How much you can get as disability benefits if you have bipolar disability is essential information for you. Even though you clearly will not want your illness to deteriorate to a level where you need social security benefits to survive, this knowledge is essential.
People diagnosed with bipolar disorder may find it hard to hold down jobs. So the law steps in to protect them and ensure that they lead comfortable lives. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has strict rules as to what qualifies as a disability. This article will explain whether bipolar disorder is a disability and how much social security income you can get for it.
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder is one of the many mental illnesses that affect millions of American men and women. This mental condition is also called manic depression and causes extreme mood swings.
It is characterized by recurrent periods of depression (emotional lows) and mania (emotional highs). These mood swings can affect sleep, energy, activity, behavior, and even your judgment. A bipolar patient will often experience these symptoms:
- Depersonalization
- Suicidal thoughts
- Absence of motivation
- Anxiety
- Bouts of anger
- Sadness
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Constant feelings of hopelessness
- Depression
- Lack of pleasure or interest in usual activities
Furthermore, bipolar patients may become psychotic. Signs of the disease usually start to show during childhood and adolescence. Bipolar disorder has no permanent cure, but you can effectively manage it with a suitable treatment plan. A treatment plan often includes medications and psychological counseling.
Finally, a doctor usually bases bipolar disorder diagnosis on an individual’s self-reported experiences and other reports of behavioral abnormalities made by family members, friends, and colleagues. If you have been diagnosed and plan on applying for SSDI benefits, you will need a disability lawyer to evaluate your diagnosis.
Does Bipolar Disorder Qualify as a Disability?
Yes, bipolar disorder is considered a disability in America. Among the list of impairments that qualify a person for disability benefits in the United States, the SSA included bipolar disorder. So, if you have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder by a qualified medical practitioner, you may be eligible for disability benefits.
Not everyone diagnosed with bipolar disability is eligible for disability benefits. To qualify for the benefits, your condition must have prevented you from working. Many people with this ailment are actively working jobs. A bipolar disorder diagnosis doesn’t automatically render you unfit for employment.
For you to qualify for bipolar disability benefits, you must exhibit three of the following features:
- Pressured speech
- Flight of ideas
- Inflated self-esteem
- Decreased need for sleep
- Distractibility
- Involvement in activities with a high probability of painful consequences
- Increase in goal-directed activity or psychomotor agitation
Furthermore, your bipolar disorder will have resulted in extreme limitation of one or two of the following areas of mental functioning:
- Understanding, remembering, or applying information to interact with others.
- Concentrating, persisting, or maintaining pace.
- Adapting or managing oneself.
Alternatively, you can show that your mental disorder is “serious and persistent” with a documented history spanning at least two years that shows:
- Medical treatment, including cognitive therapy, psychosocial supports, or a highly structured setting(s) that is ongoing and reduces your symptoms, and
- Marginal adjustment, that is, minimal capacity to adapt to environmental changes or infrequent life demands.
The conditions you’re required to satisfy before you can qualify for bipolar disorder benefits highlight the need to document your ailment’s progress. You will need to submit evidence of a diagnosis, treatment history, and the disorder’s impact on your daily activity.
How Much Are Bipolar Disability Benefits Worth?
If you meet the requirements for bipolar disability as stated above, you might be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The process of applying for bipolar disability benefits can be very stressful; however, it is rewarding.
Disability payments under the above can be sufficient to cover your medical and other bills. It can also meet daily needs, such as food and living utilities. To make the process easier, it would help if you briefed and enlisted the help of a social security attorney.
Get Experienced SSDI Lawyers to Make Your Claim for Benefits!
If you have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder or experience some of the disease symptoms, you might be eligible to receive disability payments. For a proper assessment and presentation of your claim, you should contact our social security law attorneys. The lawyers as Tabak Law LLC work hard every day to get social security benefits for deserving Americans. Call us today to schedule an appointment.