Mental illnesses are probably the most difficult of all medical conditions that a patient may suffer from. Those illnesses can greatly hamper even the most basic day-to-day activities. An example of one such mental illness is bipolar disorder. As many people in Alabama may know, bipolar disorder is an illness of the brain that severely affects the mood, energy, activity levels and the ability to perform daily chores.
The Social Security Administration understands the gravity of bipolar disorder and has included it in the list of disabilities that are eligible for Social Security disability benefits. In order to obtain benefits for bipolar disorder, the applicant must meet the eligibility criteria mentioned in the SSA’s Blue Book. The eligibility criteria include displaying medically proven and acknowledged disabilities and also the inability to work that eventually leads to financial duress, which is the same for obtaining benefits for any disability.
An important thing to keep in mind for adults planning to claim SSD benefits for bipolar disorder is that the symptoms of the illness must have existed for at least two years and the prospective claimant should have been receiving treatment for the same. For children, however, the SSA requires that the symptoms being displayed are similar to the symptoms for manic syndrome and major depressive syndrome.
That being said, the fact remains that obtaining SSD benefits for bipolar disorder is often difficult, as in the case of claiming benefits from the SSA for any other illness. Usually, the difficulties stem from the fact that patients are not fully informed about the SSA’s rules and regulations, both about the eligibility criteria and also the income criteria. Therefore, it may be a wise decision on the port of prospective claimants to file their claim for SSD benefits for bipolar disorder under the guidance for a Social Security attorney.