Anxiety is an often misunderstood condition that can be difficult for loved ones to understand. It is considered a mental health disease, and it affects everyone differently. One of the most common misconceptions about anxiety is that it is somehow avoidable through exercise, diet, meditation, or self-care.
Anxiety disorders are often incapacitating and can lead to withdrawal from day-to-day activities like work, school, and socializing. Disability benefits for anxiety disorders include: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Medicare coverage.
This article explores some myths about anxiety:
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Myth 1: A disability is a sign of failure
The first myth is that if you have a disability, your life is over. The reality is that the majority of disabilities are not permanent and many people successfully recover from them. In fact, it is possible for someone with an anxiety disorder to work full time, raise children, and live a life full of fulfilment.
Some feel as though a disability is a sign of failure. That it means that you are not good enough in some way, either with your body or your mind. People with disabilities are often seen as different in some way, and the world likes to put them down for this reason. If you have a disability, do not let it stop you from achieving your goals in life
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Myth 2: Your anxiety will disappear over time
It is common for people with anxiety to believe or to hope that their anxiety will eventually disappear. However, many people find that their symptoms worsen when they try to ignore or cope with their symptoms alone.
People who are diagnosed with anxiety are often advised to just “practice their coping skills” to get over it. Sometimes your anxiety will go away, but that does not mean that the condition is gone forever. It just means that you have gotten used to dealing with it, and now you are not as scared of what might happen.
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Myth 3: You can’t be denied if you do not have a mental disorder
While the general rule is that you must have a mental disorder to be approved for disability, there are exceptions. For example, you may be considered for disability if your symptoms have been diagnosed by a physician as being severe and prolonged. The other exception would be if you were deemed to have a “severe and disabling impairment” from an anxiety-related condition.
The last thing you want is to not be able to get disability benefits for anxiety because your doctor says that your condition is not severe enough. The best way to deal with this situation is to get the opinion of a second doctor on whether or not you qualify for disability. It may turn out that even though it seems like the doctor did not really listen, they made a mistake and you will be approved.
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Myth 4: A disability means you will never work again
Disability for anxiety is an option to help with your financial stability while you learn to cope with your symptoms. Doctors will often have you work with your anxiety or find other treatments for it before agreeing that it is disabling. Some people believe that once you get a disability, you will never work again. This may be true for some people who are receiving benefits, but it is not true for others. If you are looking to get out of the workforce permanently, this is not the way to do it.
James Miller is a disability attorney in Chicago who assists people with disabilities with a variety of legal matters. His practice includes assisting in filing for Social Security benefits, obtaining the proper accommodations, and settling cases of employment discrimination.
Interesting Related Article: “Tips for Managing Anxiety“