Does Mental Health Qualify for Disability Benefits?

A lot of times, people just don’t understand what it’s like to live with a severe mental illness. It impacts your life just as much as any serious physical illness could—or more.

Mental health problems can leave you unable to function in your work and needing help paying for basic expenses.

If this is what you’re facing, Social Security Disability benefits could keep you afloat, giving you a monthly income, access to Medicare or Medicaid health coverage, and relief from some of your worries.

Getting Social Security to award you benefits is another matter.

Like so many aspects of living with mental illness, applying for disability is complicated. You have to explain your condition and prove to Social Security that you can’t work.

You need a friend at a time like this. The lawyers at Horenstein, Nicholson & Blumenthal are here to support you in getting the disability income that could improve your life.

We work for everyday, hard-working people who’ve run into hard times.

Since we started more than 40 years ago, we’ve helped thousands of people in Ohio win disability benefits for mental conditions—and any conditions that make working impossible.

We want to see you achieve financial relief and a better life so you’ll look back and say “Helping me, that’s HNB.”

Talk to HNB  Talk to HNB 

    Does My Mental Health Problem Qualify for Social Security Disability?

    Because mental health problems are so poorly understood—and unfortunately still carry a stigma in our society—people sometimes wonder if they can get Social Security Disability benefits for a mental condition.

    You absolutely can.

    In fact, mental conditions are one of the most common impairments among the almost 9 million workers who receive disability benefits. The Social Security Administration says about 30 percent have some kind of mental disorder.

    Often, mental health problems combine with other health problems to create a stronger case for benefits.

    These are some of the conditions that can qualify you for benefits:

    • Anxiety
    • Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
    • Autism
    • Bipolar disorder
    • Depression
    • Eating disorders
    • Intellectual disorders
    • Personality disorders
    • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
    • Neurodevelopmental disorders
    • Obsessive compulsive disorder
    • Schizophrenia

    When you can’t work because of a mental illness, Social Security disability benefits can restore your sense of dignity and independence. Don’t be shy about applying for benefits.

    You can get HNB to evaluate your claim for free.

    Get My Free Case Review 
    A man sits on a bed holding his forehead in his hand. An HNB lawyer can help you show that your mental health condition qualifies for Social Security Disability benefits.

    An HNB lawyer can help you show that your mental health condition qualifies for Social Security Disability benefits.

    How Do I Prove My Mental Health Disability to Social Security?

    Winning Social Security Disability income for a mental illness comes with special challenges:

    • You must prove your case is severe enough that you can’t work, but mental health problems can look different in different people.
    • Medical professionals may not be able to find a clear cause of your mental illness.
    • Your symptoms are hard for other people to see and confirm.

    So for your disability application, you must document your symptoms, which could include these:

    • Sleeping problems
    • Eating problems
    • Memory problems
    • Difficulty focusing on tasks
    • Restlessness or agitation
    • Withdrawing from social situations

    You’ll need to gather medical test results, hospitalization records, details of your treatments and medications, records of your visits with psychiatrists or psychologists, and statements from people who know you about how mental illness impacts your life.

    Most people applying for disability benefits with mental or physical impairments get denied on the first try.

    So get an attorney experienced with the disability legal system to help you assemble all the evidence you need.

    If you’re denied, your lawyer can also help you appeal the decision, giving you more chances to win the disability support you deserve.

    At HNB Law, we’ll listen to you and understand your situation. We’ll make sure you don’t go through this process alone.

    Call HNB Now! 
    A man stands by a window, talking to a doctor. HNB can help you gather the evidence you need to prove that your mental health symptoms prevent you from working.

    HNB can help you gather the evidence you need to prove that your mental health symptoms prevent you from working.