How to Get Disability Benefits for Depression or Bi-Polar Disorder - YouTube

Can you be awarded disability benefits  for depression or bipolar disorder? Hello,  

I'm Marc Whitehead, a board certified disability  attorney and author of the disability help books,  

'The Social Security Disability Puzzle, Disability  Insurance Policies-How to Unravel a Mystery,  

and Veterans Disability Claims- Strategies For a  Winning Campaign.' As with physical injuries not  

everyone with depression qualifies for disability  benefits. Yet, severe depression can significantly  

interfere with the person's daily activities  and the ability to work. In fact, depression is  

among the leading causes of disability worldwide.  Disability claims based on depression or bipolar  

disorder are routinely challenged by insurance  companies, the Social Security Administration,  

and the Department of Veterans Affairs. If  this has been your experience it may be time  

to seek legal help in order to prove you're  indeed disabled. Depression is not a sign of  

personal weakness, it's a real mental illness with  real causes The cause may be due to chemistry,  

biology, or life experiences, disorders of the  brain caused by chemical imbalance, genetics,  

or emotional or physical trauma, it can also  be caused by hormone imbalance. Depression  

can also coexist with a serious or painful  medical condition or as a reaction to the  

condition. In fact, depression is one of the  most common secondary conditions associated  

with severe injury or illness. There are  different forms of depressive disorders,  

including; major depression, die semuc disorder,  minor depression, and bipolar disorder. The  

symptoms of depression and severity of these  symptoms will also vary among individuals.  

Depression is an illness that affects the whole  person, leading to feelings of hopelessness  

and despair. People who suffer from depression  have trouble concentrating, sleeping or eating,  

and have lost interest in taking care of their  daily activities. They may exhibit avoidance of  

people, profound grief, and a lack of energy.  Depression carries a high risk of suicide.

To win Social Security disability for depression  you need to prove one thing, that your depression  

is severe enough to stop you from working. To  determine a person's eligibility for benefits, the  

Social Security Administration adheres to their  listing of impairments. The listing for depression  

disability is found under mental disorders listing  12 .04, affective disorders. If your condition is  

severe enough to satisfy these requirements  you'll be considered disabled by the Social  

Security Administration. The SSA will need medical  evidence to support your exact limitations. This  

means that they'll want to see medical records and  psychiatric records from doctors, psychiatrists  

or psychologists, mental health clinics and  other facilities where you receive treatment. 

Depressive disorders are often endured by veterans  who've lived through the emotional stress of war,  

indeed following: the death or injury of  comrades, living through unbearable conditions,  

are struggling with their own physical injuries  and disorders. Veterans disability benefits are  

based on the establishment of a service-connected  impairment. A disability rating is assigned  

based on the severity of the impairment or  combination of impairments. To arrive at  

a rating the VA relies on the VA scheduled for  rating disabilities. Depression is listed under  

mental disorders and further identified as a mood  disorder. VA disability payments are then awarded  

based on this assessment combined with a veteran's  ability to work and earn a living. Depressive  

disorders may begin because of experiences  or injuries the veteran had while in service.  

Traumatic brain injury is frequently responsible  for the onset of depression. Depressive illness  

may be closely related to other service-connected  disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

You may also be able to claim disability benefits  on your long term disability insurance policy for  

your oppression. Whether you have long term  disability insurance privately or through  

your employer it's the insurance carrier who  will process your claim. It's become routine  

practice for many insurance companies to  deny legitimate claims for depression,  

or to devalue these claims. Insurance claims  for depression disability present their own  

unique set of challenges. One such talents  from insurers regarding depression disorders  

is that the condition is not severe enough to  qualify for disability. Symptoms of depression  

are emotional and abstract and sometimes with  highs and lows and difficult to measure. This  

opens the door for insurers to claim that you  do not meet their definition of disability. You  

may also suffer from depression as you endure  another serious illness or painful condition.  

Most insurance companies have a clause that  lists mental disorders as mental nervous  

conditions for which the benefit pay period is  limited to only two years. In their attempt to  

reduce payment terms your insurer may try to  award benefits only for depression under the  

mental nervous condition clause with no separate  recognition of the physical disability. For more  

information download one or all of our three free  eBooks, 'The Social Security Disability Puzzle,  

Disability Insurance Policies-How To Unravel  The Mystery, or Veterans Disability Claims-  

Strategies For A Winning Campaign.' By  visiting www.disabilitydenials.com for a  

free downloadable copy or call 1(800)562-9830  to discuss your particular disability  

issue. I'm Marc Whitehead, thanks for watching.