If you cannot work due to Bipolar Disorder, call a Bipolar Disorder Disability Lawyer.  Call an experienced Disability Lawyer with the Best A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau for a Free Consultation to win Social Security SSD SSI benefits.

Can I Qualify For Social Security Disability with a Bipolar Disorder?

You can receive Social Security Disability as a result of Bipolar Disorder.  Bipolar Disorder is a mental disorder that causes severe mood swings from depression to manic episodes. Each extreme can cause serious disruption to one’s ability to function normally.

If you cannot work and you think you may suffer from Bipolar Disorder, seek help from a mental health professional immediately.  Also, call a top rated bipolar disorder disability lawyer with the highest A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Disabling Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

Often, people who suffers from Bipolar symptoms so not realize they suffer from Bipolar Disorders.  Consequently, it is important for family and friends to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of Bipolar Disorder.  Bipolar Disorder can be very dangerous.  It actually consists of  several disorders.   Bipolar Disorder includes mainly severe depression and manic episodes.

Depression can cause one to feel sad, helpless, and hopeless. It can cause a person to lose interest or pleasure in activities previously enjoyed. Likewise, it can also cause frequent crying spells and extreme loss of energy.  It can make you incapable of functioning normally.  Bipolar Disorder patients commonly experience inability to get out of bed.  This can occur for several days at a time resulting in excessive absenteeism and ultimately job termination.

During a manic stage, Bipolar Disorder patients may experience incredible energy.  They may suffer inability to sleep, uncontrollable nonstop activity, racing thoughts, and irrational thinking.  A manic episode may cause the patient to engage in various forms of undesirable or dangerous activity. They may become obsessed with certain irrational thoughts and behavior to the exclusion of life responsibilities.  Bipolar patients may neglect child care, personal care, and employment.

Mood swings caused by Bipolar Disorder can be significant and unpredictable. This element of unpredictability can further complicate how a patient and a patient’s family prepares for and deals with bipolar disorder.

It is important to know that bipolar disorder is a very serious condition. It can disrupt your home life, make it impossible to sustain employment, and even require hospitalization at times.

Bipolar Disorder Patients Commonly Experience Suicidal Thoughts

As indicated by the Mayo Clinic regarding bipolar disorders, suicidal thoughts and behavior are common among people who suffer with bipolar disorder.  Anybody having thoughts of self harm or suicide, should call 911 or a local emergency number immediately.  They should go to an emergency room.  People with bipolar symptoms should confide in a trusted relative or friend.  You can call a suicide hot line number in the United States. Call National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255.

Win Disability Benefits with a Bipolar Disorder Disability Lawyer

If you cannot keep a job because  you suffer from bipolar disorder, call a Bipolar Disorder Disability Lawyer to win your Disability SSD and SSI claims.  Although bipolar patients experience periods of normalcy, Bipolar Disorder is a very serious condition.  It can make it impossible to work or live a functional home life.  Further, it is so serious that it is included in a Listing of Impairments.  If you meet what is known as a “Listed Impairment,”   you will win your disability claim.  Read below and call an A+ Best Rated Bipolar Disorder Disability Lawyer to learn how to win SSD and SSI with an Impairment Listing.

Win Disability by Meeting a Bipolar Disorder Impairment Listing

The Social Security Administration will consider “Impairment Listings” when deciding Social Security disability cases.  It is very difficult to meet an Impairment Listing.  Your condition must  be very serious.  But, if you meet the terms of an Impairment Listing, you win your claim.

It should be noted that many cases actually meet a listing but a Social Security decision maker may decide otherwise.  Why?   You must have sufficient evidence to meet the terms of the particular listing.  You may need certain tests results or opinion evidence from a doctor.  Many times, the Social Security Claimant’s file is deficient in that regard.  An experienced Bipolar Disorder Disability Lawyer from my office will obtain appropriate evidence to win your disability claim.

Symptoms Required to Meet a Bipolar Disorder Impairment Listing

In order to meet Impairment Listing 12.04 for Bipolar Disorder, you must establish that you have certain symptoms and limitations.  You must be able to prove that you have:

Depressive disorder, characterized with 5 or more of the following SYMPTOMS:

  • Depressed mood;
  • Diminished interest in almost all activities;
  • Appetite disturbance with change in weight;
  • Sleep disturbance;
  • Observable psychomotor agitation or retardation;
  • Decreased energy;
  • Feelings of guilt or worthlessness;
  • Difficulty concentrating or thinking; or
  • Thoughts of death or suicide;

OR

Bipolar disorder, characterized by 3 or more of the following SYMPTOMS:

  • Pressured speech;
  • Flight of ideas;
  • Inflated self-esteem;
  • Decreased need for sleep;
  • Distractibility;
  • Involvement in activities having a high probability of painful consequences that are not recognized; or
  • Increase in goal-directed activity or psychomotor agitation;

AND

Limitations Required to Meet a Bipolar Disorder Impairment Listing

In addition to various symptoms listed above, you must also prove certain limitations specified in the Listing.  This step is what the big fight is all about with Social Security.  The limitations must arise to a heightened level of severity.  Listing 12.04 states you must have “Extreme” limitations in 1 of the following areas.  Or you must have “Marked”  LIMITATIONS in at least 2 of the following areas of mental functioning:

  • Understand, remember, or apply information;
  • Interact with others;
  • Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace;
  • Adapt or manage oneself;

OR

You can also win by meeting the Bipolar Disorder Listing another way.  You can meet the bipolar listing by showing your disorder has lasted over a 2 year period with evidence of BOTH:

  • Medical treatment, mental health therapy, or psychosocial support.  Or you require a highly structured setting that is ongoing and that diminishes the symptoms and signs of your mental disorder; AND
  • Marginal adjustments.  That is, you have minimal capacity to adapt to changes in your environment or to demands that are not already part of your daily life.

