How to Get Disability for Anxiety in PA + NJ

Disability benefits from the Social Security Administration are a life-saver for many individuals. These benefits are available for people with physical disabilities that keep them from moving or going to work, but they are also available for individuals with mental disorders.

If you suffer from severe mental disorders including anxiety and related disorders, contact our Pennsylvania and New Jersey disability attorneys to discuss filing a disability claim for anxiety and depression. Our attorneys have decades of experience helping people with physical and mental disorders file for disability benefits. To schedule a free consultation on your case, contact Young Marr & Associates today. If you are in New Jersey, call us at (609) 557-3081, or if you are in Pennsylvania, call us at (215) 515-2954.

Can You Get Disability for Anxiety?

Disability benefits are not only for people with physical illnesses or disabilities. In many cases, individuals with mental disorders qualify for benefits. However, the condition they have must be severe and interfere with their life and their ability to work before they can receive disability benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) includes “[a]nxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders” on its list of disabilities.

For generalized anxiety disorder to qualify for disability coverage, you must meet the medical definition, and your disorder must be severe. To meet the medical definition of anxiety, you must have at least 3 of the following conditions:

• Restlessness;
• Easily fatigued;
• Difficulty concentrating;
• Irritability;
• Muscle tension; or
• Sleep disturbance.

Alternatively, the Listing of Impairments also includes definitions for panic disorder, agoraphobia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

In addition to meeting the medical criteria, you must also be able to show that your disorder is severe. One of the gauges the SSA uses to determine the severity of your anxiety is that you must show it interferes with your ability to understand, interact with others, concentrate, or manage yourself. If it does, the SSA may consider your disorder severe enough to qualify for disability benefits.

Any time you apply for disability, no matter what condition you have, the condition must also be severe enough to prevent you from working. If you cannot work to sustain a basic income level, which is $1,220 per month for 2019, you may qualify for SSDI.

These are not the only diagnoses that qualify for disability. There are other stress-related, depression-related, and anxiety-related disorders that can lead to disability benefits as well. These conditions must also meet their medical definitions and be severe to lead to disability benefits for disabled workers. Talk to an attorney to see if your disorder qualifies or is eligible for disability benefits.

Can I Get Disability for Panic Attacks?

Panic attacks are a common symptom for many people coping with anxiety disorders. The definitions that the SSA uses do not include panic attacks as a symptom, which means that you may qualify for disability whether or not you have panic attacks. Panic attacks are sometimes a symptom of generalized anxiety disorder, but these are much more common for panic disorder.

Panic disorder is listed in the SSA’s Listing of Disorders right next to general anxiety disorder, and you can qualify for disability with severe panic attacks. However, this is not a necessary symptom, and you may be able to qualify for benefits under at least one of these diagnoses, with or without panic attacks.

How to Apply for SSDI with Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Before receiving disability benefits, you must apply and qualify. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) pays benefits to people who have a history of working and paying their FICA taxes in the U.S. If you do not have a work history, you may be able to use your spouse’s or your parent’s work record, or you can apply for a different disability program called SSI.

If you have sufficient work history, the SSA will process your application, which can take a few months. The application will ask questions about your disorder and your condition and may require your psychologist or psychiatrist to supply information as well. This information should be as full and detailed as possible. If the SSA needs additional information or wants you to undergo an examination to confirm your condition, they may reject your application until full information can be provided.

Working with a disability attorney is one of the ways to improve your chances of having your application accepted on the first submission and getting the benefits you need as soon as you can. Working with an attorney statistically improves your chances of having your application accepted on the first submission. Our attorneys have decades of experience working with disability applicants, and we can put that experience to work on your case by helping you ensure that your application is full and complete.

Pennsylvania and New Jersey Disability Lawyers Offering Free Consultations on Anxiety Disability Cases

If you or a loved one has generalized anxiety disorder or another anxiety disorder, consider talking to the attorneys at Young Marr & Associates for help filing for disability for depression and anxiety. Call our New Jersey and Pennsylvania disability lawyers today to schedule a free consultation on your disability case. If you are in New Jersey, call us at (609) 557-3081, and if you are in Pennsylvania, call us at (215) 515-2954.