Can You Get Disability For Depression and Anxiety?

Hi, Kaloni. I am on disability due to permanent nerve damage from my lymph node dissection. What I learned is that you are given disability not due to a particular diagnosis, but what you can or cannot do on a daily basis. Hopefully someone else will come along with more info. I had to fill out paperwork, as did my doctor, on what a typical day was like and soforth...

i don't know the answer to that, but when i went for disability (for lupus long before bc came along), ss sent me to a regular doc for exam and also a psychiatrist.  in the interview they asked if i ever got depressed.  i said yes so hence the psych exam.  i have no idea what he said in his report.  i requested copies of 2 doc reports from ss (you're entitled to that) but i  never got them. and since i was approved along with 18months retro, i never pushed it.  was curious though.  good luck.  i might add that you really need your docs behind you on applying for benefits. good luck

A collegue's brother-in-law did get on disability (workman's comp) for psych issues for (something like) 10 years.  He was a nurse, or a nurse-in-training.  I heard that after that, he went into training for something else.  I think it was trauma of some sort.

Definition of Disability
For all individuals applying for disability benefits under title II, and for adults applying under title XVI, the definition of disability is the same. The law defines disability as the inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity (SGA) by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment(s) which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/general-info.htm

For anxiety issues,

"12.06 Anxiety-related disorders: In these disorders anxiety is either the predominant disturbance or it is experienced if the individual attempts to master symptoms; for example, confronting the dreaded object or situation in a phobic disorder or resisting the obsessions or compulsions in obsessive compulsive disorders.

The required level of severity for these disorders is met when the requirements in both A and B are satisfied, or when the requirements in both A and C are satisfied.

A. Medically documented findings of at least one of the following:

1. Generalized persistent anxiety accompanied by three out of four of the following signs or symptoms:

a. Motor tension; or

b. Autonomic hyperactivity; or

c. Apprehensive expectation; or

d. Vigilance and scanning; or

2. A persistent irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation which results in a compelling desire to avoid the dreaded object, activity, or situation; or

3. Recurrent severe panic attacks manifested by a sudden unpredictable onset of intense apprehension, fear, terror and sense of impending doom occurring on the average of at least once a week; or

4. Recurrent obsessions or compulsions which are a source of marked distress; or

5. Recurrent and intrusive recollections of a traumatic experience, which are a source of marked distress;

AND

B. Resulting in at least two of the following:

1. Marked restriction of activities of daily living; or

2. Marked difficulties in maintaining social functioning; or

3. Marked difficulties in maintaining concentration, persistence, or pace; or

4. Repeated episodes of decompensation, each of extended duration.

OR

C. Resulting in complete inability to function independently outside the area of one's home.http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/12.00-MentalDisorders-Adult.htm#12.06 Anxiety-Related Disorders