Bipolar disorder, also known as Manic Depressive Disorder, is characterized by periods of extreme happiness followed by periods of severe depression. Bipolar disorder in itself is not a mood disorder, but a category of mood disorders that can affect both men and women.
Bipolar Disorder essentially impacts every aspect of a patient’s life—including his or her ability to work and earn a living. A common concern for those who have bipolar disorder is the financial burden caused by medical treatment and unemployment. To relieve the added financial stress, individuals with Bipolar Disorder in the United States have access to the Social Security Disability benefit program.
If you or a loved one can no longer work due to bipolar disorder, the following information can help you apply for and collect the disability benefits you need to remain financially stable.
The SSA’s Listing for Bipolar Disorder
The Social Security Administration (SSA) lists several classifications of bipolar disorder in the Blue Book— the official list of disabling conditions. Although this certainly makes it easier for those with the condition to qualify for disability benefits, your eligibility will ultimately be determined by your specific symptoms.
Bipolar disorder appears in Section 12.04 of the SSA’s Blue Book, titled, “Affective Disorders”. To qualify under this listing, applicants must experience mood disturbances that include symptoms of either depressive or manic syndrome.
Periods of depressive and manic mood swings must be prolonged and far reaching, impacting your entire emotional condition.
To meet this listing, your bipolar disorder must also:
- Be persistent and either intermittently or consistently present,
AND
- Cause severe disruption to your everyday life,
OR
- Cause repetitive episodes, lasting at least 2 years each, in which you are unable to do basic work as a result of your symptoms.
Documenting Intermittent or Continuous Effects of the Condition
Meeting the criteria listed above requires specific medical documentation of your symptoms and the manner in which they affect your everyday life and abilities. Listed below is further information about the specific criteria that you must meet and support through medical documentation as part of your application for Social Security Disability benefits:
- Documenting Depressive Episodes – medical documentation must include evidence that you experience a cluster of the most common depression symptoms, which include:
- Loss of interest
- Weight changes and/or loss of appetite
- Sleep disturbances
- Lack of energy
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or hopelessness
- Suicidal thoughts
- Trouble concentrating
- Delusions, paranoia, or hallucinations
- Documenting Manic Episodes – medical documentation of manic episodes must prove that you experience clusters of the typical symptoms of elation or mania, including at least three of the following:
- Hyperactivity
- A lessened need to sleep
- Rapid speech and thoughts
- Inability to concentrate or quickly and easily becoming distracted
- Exaggerated self-esteem
- Disregard for negative consequences or the inability to recognize their potential to occur, particularly when involved in high risk activities
- Paranoid thoughts, delusions, and/or hallucinations
- Documenting Residual Effects of Your Condition – To qualify for Social Security Disability you must also document the effects that your condition has on your ability to work. To meet the SSA’s listing for bipolar disorder, your symptoms must cause at least two of the following:
- Major reduction in your “activities of daily living” (http://www.disability-benefits-help.org/glossary/activities-daily-living)
- Major problems with social functioning
- Major issues with concentrating, remaining on task, or operating at a reasonable pace or speed
- Repeated periods during which you decompensate, or backslide in your abilities, for extended lengths of time
Documenting Affective Disorder that is Continuously Debilitating
To prove that bipolar disorder has continuously limited your abilities for a period of two years or more, you must document at least once of the following criteria:
- You experience ongoing and repeated decompensation episodes that last for extended periods of time.
- You have such pronounced symptoms that any adjustment or change in routine can cause you to decompensate.
- You currently live in a supportive living situation and have done so for a period of one year or longer due to an inability to adjust to and function under other living arrangements.
Qualifying Under a Medical Vocational Allowance
If your symptoms do not meet the requirements listed in the SSA’s Blue Book, the SSA will review your application to determine your residual functional capacity (RFC). This simply means the SSA attempts to determine if your condition prevents you from maintaining gainful employment. If your RFC is severely limited, then you may still qualify for SSD benefits under a medical vocational allowance.
The Disability Application Process with Bipolar Disorder
You can complete your SSD application online at any time, or contact the SSA to make an appointment to fill out your application in person. To make an appointment, call the SSA’s main help line at 1-800-772-1213, or contact your local SSA office. If you need help finding your local office, visit the SSA’s Office Locator webpage.
By: Molly Clarke
