You or your loved one may be experiencing a negatively impacted life due to depression. If this is the case, it is time for you to get help.
Here’s a guide on depression to help you understand what depression is and how it may be considered a disability. Read on to find out more.
Table of Contents
What Is Depression?
Depression is a mental health illness that affects the way you think, feel, and act. It impacts your ability to do daily tasks and can have an extreme effect on your outlook on life:
Symptoms
Depression can have varied symptoms. It is not a one-size-fits-all illness. Some symptoms that you may experience are:
- Feeling sad
- Lethargic and unmotivated
- Insomnia symptoms
- Difficulty concentrating
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Suicidal ideation or thinking
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to get help right away. You do not have to battle this illness alone.
Signs
Sometimes, it can be hard to spot depression from a loved one’s perspective. There are some signs, however, that you can watch out for.
If you notice your loved one is no longer taking an interest in the things they used to, they could be struggling with depression. They may have lower energy than usual or sleeping all day.
Sometimes, they will be vocal about their thought processes. They could start speaking pessimistically about life.
Depressive thinking can lead to suicidal ideation. If your loved one starts talking about how it would be better to be dead, or if they start settling their affairs, they could be struggling with suicidal thinking. In this case, it is important to get help for your loved ones immediately.
Is Depression a Disability?
Is depression considered a disability?
The answer is yes. Depression is considered a leading disability in the world. It affects how people think, concentrate, complete tasks, etc… Sometimes, people are unable to work properly because of depression.
Because of this, depression is considered a disability. It negatively affects one’s life and makes it difficult to function. To be considered to have a disability, you would need to see a licensed mental health professional and be diagnosed.
To be eligible for benefits, you must exhibit some of the symptoms of depression that result in being restricted from daily activities.
After you are diagnosed, your doctor will need to submit medical evidence that you do in fact have depression. Once this evidence is provided, you will be eligible for disability benefits.
Depression Disability Benefits
The benefits for this disability can vary based on the level of the depression. A medical professional will need to sort through your documents and evidence and decide if you would qualify for social security benefits.
Some might not be qualified for all social security disability benefits. That is why it is important that a doctor factor in everything that has to be considered. If there is a certain area of life that your depression causes you to struggle more in, they may try to fit you with a benefit for that area.
Journey to Healing
We’ve answered the question of is depression a disability. If depression is a concern for you or your loved one, it is time to get help right away. You don’t need to keep living a decreased quality of life. You may be eligible for disability benefits during your journey to healing.
If you want to take control of your life, contact us right now to see how depression therapy with our therapists at Relucent can help.
