A lot of people with bipolar disability find themselves struggling to carry out activities ordinary people perform regularly with ease.
With symptoms fluctuating between anxiety, depression, guilt, and agitation, you may find yourself so depressed on some days that you won’t get up from your bed in the morning to go to work or attend to family chores.
And on some days, you may experience a manic episode so acute that you will make rash decisions.
Bipolar disorder is no child’s joke.
Suffering from it can easily turn your life upside down, make you lose your job, and leave you stranded with no money to cater for yourself or your health condition.
Even worse is finding out that you cannot access some social benefits accrued to you by the law because of your condition.
Not for any other reason but simply because some guy in the social security office or your insurance company feels that your condition is not enough for you to get those benefits.
Not like he is inside your body or head getting the kind of sad and depressed feelings you’re getting or the kind of anxiety that plagues your life.
This is majorly why I made this resource available to help make sure that when you set up a case for your bipolar disorder, you will win it regardless.
Because I know exactly what you’re going through and it’s not your fault.
So, if you’re applying for a disability for your bipolar condition, you might want to take a few lessons from this article to help you win your bipolar case successfully.
Table of Contents
How to Successfully Win a Bipolar Disability Case
Qualify for Bipolar Disability Benefits
Bipolar disorder is a mental condition and very few people can recognize it in others. So, you often might feel alone when you’re suffering from this condition.
But you’re not the only one.
Currently, about 4.4% of Americans are estimated to be suffering from the same condition as you or will experience it at one point or another later in life.
As such, you’re not alone. And no, you’re not crazy.
To qualify for a bipolar disability benefit, you will need to meet some of the conditions outlined in the blue book of impairments outlined by the Social Security Administration.
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The conditions include:
- Pressured speech
- Inflated self-esteem
- Loss in train of thoughts
- Physical agitation or involvement in goal-directed activities
- Disinterest in sleep
- Easily distracted
Winning a bipolar disability is all about proving that you cannot work a regular job because of your condition.
Because if you can work, then there’s no point in giving you a check every month when you can earn it yourself.
As such, you must be able to prove that because of your condition, you are markedly limited in your ability to:
- Understand, remember, or apply information
- Concentrate or maintain your focus on a task
- Adapt to changes or manage your emotions when a change occur
- Interact with others as ordinary people do with ease
If you cannot prove any of the above, then you might want to rely on your medical documentation.
To qualify for a bipolar disability cheque using your medical documentation, your documentation must be able to prove that:
- You’ve been receiving medical, mental, and psychosocial therapy to help manage your condition
- And that in spite of these treatments, you still have very little ability to adapt to changes in your workplace or perform tasks that were a daily routine for you
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Document Your Condition the Proper Way
Winning your bipolar disability case lies entirely on your ability to prove that your condition limits your ability to work.
You’re suffering from a medical condition.
You know, however, that it is a very tricky condition since it all happens in your head.
So, if you haven’t received a medical diagnosis, now is the best time to start working towards that.
Although a successful medical diagnosis of your bipolar disorder is not a guarantee that your claim will be granted, it is a good first step.
This is because having good medical records showing a consistent problem with symptoms of bipolar disorder will provide solid and good medical evidence to back up your claims.
It is recommended that your medical records go way back as long as a year or two showing your struggle with the condition despite receiving medical and psychosocial treatments or having sessions with a therapist.
Having this at the back of your mind is important when you go to a doctor’s office for your diagnosis or follow-up treatment.
You must describe how you’re feeling in clear terms and if the medications have been helping or not.
A lot of people make the mistake of saying ‘everything is ok’ or saying that they are feeling better even when they are not. These feedbacks go into your medical records and will work against you in your case.
Lastly, your medical record must be able to show that you’ve had a recent episode requiring hospitalization.
You may find it difficult to win your bipolar disability case if you were hospitalized only about three years ago or earlier.
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Get Proves of Your Inability to Work
It helps in your case for bipolar disorder if you’re able to prove that you’re willing to work and take care of yourself but can’t do that because of your condition.
This will also help to prove that because of your condition, you will not be able to engage in any part of the economy to earn a living for yourself.
One of the best ways to do this is to get a letter from your employer.
It helps if your employer can provide solid reasons why they had to let you go from your place of work.
If these reasons match the symptoms of your bipolar disorder, all the better.
However, it can be incredibly difficult to get a letter from some employers.
As such, you might want to get in good words from friends and family who will be willing to support your claims.
Not like their claims will be as solid as your employer’s but it will be helpful if they can demonstrate how your condition has heavily impacted your life and ability to take care of yourself.
Make a Personal Documentation of Your Condition
Having a personal journal that tracks your condition can easily help you prove your disability condition.
As such, you might want to consider starting a journal to keep track of how the condition is affecting your life. Document how your condition started, when it started, and how it has affected your life.
Include as many details as possible including any episodes of depression, mania, or inability to keep your temper in check like everyone else.
Winning a disability case for a bipolar disorder can be incredibly tasking as many doctors are diagnosing the condition on a regular basis.
It all boils down to your ability to prove how the condition limits your ability to function properly. If you can do that successfully, then you are on the right track to winning your much-needed benefits.
