You know that specific mental disorders or disabilities can lead to Social Security benefits, just like physical injuries and disabilities. But do you have to suffer from something like autism or schizophrenia? What if you have severe anxiety?

People often do not completely understand anxiety unless they suffer from it themselves. It can be just as severe and disabling as any other disorder. Fortunately, the Social Security Administration (SSA) does understand this, and anxiety disorder is listed as a potential reason to apply for financial benefits.

It is important to work with medical professionals to accurately diagnose the condition and list out the symptoms that you suffer from. These are some of the symptoms that SSA looks for in order to consider anxiety disabling:

• You become easily fatigued, which can impact your ability to work.
• You suffer from chronic restlessness.
• You are constantly irritable and it becomes hard to get along with others.
• You have trouble concentrating and focusing on the task before you.
• You see clear disturbances in your sleep schedule, such as not being able to fall asleep at night because you feel anxious and you cannot stop thinking, or you suffer from considerable muscle tension. This tension could also make it hard to sleep and lead to your fatigue and discomfort.

Do those symptoms seem to describe how you have been feeling lately? If so you may qualify for benefits based on your condition, although there are other criteria involved.

Maybe this is a relatively new development, or maybe you have been dealing with it for years and it is just getting worse. Either way, make sure you understand your rights and what legal steps you can take to get your Social Security Disability benefits approved.