpredictable urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety
There are several different types of anxiety disorders that people can suffer from. These include:
- Agoraphobia: This is a type of anxiety that a person can experience that causes them to avoid places or situations. In some cases, the situations can make them feel embarrassed, helpless, or even trapped.
- Anxiety disorder due to a medical condition: This is a type of anxiety that a person experiences as a result of physical health problems.
- Generalized anxiety disorder: This condition describes situations where people experience excessive and persistent anxiety. They continually worry about events or activities, some of which are incredibly ordinary or routine.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder: This condition generally presents itself after witnessing a traumatic event. When we think about post-traumatic stress disorder, we often think about military personnel. However, any person can suffer from PTSD.
- Panic disorder: This condition involves repeated episodes of extreme anxiety in terror.
- Selective mutism: This condition describes children who experience extreme anxiety when they are forced to speak in various situations. This condition can impact a student’s social function, work, and school.
- Separation anxiety disorder: This disorder is generally characterized by anxiety that is extremely excessive for children based on their developmental level.
- Social anxiety disorder: A social phobia generally involves a significant amount of fear, anxiety, and avoidance of being involved in social settings or situations.
- Specific phobias: This condition involves a person experiencing severe anxiety when they are exposed to specific objects or situations. Specific phobias can result in severe panic attacks.
- Substance-induced anxiety disorder: This type of anxiety generally occurs as a result of taking medication or misusing drugs. It can also be caused by exposure to a toxic substance or withdrawal.
- Unspecified anxiety disorder: This term is used to describe situations where the type of anxiety that a person suffers from does not fit the criteria for another type of anxiety disorder.
Any type of anxiety disorder poses many challenges to living and working normally in society. Many people who suffer from anxiety have problems socializing and performing work. Suffering from anxiety-related disorders can make it incredibly difficult for people to hold stable jobs.
What is a Depressive Disorder?
Depression is a chronic mood disorder that can have severe symptoms that affect how a person thinks, feels, and handles various activities. Depression may interfere with a person’s ability to eat, sleep, or work. There are several different types of depression that a person can suffer from. These include:
- Major depression: A person is considered to have major depression if they have symptoms of depressed mood or a major lack of interest that last for two weeks or more. This disorder often interferes with a person’s daily activities.
- Persistent depressive disorder: A person is said to have a persistent depressive disorder or dysthymia if they have less severe symptoms of depression that last for a period of two years or more.
- Perinatal depression: This type of depression generally occurs after a woman gives birth or is pregnant. In some cases, women can begin to experience symptoms of depression during their pregnancy. In other situations, depression may start after the baby is born, which is referred to as postpartum
- Seasonal affective disorder: This type of depression comes and goes with the seasons. People who suffer from seasonal affective disorder often have depression symptoms that begin in the fall and early winter and continue forward to the spring and summer months.
- Depression with symptoms of psychosis: This severe form of depression occurs when a person experiences psychosis as a result of the depression that they have. This can result in delusions, hallucinations, and other disturbances.
There are many instances where medical professionals diagnose patients who suffer from anxiety disorder and severe depression with bipolar disorder.
No matter what type of mental disorder you suffer from, it is crucial that you are able to get the Social Security disability benefits that you are entitled to. Seeking guidance from a Social Security disability lawyer can help to ensure you have the best chance of proving your case and getting the money and benefits you deserve.
What Social Security Disability Benefits are Available?
People who suffer from depression or anxiety may experience severe difficulty concentrating. In some cases, they may also experience extreme limitations when it comes to engaging with others or working. Whether you suffer from clinical depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or another type of mental disorder, you may have disability benefits available to you to make up for the fact that you are unable to work.
People who experience severe impairment as a result of depression or anxiety and are unable to work as a result should seek benefits through the Social Security Administration. A person’s work history will generally determine what type of Social Security disability benefits they are able to recover.
If a person has a strong work history, they may be able to qualify for Social Security disability insurance benefits. These benefits are typically calculated by using a point system that is based on the years that you worked and various other factors.
In cases where people have no work history or do not have an adequate history of employment, they can seek benefits called supplemental security income. SSI benefits can be decreased or eliminated if a person who suffers from depression or anxiety depends on another person for financial support.
To ensure you have the best chance of getting the benefits to which you are entitled, it is important that you are able to prove your case.
Working with a nationwide disability attorney from Edelstein Martin & Nelson can help to ensure all of your medical documentation and medical evidence is in place when you file your disability claim.
Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits
The process of applying for Social Security disability benefits can be performed online or over the phone. In some cases, you can go to the Social Security Administration office in your area.
You will need to submit an application that includes your name and contact information. You also want to provide your medical records, the names and contact information of any health care providers who have treated you, a list of any mental health professional who has provided treatment for you, information about the medications you take, and other evidence to prove your medical impairment.
The Social Security Administration will review the evidence that you provide in support of your claim. They will determine if your depression or anxiety symptoms meet the criteria specified to qualify for the disability benefits.
After submitting your initial application, the Social Security Administration may request further medical documentation surrounding the medical treatment of your mental disorder. They may also require you to provide further information to demonstrate how your disorder has caused impaired mental functioning.
It is important that you pay attention to all of the deadlines that may be listed in correspondence between you and the SSA. They will provide a deadline by which you have to turn in various documents or information. Missing a deadline can prevent you from receiving the benefits that you need and are entitled to.
In general, it can take between three months and five months for the Social Security Administration to make a determination of whether or not you qualify for benefits for your mental disorder. If you are approved for benefits, your first payment will come the sixth month after the date that your disability began.
Unfortunately, more than 64% of initial claims related to anxiety and depression are denied by the Social Security Administration. For this reason, it is important that you have a strong legal team by your side to ensure that you get the benefits that you are rightfully entitled to.
Appealing a Social Security Disability Benefits Denial
If your claim for Social Security disability benefits for depression and anxiety was denied by the Social Security Administration, you have the right to file an appeal of their decision. Unfortunately, the appeals process can be incredibly lengthy and require a court appearance in some situations.
If you are denied Social Security benefits for your depression and anxiety, our disability lawyers at Edelstein Martin & Nelson can help you with the appeals process.
Our team is well aware of the overwhelming challenges that come with the mental and physical symptoms of both depression and anxiety. For this reason, our team will do everything in our power to make sure that you are able to get the benefits and compensation that you need and deserve.
Throughout the appeal process, you can depend on our lawyers to help educate you with regard to your rights. We will help you make informed decisions throughout the duration of your claim. Our team will present adequate evidence on your behalf and help you get copies of your medical records of all of the medical treatment that you have undergone.
If you are required to attend a hearing before the administrative judge, our lawyers will remain by your side throughout the entire process.
Let Our National Disability Benefits Team Help You
It is undeniable that getting disability benefits for a mental illness can be a complex process. However, armed with the right knowledge and legal team by your side, you have a much better chance of obtaining success.
If you suffer from depression or another type of mental health issue, reaching out to our Social Security Disability lawyers at Edelstein Martin & Nelson to get started on your case today is the best decision that you can make. Our team has more than three decades of experience helping people who are suffering from mental issues get the compensation they deserve. Please reach out to our Social Security disability lawyers as soon as possible so that we can help you take control of your situation and move forward with optimism.