What is Bipolar disorder?
Bipolar is one of many mental disorders that can be disabling. Whether it is disabling for you, depends on a number of factors. Most importantly, in any disability case, is how your impairment affects your functioning.
Some people have mild symptoms that bother them only minimally or rarely. Others have their condition controlled with medications and are still able to work. If you have tried treatment, medications and/or therapy and/or other treatment, and it does not help enough to allow you to work, then you may qualify for disability benefits.
Tips for filing for Social Security disability benefits with bipolar disorder
It’s important for you to be open with your mental health providers, especially the one who is prescribing your medications. It’s important that you tell the provider(s) how the medications help, and how they DON’T help, the types of symptoms you still have despite the medications or other treatment, and the frequency and intensity of your symptoms.
If you develop a good relationship and are regular with your appointments, your provider is more likely to be willing to fill out paperwork for you that could help social security to understand the level of your disability.
The areas that are evaluated by decision makers are how limited you are in your activities of daily living, your ability to pay attention and concentrate, your ability to interact with others and your ability to adapt and manage yourself. So, these are areas that you need to inform your providers of if you are having issues in these areas. Providing examples of exactly what you are having trouble with will help your provider to better understand what your limitations are and possibly, how to best help you.
If you have bipolar disorder, Balin Law can help
If you or a loved one has bipolar disorder and want to explore options for disability benefits, Balin Law can help. Call us for a free case evaluation.
“Balin Law was just so knowledgeable. My attorney, Mira, was great and she’s a wonderful listener. She took down all of my information, listened to what I had to say and encouraged me to use everything I was suffering from. She took my case to court and I was approved disability benefits very quickly – within four months to be exact!” – Melissa, Balin Law Client with Bipolar Disorder