Depressed And Unable To Work
If you have become too depressed to work at your job, you may be feeling particularly helpless and hopeless about your situation. The good news is that the Social Security Administration (SSA) may be able to help you with monthly benefit payments when you can't work anymore. While getting most any kind of help from the SSA can be challenging, you should know that help is available and the sooner you get started the sooner you can receive benefits. Read on to learn more.
Specific Requirements
The SSA considers depression to be an affective disorder. To be approved for benefits, you should be able to show that depression has affected you for at least 12 months, or that it will affect you for 12 months. From the list of symptoms, you should be ready to prove that you are suffering from at least 4 of the following:
- Appetite changes
- Thoughts of suicide
- Problems sleeping
- Loss of interest in social, career, and recreational activities
- Loss of energy
- Psycho motor problems
- Problems with concentration and thinking
- Feeling guilty or worthless
- Delusions, hallucinations or paranoid thinking
And at least 2 of the following in addition to the above:
- Social functioning impairment
- Difficulty with persistence, concentration or pace
- A marked restriction in daily living
- Decompensation
Qualifying for Benefits
If you've learned how hard it is to cope with the tasks of your job while suffering from depression, you already know that you need help. The key to getting the benefits you need, however, is to check off all of the boxes that the SSA needs to see. Getting approved means showing that your mental disease is preventing you from working, and it means showing proof of that.
To that end, be sure that you:
1. Seek treatment from a doctor or a mental health treatment professional. Surprisingly, it's not necessary to be treated by a mental health professional to gain benefits, but it is highly recommended.
2. Follow all prescribed treatment plans, whether that be medication or types of mental health therapy.
3. Stay in treatment. Keep all appointments and continue to have regular treatment for your depression. Don't stop just because you've applied for benefits, keep at it.
4. Keep accurate records of all the steps you've taken to seek treatment.
5. Get a copy of your treatment or medical records.
You should get ready for a challenging experience with the SSA, but if you get turned down you can count yourself among the many. Talk to social security disability attorneys for support during your appeal.