January is Mental Wellness Awareness Month. Activities during Mental Wellness Awareness months are focused on strengthening the ability of people to cope with mental stresses and to therefore help to reduce the onset of mental illness. Unfortunately, mental illness can be so debilitating that it can prevent someone from being able to continue working. If this is happening to you, you may be able to apply for social security disability benefits which can help to ease the financial stress of mental illness. It can also help to seek legal advice and advocacy from a qualified disability benefits attorney when applying for benefits.
What is Mental Illness?
Mental illness can be described as a negative change in the way a person thinks, feels or behaves. Mental illnesses are very varied in their origin and impact on a sufferer. They range from mild anxiety and depression through to more severe mental illnesses such as psychotic disorders and bipolar disorder. Mental illness is recognized as a medical condition and in many cases can respond to treatment.
Some examples of mental illnesses that are estimated to affect 15 to 20% of the U.S. population at some stage of their lives include:
- Anxiety Disorder;
- Bipolar Disorder;
- Depression;
- Disruptive behavior and dissocial disorders;
- Eating Disorders;
- Neurodevelopmental disorders;
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); and
- Psychotic disorders.
Ways to Improve Mental Wellness
Mental wellness is a way of helping people avoid developing mental illness. Successful mental wellness practices help to reduce the incidence of mental illness and/or reduce the severity of mental illness if it develops. It can also help mental illness sufferers reduce the symptoms of their illness in tandem with other medical strategies such as medication.
Some mental wellness strategies include:
- avoiding cigarettes, alcohol and other harmful substances;
- balancing work and life;
- improving the amount of exercise;
- building meaningful relationships;
- building up your self confidence;
- completing personal goals;
- eating healthily;
- focusing on positivity;
- getting sufficient sleep;
- learning to reduce stress;
- managing stress;
- practicing relaxation techniques;
- seeking help when needed;
- volunteering.
Disability Benefits for Mental Illness/Health
Mental illness can sometimes be so overpowering that it can severely affect your ability to continue working. This can then introduce a further stress factor in the form of financial insecurity. However, if you cannot continue to keep working for at least the following 12 months then you may be able to apply for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA recognizes many forms of mental illness, the symptoms of which are described in detail in the SSA’s Blue Book. An entire section in the Blue Book, Section 12.00-Mental Disorders is devoted to types of mental illness which may allow the sufferer to obtain regular disability benefits payments after assessment of an application.
Get Help With Your Mental Illness SSD Claim
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