When you need Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, applying can be a stressful process. Applicants have to show that their condition affects their ability to work or prevents them from living independently. They also have to show that their disabling medical condition will last for at least a year.
Applying for disability benefits can be hard enough to do with physical conditions, but with mental health disorders, proving your disability is even more complex. They are quite common, affecting about one in five adults, but not all of them are severe enough to become a true disability. It can take some time to acquire enough medical documentation to substantiate how severely your condition affects your daily life.
Those who have previously endured a period of involuntary commitment to a mental health treatment facility may be able to use that time as evidence of their need for benefits.
Why might involuntary commitment help your case?
In order for a medical professional or a member of your family to seek commitment for treatment without your consent, there needs to be evidence of either mental health or addiction issues so strong that they endanger you or others.
The paperwork documenting your involuntary commitment will likely have statements from individuals about your behavior and the impact of your mental health condition on your life and safety.
Additionally, your time in the facility will also have substantial records from mental health professionals who will report on how your symptoms prevent and how they affect your day-to-day living. All of that can provide a clear and verifiable record of how significant your condition actually is.
Especially when dealing with mental health issues, applicants need support
It feels frustrating to get denied for the SSDI benefits that you need. For someone who already has mental health issues, such a blow could feel devastating and prevent them from continuing in the process.
Don’t let your condition push you down and hold you back from getting the benefits designed for people in need. When you can’t work because of a severe mental health condition that has required hospitalization in the past, support when applying for SSDI benefits can increase your chances of success while also limiting how much stress the process causes for you and the people you love.