Depression is not something to be taken lightly. Anyone who suffers from depression, also commonly referred to as clinical depression, major depressive illness or unipolar mood disorder, knows depression is more than just feeling a little sad or blue. Rather, depression can be a lifelong mental illness that greatly impacts a person’s life and their ability to hold down steady employment. Because of the severity of the illness, those suffering from depression may be able to receive Social Security disability benefits.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, also known as NAMI, depression is something that affects between 5 and 8 percent of adults in the U.S. This means there are 25 million Americans who will have some sort of depression episode this year.
NAMI goes on to say that while some may only have one of these episodes, more than half of those who experience one episode will experience another one. If untreated, these episodes can last months or even years.
The risks associated with depression are also great, with symptoms including sadness, poor concentration, fatigue and insomnia. The condition itself can make it hard for individuals to continue on with their daily life.
The good news though is that depression is not something that needs to be swept under the rug. Rather, there are support structures in place and help is available. In terms of the inability to work, in some cases the Social Security Administration does recognize depression as a disabling condition.
Like many mental health conditions though, it may be difficult to show how depression is affecting one’s life. This is where an experienced Social Security disability attorney can step in to help gather the proper documentation in order to build a claim.