Health & Fitness

Can Anxiety Qualify as a Disability?

Anxiety, which is also known as panic disorder, can be a disabling condition that can threaten one’s ability to perform basic tasks of life. This disorder can make it difficult for people to concentrate on many daily activities. Some of the most common physiological symptoms of anxiety and panic include profuse perspiration, trembling, light-headedness, shortness of breath, chest pain, pounding heartbeat, nausea, and a feeling of losing one’s mind. 

Treating this disorder can be important to help a sufferer mitigate these disabling symptoms. It is a good idea to seek professional help if you think you have this disorder, because only a healthcare professional can provide the correct diagnosis and recommend a treatment that is best suited for your condition.

In some cases, biochemical factors can play a significant role in causing anxiety and panic conditions.

If you are experiencing this issue to the point that you find it hard to function normally in your everyday life, you may be at the stage where you need treatment and immediate attention. However, it is essential to understand what to expect after an anxiety diagnosis and how treatment may help. While not all applicants will qualify, if you have severe anxiety that interrupts your life, you may be eligible for disability benefits for anxiety.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders affect about 40 million Americans every year. In many situations, it can be normal to be anxious, especially if you are anticipating a stressful scenario, such as exams, preparing for public speaking, or embarking on a job interview. But when the worry becomes unreasonable and pervasive, and you are experiencing anxiety about things in your daily life without any logic or reason, it can become a disabling disorder that could worsen over time if left untreated. 

 1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): People with this disorder may seem like chronic worriers, often obsessing about health, work, family, and money, even when there may be nothing to worry about. In severe cases, their fears are so intense that they may find it hard to concentrate, relax, or accomplish even the simplest daily tasks.

 2. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A person may develop this disorder after any kind of traumatic accident or related experience. The victims can be anxious and disturbed about traumatic incidents that happened several weeks or years ago. The triggering event may be a personal tragedy, such as a death in the family or divorce, physical or sexual abuse, or a natural disaster (such as an earthquake or tornado). 

People with PTSD tend to withdraw or lose interest in things they once used to enjoy. They also may become cold or less affectionate and irritable. People who suffer from PTSD often keep visualizing the past incidents and feel as if they are happening all over again, just like a flashback.

3. Social Anxiety Disorder: This is a condition in which a person may feel overly self-conscious in social situations. A suffer often has an extreme fear of doing ordinary things in front of other people. They may be afraid of being judged and watched. 

It is common for an individual to experience shyness in front of others, but people with this disorder may worry excessively about facing social situations for weeks before they take place. This condition can be disabling. Sometimes people who suffer from social anxiety disorder end up staying at home to avoid social problems that might embarrass them or make them uncomfortable. Some people may be able to seek short term disability in such cases. It is important not to discount the value that pursuing professional legal assistance in these situations. It can help you secure the monetary benefits that you need to take care of yourself and your family.

 4. Panic Disorder: A person with panic disorder may face sudden terror or panic, even in situations in which there is no real danger or threat. The extreme fear occurs suddenly and is usually accompanied by disabling physiological symptoms, such as sweating, trembling, chest pain, dizziness, pounding heartbeat, and feelings of losing control. 

Panic disorder sufferers may feel as if they are in the midst of having a heart attack. Panic attacks can occur at any time and without warning, and an individual with panic disorder may not be able to predict when the next attack will occur. Thinking and worrying about the next episode of attack can make an individual more anxious and worried, thereby exacerbating the symptoms.

 5. Phobias: A phobia is an irrational fear of a specific thing or situation, such as blood, being in an enclosed space, driving, or snakes. Facing the object or situation that the sufferer fears can lead to anxiety attacks. Individuals with phobias tend to avoid facing the feared object or situation to the point that the avoidance can interfere with their day-to-day lives.

 6. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): People with OCD may feel as if they are controlled by obsessive thoughts that trigger their anxiety. For instance, if a person has obsessive thoughts about burglars, they may repeatedly check their windows and door locks multiple times before sleeping. Because of their obsessive thoughts, they may repeatedly check things, clean things, or count things, continuing to do so even if it interferes with their daily lives.

Understanding the specifics about this disorder can be important if you want to get your life back and free yourself from the condition’s disabling symptoms. The first step in seeking treatment and claiming the benefits you need is understanding the condition you are dealing with. Contact disability lawyers in Florida to discuss all of the difficulties that your disabling condition presents in your daily life. We can help you pursue the benefits that you deserve.

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