Helping People Suffering from Bipolar Disorder
The mood swings faced by someone inflicted with bipolar disorder make it nearly impossible to hold down any sort of gainful employment. At the law office of Jeffrey A. Rabin & Associates, our attorneys represent people seeking Social Security benefits from our five convenient office locations throughout northern Illinois, including in Chicago.
What is Bipolar Disorder?
When a person suffers from a bipolar disorder, he or she is suffering from manic depression illness characterized by severe mood swings affecting his or her emotions, energy level and ability to function. Like other mental illnesses, bipolar disorder is a medical condition that may make a person eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
The single most important thing that you can do, if suffering from a bipolar disorder, is to communicate your symptoms to your psychiatrist, psychologist or mental health professional. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will need objective medical evidence before it determines your eligibility for Social Security benefits. It will also have to determine whether your treatment was consistent; people who undergo only sporadic treatment are less successful at treating bipolar disorder than people who treat their disorder consistently.
Factors That the SSA Will Consider
Like other disabling diseases, the SSA will review all the evidence surrounding the severity of your disorder and its effects on your life. To qualify for Social Security benefits, the SSA will have to determine that you suffer from a history of episodic periods that manifest both manic and depressive symptoms and at least marked limitations in two of the following:
- Restriction to your daily activities
- Challenges to maintaining social functioning
- Difficulties with concentration, persistence and pace
- Periods of decompensation, with significant duration
At the law firm of Jeffrey A. Rabin & Associates, we help people suffering from bipolar disorder to apply for Social Security benefits. After what you have already suffered, isn't about time to contact one of our lawyers for help with your Supplemental Security Income or Social Security disability claim?
