Get SSI for Anxiety Disorders: A Bridge to Wellness
Difficulty concentrating, periods of intense fear, panic attacks, and difficulty being in public places are some of the common symptoms of anxiety disorders that can impair a person’s ability to work. With treatment, these symptoms and other anxiety symptoms can improve.
Why get SSI for anxiety disorders if the disorders are treatable?
Stress can make anxiety disorders more difficult to treat. If the person has lost their ability to work due to the symptoms of anxiety disorders, the financial stress from ongoing expenses and bills can make it more difficult to treat the already problematic symptoms. Social Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) can provide some financial relief to allow the person to focus on getting well.
Once a person is diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and treatment has begun, the person may want to discuss their feelings about temporarily obtaining SSI for the anxiety disorder with their psychiatrist or physician. The medical professional may have helpful advice about effective treatment for the anxiety disorder.
After a person has begun working on managing the symptoms and receives SSI for anxiety, the person may want to begin about planning a return to work. For some people, this is as simple as discussing their ability to return to work with their physicians and returning to their previous jobs. For others, a return to their previous workplace is not an option.
Social Security works with some government agencies such as OVR to prepare people with disabilities for a return to work. In some cases, these agencies may even offer financial aid for training or college if the training or education will help the person obtain gainful employment.
For some people with anxiety disorders, a return to a conventional workplace is not realistic. If the person continues to have difficulty with agoraphobia or difficulty leaving the home alone, working in a public place may not be possible. This can be disheartening, but the person should remember that there are other options especially in today’s Internet community.
A person may be able to continue to do their previous work but change to a freelance professional who can work from home. Making money from a freelance home business is a viable option in many cases. If people can write web content articles, they may find work with SEO experts and website owners to write content for their websites. Another option for people on SSI is to gradually build income by creating their own websites.
People who receive SSI must inform the Social Security Administration of their income. Before beginning to work, the person may want to consider if the income they can generate is substantial enough to offset any loss of benefits that the income causes. A person may receive answers about how the income will affect their benefits by calling the Social Security Administration. In many cases, the person can still receive some benefits and health insurance when beginning to work.
After being treated for the anxiety disorder while receiving SSI, the person is often a healthier, more productive employee. The person should take their time to consider their employment options and set personal goals for achieving independence from SSI.
Don't get SSI for anxiety yet? Need help knowing where to start or have questions about the process? See my article on How to Get SSDI for Anxiety Disorders.