You can view the Social Security Impairment Listing for Bipolar Disorder by visiting the Social Security website. See Bipolar Disorder Listing 12.04 here.  A good practice is to print off the listing and take it to your doctor to see if you meet the listing.  If so, have your doctor write a letter indicating you meet the listing.  You can submit the letter to Social Security.  Also, we have questionnaires tailored to the Impairment Listings we can submit to doctors to help prove a disability claim.

Severity of Limitations Will  Likely Determine Whether you Win With a Bipolar Disorder Listing

In mental cases involving Bipolar Disorder, it is fairly easy to prove symptoms. Indeed, your symptoms should appear all through your medical records. Your mental health professionals, therapists, and psychiatrists, should accurately note your symptoms during each office visit or communication.

In a Bipolar Disorder Disability case, the fight will typically focus on the severity of the limitations. Some people have the diagnosis and they have the symptoms but the limitations may not be severe enough to win disability benefits.

If the limitations are severe enough, you should meet the listing and receive disability benefits.  As stated before, meeting a Impairment Listing is very difficult to do. But if you meet a listing, you win without further inquiry. Because of the difficulty meeting the listing, you will need a highly qualified disability lawyer experienced in the handling of Bipolar Disorder disability claims.

Can I Still Win SSD and SSI Benefits If I Do Not Meet a Listing?

Even if you do not meet a listing, you can still win disability benefits.  To reiterate, it is very difficult to meet a listing. However, without meeting a listing, some Claimant’s come very close and may be disabled regardless. Don’t give up.  There are other ways of winning disability without meeting a listing.

During the disability decision-making process, the Social Security Administration will take evidence from a vocational expert. A vocational expert is an expert on jobs. The vocational expert will indicate that you cannot work and you are disabled if you need frequent and excessive amounts of break time during work. Likewise, a vocational expert will state that you are only allowed a certain number of absences on a weekly or monthly basis. If you regularly need more absences, you cannot work and you are disabled.

Of course, you must prove you will need excessive break time and absenteeism. You can show this with attendance records from past jobs that you lost.  More importantly, however, you will need opinions from your doctors regarding the need for extra work breaks and absences.

Many Claimant’s have physical medical conditions in addition to bipolar disorder. Even if you do not meet a bipolar disorder listing, Social Security will consider your combination of impairments in determining whether you are capable of sustaining employment.  In other words, if you have mental and physical impairments, Social Security must consider the whole picture.  That goes to your advantage.

Common Reasons for Denials in Bipolar Disability Cases

The Social Security Administration denies most disability applications.  When this happens, you must appeal.  You should be aware of the reasons why  SSA denies cases alleging Mental Disability such as Bipolar Disorder.  One obvious reason is lack of evidence.  Another is your doctor’s refusal to provide opinions as to your limitations or ability/inability to sustain employment on a regular basis.

Some mental health treaters claim to have a policy that they are not allowed to provide opinions as to your ability to sustain employment.  In reality, there is no legitimate excuse for such behavior.  Simply stated, they just don’t want to be bothered with writing a letter or answering a questionnaire because they can’t bill your insurance for such a task.

When choosing mental health treaters, you should ask  them whether they write letters and complete questionnaires for Social Security Disability cases.  If they do not, look for a new mental health professional.  If the Social Security Administration does not receive anything from your doctor regarding your limitations or your ability to work, Social Security will assume you can work.

You can find a discussion of common reasons for disability denials in our article on Disability With a Mental Disorder here.  You should learn those reasons and discuss them with a qualified Bipolar Disorder Disability Lawyer at our office for free.

Why Call a Bipolar Disorder Disability Lawyer at Social Security Professionals?

When you call our office, we will give you a “Free Consultation”  with a real Disability Lawyer.  You will always speak with a real disability lawyer. You will not be pushed off to a secretary or a paralegal who has never been to a Social Security disability hearing.  Nor will you be assigned to a new inexperienced lawyer fresh out of law school.  To the contrary, you need to speak with the Best Disability Lawyer  for the best chance to win your disability claim.  Inexperience is unacceptable and is not tolerated at our office.

We will do more than ask you your age and your conditions that prevent you from working. Our Top Disability Lawyer will listen and advise you of the strengths and weaknesses of your case. We will tell you what we can do to correct any deficiencies in your case so that we can win your SSD and SSI claims.

No Money Required to Hire Bipolar Disorder Disability Lawyer Donald Peters

Not only do we provide Free Consultation, but you need no money to hire us. In fact, you should never have to spend a penny when you hire our firm for disability SSD and SSI representation.

We use a percentage fee agreement approved by the Social Security Administration, only if you win.  According to this fee agreement,  SSA will use a small percentage of your past due benefits to pay our attorney fee.  The Social Security Administration will pay our attorney fee to us directly so that you don’t have to worry about it.  Likewise, we eliminate file costs so that you don’t have to pay anything.  See our blog page on Attorney Fees and Costs.

Call Top Bipolar Disorder Disability Lawyer Donald Peters at Social Security Professionals for a Free Consultation to win your SSD and SSI claims. (248) 549-3485.  Free Consultation

Call for a Free Consultation with Disability Lawyer Donald Peters with the Best A+ Rating from the BBB. (248) 549-3485

Call A+ Rated Bipolar Disorder Disability Lawyer Donald Peters for a Free Consultation concerning your claim for SSD Disability and SSI benefits.  (248) 549-3485