Disabilities That Qualify for Bipolar Disability Benefits. The Social Security Administration has established that a claimant with bipolar disorder must have a history of consistent symptomatic manic episodes, depressive syndromes, or a combination of both. Both the ADA and SSA consider bipolar disorder a disability. That qualifies you for additional protection and benefits under the law.
The symptoms of bipolar disorder can be extreme enough to prevent a person from working. If this applies to you, you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits. Because bipolar disorder is a qualifying disorder, a person with this mental illness may qualify for SSDI benefits. However, doing so requires a significant amount of documentation.
A person seeking SSDI benefits for bipolar disorder should be prepared to provide evidence of their diagnosis, treatment history, and how their bipolar disorder affects their ability to function in daily life. There are two main types of bipolar disorder, Bipolar I and Bipolar II, and each may have slightly different diagnostic criteria. To be diagnosed with Bipolar I, people must also experience a period of significant depression. Here's what you need to know to file a Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) claim based on bipolar disorder, including what you need to prove, how to document your disability, and what to do if your application is denied.
This is because symptoms (episodes) usually come and go in waves and there are times when people with bipolar disorder don't have any symptoms. The Social Security Administration will automatically grant disability benefits for depression or bipolar disorder if it can show that you have the symptoms and limitations listed on its official disability list for depression or bipolar disorder. While medications and psychotherapy may help control the symptoms of bipolar disorder, they may not completely eliminate them. The Social Security Administration (SSA) recognizes that symptoms of mental disorders such as bipolar disorder can significantly interfere with your daily routine and prevent you from working.
To be diagnosed with Bipolar I, manic symptoms must last at least a week and occur most of the day every day or result in hospitalization. For example, suppose you have bipolar disorder and there is evidence in your medical history that you have a moderate decline in your social functioning caused by mood swings and that you have a moderate level of difficulty concentrating. To determine if you can work a full-time job, Social Security must consider the extent to which your bipolar symptoms interfere with your ability to perform certain work activities, such as following instructions and remembering details. Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterized by alternating periods of mania and depression.
Doctors who diagnose people with bipolar disorder use one of the four basic types listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. To receive disability benefits, you'll need to prove more than just a diagnosis of depression or bipolar disorder. You'll need to provide evidence that your depression or bipolar disorder is so severe that you can't work or function well. Bipolar disorder is a qualifying condition for disability, but that doesn't mean that everyone with bipolar disorder is automatically granted supplemental security income (SSI) or disability payments.
In these situations, it is helpful to have a period of sobriety in your medical history during which you have still been diagnosed with severe depression or bipolar disorder. .
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