Can anxiety disorder qualify you for SSD?

Most in West Palm Beach might assume disabling conditions would only be those that either severely inhibit one’s physical abilities or are determined to be immediately life-threatening. Missing from that group are mental illnesses that make accomplishing every day tasks difficult. Mental health issues such as anxiety are often not evidenced by apparent physical symptoms, thus many may think that those struggling with them should be able to deal with while staying employed. Yet as one who deals with anxiety, you understand how it can make fulfilling the tasks associated with a job almost impossible. 

Yet even when anxiety renders you unable to support yourself, you still need to confirm your condition clinically if you hope to receive Social Security Disability benefits in order to support yourself and your family. Per the Social Security Administration’s Listing of Impairments, you must provide documentation supporting one of the following issues to qualify for SSD due to anxiety: 

• Anxiety disorder
• Panic disorder or agoraphobia
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Furthermore, you must also demonstrate a severe impairment of your mental functioning. This can be proven by showing your difficulty to understand and apply new information, interact with others, concentrate or adapt to new situations. 

It can take years of observation and assistance to arrive at a definitive diagnosis for each of the aforementioned condition. What if your anxiety is just beginning to manifest itself, yet is already severe enough to put your ability to consistently work into question? If you can show that you have been suffering from a serious and significant mental condition for two years that has left you with marginal adjustment skills and has required ongoing medical treatment, you may still qualify for benefits.