{3:47 minutes to read} Many of the claims that I see relate to psychiatric issues. Often, people do not realize they have a disability caused by a mental health problem. And they don’t realize they have a potential disability claim.
It can be difficult for people to recognize and identify psychiatric issues. Most psychiatric claims involve some form of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts or mania. These are classic symptoms of a mental illness.
If you think you are dealing with any of these symptoms, you should:
- Talk to your doctor. Start with your primary care physician. He will ask questions and may refer you to a psychiatrist.
- Talk to your family and friends. Consider how they describe your symptoms.
Who is qualified to diagnose a psychiatric condition?
A psychiatrist is able to diagnose psychiatric conditions. However, psychologists, psychotherapists, and primary care physicians may also be able to diagnose and treat some mental and nervous conditions.
The person qualified to diagnose a psychiatric condition would also be the appropriate person to support your disability claim. I recommend a psychologist or a psychiatrist over a primary care physician because they have specific training in the mental health field. Insurance companies are more likely to accept statements from someone operating squarely within their appropriate specialty.
How do you prove a psychiatric condition?
Most psychiatric conditions cannot be measured with standard medical tests. Instead, they are diagnosed through evaluations, office visits and reports. If your doctor, psychologist or other specialist makes a determination that you have a psychiatric condition that prevents or limits you from working, it can serve as the basis of your long-term disability claim.
People who suffer from depression may have memory loss, difficulty processing information and other cognitive difficulties along with their psychiatric condition. If you’re taking medication for a psychiatric condition, that may also help to corroborate the fact that you suffer from a psychiatric illness.
Postpartum depression is a classic, often undiagnosed, condition. It may not be an extremely long-term disabling condition, but it certainly is a form of depression that can be very disabling.
Some psychiatric conditions can be measured by a particular specialist called a neuropsychologist. A neuropsychologist puts their patients through a series of tests to determine whether or not cognitive limitations are present; if they are present, they could very well stem from a psychiatric condition.
You may need help if you suffer from:
-
- depression;
- severe anxiety;
- sleep deprivation;
- memory loss;
- loss of appetite; or
- trouble concentrating.
It is important to realize that these symptoms are often hallmarks of measurable cognitive impairment. Your primary care doctor, in conjunction with your psychiatrist (or other specialists), can determine whether or not you have a mental illness and will know how to help you. If you have a mental illness, your primary care doctor will, hopefully, work with your other legal and medical professionals to support your disability claim.
Evan S. Schwartz
Founder of Schwartz, Conroy & Hack
800-745-1755
ESS@schwartzlawpc.com