Can You Qualify for Social Security Disability with a Mental Disorder

By Michelle Shvarts
Principal Attorney

Having a mental disorder can be frustrating to cope with, as managing your condition is often difficult. Unfortunately, your disorder may also interfere with your professional life and prevent you from having a job. 

If you have found that your mental disorder makes it impossible for you to work, you should reach out to a Los Angeles disability benefits lawyer. An attorney can help you to determine if you are likely to qualify for Social Security disability benefits. If you meet the criteria for eligibility, your attorney can also provide the help that you need to submit your application and prove the severity of your mental disorder. 

Qualifying for Social Security Disability with a Mental Disorder

Mental disorders are treated just the same as any other condition by the Social Security Administration. That means you have to prove your disorder is severe and makes it impossible for you to have any job you’d be qualified for.

The Social Security has a “blue book,” which lists different kinds of impairments that are usually severe enough to make you eligible to receive disability benefits. Mental disorders are listed within section 12.00 of the blue book.

If your mental disorder is found within section 12.00, you’ll need to determine if you can prove you have the specific symptoms required to get benefits. If it’s not listed, you could still potentially get disability income from the Social Security Administration but would have to prove it is medically equivalent in severity. 

Some of the mental disorders listed in section 12.00 include schizophrenia, cognitive disorders, depression, bipolar syndrome, and intellectual disorders. If you have been diagnosed with these or other listed conditions, or if you have other severe mental problems, you should reach out to a Los Angeles disability benefits attorney for help today. 

About the Author
Ms. Shvarts is the managing attorney for Disability Advocates Group. She opened Disability Advocates Group to assist individuals who became disabled and unable to work to obtain the benefits they need and deserve.  Ms. Shvarts and the rest of the team at Disability Advocates Group are dedicated to assisting individuals obtain Social Security Disability Benefits (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.