For those in Lakeland that have never dealt with severe anxiety, it is difficult to understand just how disabling it can be. Indeed, according to information shared by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, those who suffer from diagnosed anxiety are three to five times more likely to require medical treatment (and six times more likely to require hospitalization) than those who do not.
This additional need for treatment can have a huge impact on one’s ability to work. Add in the additional stress that can come from one’s career, and it becomes easy to see why a person with anxiety can have trouble fulfilling job-related functions. The question then becomes whether anxiety warrants disability benefits.
Demonstrating anxiety disorder
Some might question whether anxiety sufferers should receive disability benefits given that the perception of the condition (to many) may be subjective. Yet as is the case with any disabling condition, the Social Security Administration requires that one meet its clinical requirements demonstrating anxiety before qualifying for benefits. To do so, one must suffer from one of the following:
- Anxiety disorder
- Panic disorder (or agoraphobia)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Medical documentation must confirm the observance of each of these conditions in a patient.
Dealing with difficulties related to coping capacity
In addition, one’s anxiety-related condition must demonstrate either one of two characteristics. The first is an extreme limitation in the ability to understand and process information, to interact with others, to maintain one’s concentration, or to adapt to new situations (if an extreme limitation is not observed in just one of these areas, a marked limitation in two may suffice).
The second is ongoing treatment (for a period of at least two years) that shows that one has a diminished capacity to adjust to changes to their regular routine and that only continued treatment can adequately address one’s condition.
