Sadly, we live in anxious times.
Stress about the economy. Stress about politics. Stress about keeping up with everything in your day-to-day life. Stress about the future. All are growing.
The COVID-19 Pandemic itself added millions more cases of anxiety and depression all over the world, said a study in the medical journal the Lancet.
Anxiety isn’t just a general worry that you can shake off. It can feel physical, be truly debilitating—and make it impossible for you to do your job.
If you can’t work because of overwhelming anxiety, you could get financial help from Social Security Disability benefits.
Right now you could definitely use a break from anxiety about money.
Social Security Disability provides monthly checks to help you cover basic expenses. It can also get you into Medicare for your health care needs, even when you haven’t reached the usual age for Medicare.
Applying for disability benefits for anxiety comes with challenges, though.
At the Levine Benjamin Law Firm, based in Detroit, we have extensive experience helping people get disability for anxiety across Michigan.
In all, we’ve helped over 80,000 people. Our firm goes back over 59 years in Michigan.
How can you get disability for anxiety in Michigan? In this post, we’ll explain what to expect.
How Does Anxiety Qualify for Disability Benefits?
You may start by wondering whether you can get disability benefits for a mental health problem like anxiety.
Many people think of “disability” as a purely physical impairment.
It’s true that it can be complicated to prove your anxiety to other people, namely the people who will be reviewing your disability qualifications.
They can’t see your anxiety disorder. They can’t feel what you feel.
But you should know that mental health disorders absolutely can qualify for disability benefits. In fact, it’s a major impairment among the millions of people who receive Social Security Disability.
In recent years, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has listed mental illness as the second-largest category of impairments among workers receiving disability checks; they make up a full quarter of disability claims.
Social Security gives specific directions for how to get benefits with anxiety.
You must provide documentation of symptoms like these::
- Restlessness
- Irritability
- Difficulty concentrating
- Quick to fatigue
- Muscle tension
- Sleep problems
For a disability claim, you can also document panic attacks, debilitating fear of being in public places (agoraphobia), and obsessive-compulsive disorder where you are plagued by unwanted thoughts and trying to soothe yourself with repetitive motions.
In addition, Social Security says you need to show problems in these areas:
- Processing information
- Interacting with others
- Keeping on tasks
- Regulating your emotions and behavior
Social Security may also want you to show a two-year history of your struggle with anxiety.
That includes describing your medical treatment and therapy over the years, and also your difficulty adapting to changes.
How to Build Your Disability Claim for Anxiety
In your disability claim, you have to back up each of the symptoms described above with evidence.
Medical evidence is the core of any disability application.
For an anxiety claim, this can include:
- Records of your doctor visits
- Records of your visits to psychotherapists or psychiatrists
- Details of medications you’ve taken for anxiety
- Details of other treatments you’ve received
- Statements from people who personally know about how anxiety has impacted your life
It’s like they’re trying to load you up with homework.
But with this homework, you’re allowed to get somebody else to help you complete it: a Social Security Disability lawyer.
An experienced Social Security Disability attorney can gather all this evidence for you and present it the right way—so you’ll have the best chance of getting through to Social Security that you should be awarded financial assistance as you deal with your anxiety.
To get disability benefits for anxiety in Michigan, talk to Levine Benjamin.
Levine Benjamin is the largest, most established disability law firm based in Michigan.
We know the ins and outs of a disability claim for anxiety. We know what you need to show Social Security and what you don’t need to include.
To work with a disability attorney, you pay no fee until you win benefits.
And if you’re trying to figure out what to do, you can talk to our disability attorneys for a free initial consultation on your case.
Another thing about Levine Benjamin: with us, you’ll work directly with your lawyer and not just support staff members, and we’ll provide the personal attention you need in this sensitive time in life.
And we can stay by you if your first-time application is denied and you need to appeal to higher levels in Social Security.
From applying to appealing, we help you every step of the way.
For help getting disability benefits for anxiety in Michigan, reach out to us.
