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Mental Illness and SSDI

Mental illness could well be called an epidemic in the United States; the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), estimates that around 60 million Americans over the age of 18 suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year (about one out of every four people in that age bracket).

Common mental conditions can include mood disorders such as major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, schizophrenia anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Mental illness can sometimes be serious enough to keep you from working. If that's the case in your situation, documenting your condition is the key to proving your disability case.

One of the most important steps for your case will be getting treatment for your condition and tracking down medical records from any healthcare professional that have treated you for your condition.

These records should outline how your mental condition impacts your daily life and limits or interferes with your ability to work. Issues created by mental conditions can include:


  • Sensory abnormalities
  • Difficulty functioning socially
  • Problems communicating
  • Difficulty with movement or motor skills
  • Struggling to concentrate, focus, or pay attention
  • Difficulty learning instructions, following instructions or remembering instructions
  • Loss of the ability to function at the level that an employer would expect, which is also known as decompensation
In addition, your records should document your disability over time and include details about how the severity of your condition has changed, what treatments you are undergoing, how you are responding to those treatments, and results form any psychological or medical tests you have taken

Please contact The Law Office of William J. Luse if your claim has been denied or if you are considering filing a claim. Either way, we can help. 

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