If you suffer from Bipolar Disorder and it affects your ability to maintain employment, you may be a candidate for Social Security Disability (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.
In addition to the requirement that you must be unable to work for a period of at least twelve months or longer due to your condition, there is also medical evidence that needs to be presented to the Social Security Administration (SSA), so they can understand your condition and how it affects you day to day.
For one, if you have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, you must have medical documentation of three or more of the following characterizations: pressured speech, flight of ideas, inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, distractibility, involvement in activities that have a high probability of painful consequences that are not recognized, and/or an increase in goal-directed activity or psychomotor agitation.
You must also have an extreme or marked limitation in one or two of the following areas: the ability to understand, remember, and apply information; the ability to interact with others; the ability to concentrate, persist, or maintain pace; and the ability to adapt or manage yourself.
If you do not have extreme or marked limitations in the above, your case may also be proven with a medically documented history of the existence of the bipolar disorder over at least two years, with evidence of medical treatment or a highly structured setting that is ongoing and lowers your symptoms and signs of bipolar disorder and you must also have a minimal ability to adapt to changes in your environment or to demands that are not already part of your daily life.
One way to prove a disability case based on bipolar disorder is to have your psychologist fill out mental residual functional capacity forms every few months. This will allow Social Security to see your restrictions, in addition to the notes your doctor takes during regular and ongoing counseling or other mental health treatment.
If you are suffering from bipolar disorder and are unable to maintain employment, contact a lawyer today for help in proving your disability case.