Everyone has the occasional bad day. But people with persistent depression know this is different.
Bad days stretch into weeks, months, even years. It can be hard to get out of bed, let alone hold down a job.
Someone who only knows the common human experience of feeling blue from time to time doesn’t understand severe depression.
Depression is a mental health disorder that affects millions of Americans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 5% of adults show long-lasting symptoms.
You may wonder does depression qualify for disability benefits of any kind? When you can’t work because of depression, is help available for the financial strain.
Yes, Social Security Disability considers depressive disorder a disability eligible for benefits.
You may run into people who don’t realize the full impact of depression, and that can include Social Security Disability claims examiners and the disability judges who decide on approving your benefits.
Have Lachman & Gorton Law Office take care of it. Our skilled Upstate New York disability lawyers understand how Social Security approaches mental health claims for disability benefits.
We can help you build your case that depression has limited your ability to earn a steady paycheck. When you get benefits, you get financial relief and a chance to ease your mind.
We’ve helped thousands of people for over 40 years in Upstate New York, including many dealing with depression. If you live in Elmira, Binghamton, Oneonta, Rochester, or anywhere in New York State, we can fight for your well-being with diligence and care.
Depression includes an array of symptoms that negatively impact your mood, your response to stressful situations, and how you see the world.
Almost 30 percent of adults experience depression at some point in their lives. A disability claim for depression requires explaining your symptoms and how they hinder your ability to work.
Symptoms you might report in your application for disability benefits could include:
Social Security considers how these symptoms undermine your daily life to determine whether you’re eligible for disability benefits.
They look for an extreme limitation in one, or a noticeable limitation in two, of the following abilities:
When processing your claim, Social Security will want to see all your medical records and documentation of your treatments and medications.
They will study reports from your doctors, psychologists, mental health counselors and other professionals you have consulted.
Sorting through this information can be daunting. The New York disability attorneys at Lachman & Gorton can collect the records and help you make the right decisions to get the best chance of winning life-changing benefits.
And you don’t pay a dime in attorney fees until we win your case. Get started with a complimentary review or your claim for disability benefits for depression.
While examining your case for financial relief, Social Security will want to know if your depression is “serious and persistent.”
In basic terms, this means your condition is likely to keep you from full-time employment for at least a year. That includes the job you were doing or any other type of full-time work you might otherwise be able to do.
To prove your depression is “persistent,” Social Security wants to see that you have a medically documented history of depression that stretches back at least two years.
The evidence will be diagnostic reports, doctor and therapy records, and treatment schedules.
To prove the seriousness of your depression, Social Security will want to see that you have sought a highly structured mental health treatment program, such as a therapy program or a medication routine, and still have trouble functioning.
Social Security wants to see the full story of your battle with depression, laid out on an understandable timeline. Claims examiners will look for inconsistencies, missing data, and unclear records—for any reason they can find to deny your claim.
But you can avoid the common mistakes that sink many cases for disability benefits. At Lachman & Gorton, we know how Social Security works.
Let us handle Social Security for you, so you can focus on getting better and reclaiming some much-deserved peace of mind.