Your mental health matters: Social Security Disability

Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, shortened to SSDI, are an important factor for many people who are hurt on the job. Injuries aren’t just physical, so people should be aware that mental health disabilities can also qualify them for benefits.

While SSDI benefits often are for people who have physical disabilities, mental disabilities can be just as damaging. Mental health conditions such as depression or severe anxiety can make work impossible.

What kinds of mental health conditions qualify you for SSD benefits?

Some of the possible mental health conditions that could qualify a person for SSDI include:

• Depression
• Neurocognitive disorders
• Bipolar disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorders
• Anxiety disorders
• Schizophrenia spectrum disorders
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Personality or impulse-control disorders
• Eating disorders
• Trauma-related or stressor-related disorders

There are a few of these categories that may be more common. For example, neurocognitive disorders can include illnesses such as dementia, Huntington disease, multiple sclerosis or traumatic brain injuries. Some depressive disorders include bipolar disorder I and II, dysthymia and major depressive disorder.

Obsessive-compulsive disorders and anxiety disorders can also make it impossible to work. Some qualifying forms include panic disorder, agoraphobia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Impulse control is important on the job, which is why those with impulse-control disorders may struggle to work. Some disorders that fall into the personality and impulse-control disorder category include borderline personality disorder, intermittent explosive disorder and schizotypal disorders.

Autism can lead to a need for SSDI in some cases, whether the individual is verbal or nonverbal. SSDI can be obtained by those with autism with or without intellectual or language impairment.

Another thing that workers often face is post-traumatic stress disorder from traumatic incidents on the job. This disorder can lead to sleep disturbances, trouble concentrating, flashbacks to trauma or stressors and other psychological signs that affect a person’s ability to function normally.

Your mental health matters just as much as your physical health does. If you have any of these conditons or others that affect your ability to work, then you deserve the opportunity to seek SSDI and accompanying benefits that could help you stabilize your finances and focus on your recovery.