Monthly Disability Benefits in Murfreesboro | Social Security Disability Benefits for Anxiety Disorders | SSD | SSDI | SSI
Surveys say that up to 18 percent of Americans may suffer from an anxiety disorder in their lifetimes. This means that thousands of people in Tennessee, many of them in the Murfreesboro area, suffer from anxiety disorders. Modern life brings many pressures that can be difficult to deal with. In small amounts, anxiety can be a helpful coping mechanism that motivates a person to work harder at school or the office and navigate through a difficult situation. However, when one’s anxiety grows to become an excessive fear of the situations one faces in everyday life, it becomes a disabling disorder.
There are several major types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and social anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are considered serious but treatable medical conditions that can be just as disabling as a physical disability. Is an anxiety disorders a disability? It depends. If you are prevented from working by your anxiety disorder, you may qualify for disability benefits, such as SSI or SSDI, from the Social Security Administration. For you to qualify for monthly disability benefits from the federal government, your anxiety disorder must be intense enough to keep you from working and must persist for more than 12 months.
Murfreesboro lawyers can also help you if you have a mental illness other than an anxiety disorder or PTSD, including depression or bipolar disorder.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
One of the most common anxiety disorders, generalized anxiety disorder is thought to affect up to 4 percent of the U.S. population. The hallmarks of GAD are uncontrollable and unreasonable worry and anxiety about parts of daily life, such as finances, school or work, health, world events or safety of loved ones. People who suffer from generalized anxiety disorder may feel anxious, sleep deprived, irritable and stressed out. Generalized anxiety disorder is treatable with cognitive behavioral therapy or medication.
Panic Disorder
Up to five percent of Americans suffer from panic disorder. A panic attack is a sudden and unexpected episode of extreme terror, with physical symptoms that include shortness of breath, chest pain, heart palpitations, trembling and faintness. A person is said to suffer from panic disorder if they have had two unexpected panic attacks. More women suffer from panic anxiety disorder than men. Treatment includes antidepressants and anxiety-relieving medications as well as cognitive behavior therapy.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
A person is at risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after experiencing a very traumatic or life-threatening event such as war, sexual assault, physical assault, car accidents, robbery or natural disaster. Many veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have settled in Murfreesboro and throughout Rutherford County and some of them have PTSD. In fact, approximately 8 percent of adults in America will suffer from PTSD at some time in their lives. PTSD can develop after actually experiencing a traumatic event, witnessing someone else go through trauma, or hearing about a tragedy in the life of a loved one. Medication or cognitive therapy can successfully treat PTSD.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety disorder is characterized by a crippling fear of social interaction or embarrassment. A person with social anxiety disorder may have an intense fear of social situations including speaking in public, eating a meal, meeting new people, standing in line, attending meetings or making small talk. Medication and cognitive therapy can treat social anxiety disorder.
The Social Security Administration will want to review medical evidence, mental health records and other sources of information when evaluating your claim for disability on the basis of any anxiety disorder. Depression may often co-exist with an anxiety disorder, and a local Murfreesboro mental health professional can give you guidance for dealing with depression as well. A Murfreesboro doctor or mental health provider can evaluate your symptoms and provide you with a diagnosis.
Anxiety Disorder Treatment in Murfreesboro
In most major cities, there are Anxiety Disorder clinics, which can provide you with specialized treatment for your condition. Anxiety Disorder clinics conduct research to better understand Anxiety Disorders, but only with your consent. Doctors at the clinics are available to point you towards relevant research projects that might benefit you. The following is a treatment center near Murfreesboro:
Anxiety Disorder Clinics
5200 Maryland Way 102
Brentwood, TN 37027
(615) 329-8900
You can also seek treatment at the following locations:
Guidance Center
118 North Church Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
(615) 893-0770
Volunteer Behavioral Health
2126 North Thompson Lane
Murfreesboro, TN 37129
(615) 904-7051
Rhonda Johnson LCSW
511 Highland Terrace
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
(615) 848-0065
Mental Health Co-Op Inc
1203 Memorial Boulevard
Murfreesboro, TN 37129
(615) 904-6103
Rutherford County Guidance Center
118 North Spring Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
(615) 256-2099
Genesis Psychiatric
237 castle wood drive A
Murfreesboro, TN 37129
(615) 494-4804
Anxiety Disorder and Murfreesboro Social Security Lawyers
Applying for benefits can be a lengthy, painful and confusing process. Hiring your Murfreesboro Social Security attorney or Social Security law firm can help take much of the pain out of the process and will increase the likelihood of having your case approved. An attorney with extensive experience handling anxiety disability claims will be able to present your case to the SSA in the most compelling way possible.
The SSA says that in an anxiety disorder, anxiety is either the predominant symptom or it is experienced if the individual tries to overcome the symptoms, such as overcoming a fear of other people in social anxiety disorder. The following symptoms of anxiety may be present:
- Generalized persistent anxiety accompanied by motor tension, hyperactivity, apprehensive expectation or vigilance and scanning; or
- A persistent irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation which results in a compelling desire to avoid the dreaded object, activity, or situation; or
- Recurrent severe panic attacks manifested by a sudden unpredictable onset of intense apprehension, fear, terror and sense of impending doom occurring on the average of at least once a week; or
- Recurrent and intrusive recollections of a traumatic experience, which are a source of marked distress;
If you have suffered from chronic anxiety disorder for the past two years that has resulted in the complete inability to function independently outside the area of your home, you are a likely candidate for Social Security Disability benefits. We can connect you with an accomplished Social Security lawyer in Murfreesboro who is well equipped to handle your case.
Social Security Disability Attorneys Serve Murfreesboro and Surrounding Cities
Serving clients throughout Central Tennessee, including Brentwood, Centerville, Columbia, Dibrell, Franklin, Hendersonville, La Vergne, Lebanon, Lewisburg, Manchester, McMinnville, Murfreesboro, Nashville, Shelbyville, areas in the vicinity of Murfreesboro Municipal Airport,and other communities in Rutherford County.
If you are suffering from a mental illness, post-traumatic stress syndrome, panic attacks, or an anxiety disorder, call one of the Rutherford County SSD or SSDI lawyers on this site for a FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION! Help is just a phone call away.