For residents of Columbus or across Ohio who suffer from mental illness, obtaining Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) benefits can be challenging. In addition to all of the usual difficulties facing anyone who applies for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA), what with the delays and requests for additional information and more medical records, there are the issues that are specific to mental impairments or conditions.
People, and employers, often have a heightened skepticism when it comes to mental illness. They can be full of unhelpful suggestions, like “You need to work through it” or “Deal with it,” as if it were akin to a bruised knee or scrape. If you suffer bouts of a depressive disorder, for instance, they are more like having multiple compound fractures than a mere bruise.
But mental impairments are deceptive. Those who suffer with bi-polar or anxiety conditions may appear fully functional and capable of high degrees of creativity and productivity, but then can crash with episodes of severe incapacity, and may drop out or disappear from work for days.
This can leave them with spotty employment record and make it difficult for them to maintain a job. Successfully completing an application for SSDI may be as difficult, especially if they have failed develop a medical record of their diagnosis and treatment.
Those who suffer a mental illness like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression may need additional assistance when filing a claim for SSDI. We have helped many clients suffering from mental impairments and have the experience to help you with your claim.
Source: CBS News, ” For those with mental illness, stigma cuts deep,” Jonathan LaPook, Aug. 11, 2013