Disabling Conditions

There are many conditions that are disabling all by themselves. What is important to understand is that it is sometimes the combined impact of many conditions that prevent you from working on a full time basis.

I always say that when you are completing your application for Disability Benefits, make sure that you tell the Social Security Administration everything that is wrong with you from the top of your head to the bottoms of your feet. And I mean that literally. If you are suffering from headaches please make sure that is on your application. If your big toe hurts, please make sure that is on your application. What I often find is that when you are filing the application you may not sometimes know what is causing your pain or your limitations, but you know they are there. Medicine is far from an exact science. Sometimes it takes years to diagnose a person with the ailment that they are suffering. What is important is that the Social Security Administration understands everything that you are feeling that prevents you from going to work everyday.

The psychological limitations are sometimes hard to put into words. What I see or hear from many of my clients is that they have a hard time getting things done, or maybe they have racing thoughts which interferes with their ability to concentrate on what they are trying to do. Some folks cannot stand to be around people, where others cannot go anywhere unless someone is with them. Some people cannot sleep or get very little sleep, where others will be sleeping 10-20 hours a day. Everyone is different and it is very important that you let the Social Security Administration know in your application how your psychological disorder is affecting you. They will find out from your psychologist, psychiatrist or mental health professional the diagnosis. What is important is what you feel.

The same applies when you are suffering from pain. Some people will slam their finger in the door and report immediately to the emergency room, where others will shake it off and keep on walking. Everyone feels pain differently. It is important that the Social Security Administration know where your pain is, if it stays in one place or if it travels to different areas of your body, and if it is affected by activity or changes in the weather. In addition, please note the things that you do, in addition to medical treatment, to help relieve the pain. A lot of people will tell me that they lie down during the day, or use ice packs or heating pads. Again, everyone is different and everyone has different symptoms, which is why it is very important to explain how your pain is affecting your life. Remember that the diagnosis from the doctor isn’t as important as how you feel. When you are completing your Social Security application you want to let the Social Security Administration know what it is like to be inside YOU!