As this blog has discussed on previous occasions, a resident of the Central Florida area can get Social Security disability benefits for a variety of mental health conditions so long as he or she meets the Social Security Administration’s requirements.
The problem is that mental illnesses are hard for a person to see or otherwise sense; a person who may be suffering profoundly from mental illness may to the outside observer appear perfectly healthy and, thus, perfectly able to work.
It is therefore important for a Floridian who wants to claim disability due to a mental condition to have the appropriate proof available so the Administration is more likely to accept the person’s claim.
Basically, the Social Security Administration will examine an applicant’s medical history to determine if they have a mental illness that qualifies as a potential disability under the Administration’s rules. The Administration will also determine whether and to what extent the mental illness prevents the applicant from working at a job.
To prove both elements, the Administration will rely heavily on the applicant’s medical records, so it is very important for an applicant to obtain all of his or her records and, to the extent possible, present them in a clear and concise fashion. The Administration will also be interested in seeing reliable evidence showing exactly how the condition affects the patient in day-to-day life. Finally, in some cases, the Administration may order its own doctor to conduct a further exam.
While it is possible, getting together the right proof for the Social Security Administration can be a daunting task to do alone, particularly if the person trying to do it is already sensitive to stress. A disability attorney can be of valuable assistance in this respect.
