Principal Attorney
Bringing a successful claim for Social Security disability benefits can be difficult. It can feel like an uphill battle. This may be particularly true should you be bringing a claim for a medical condition that may not be as well established as others. It can also be particularly difficult for conditions that can widely range in severity as establishing your condition as severe enough to be debilitating will take extensive medical documentation and other evidence to support your claim. So, it is safe to say that some disability claims are harder to prove than others. Let’s talk more about this here.
Disability Claims – Which Ones Are Harder to Prove?
In evaluating a disability claim, the Social Security Administration will look to a claimant’s ability to work as well as the severity of their disability. To bring a disability benefits claim, a claimant’s disabling condition will need to either match or align with a list of accepted conditions set forth in the SSA’s Blue Book. While not impossible, it can be more difficult to prove your eligibility for disability benefits when your condition is not explicitly listed or does not perfectly match the symptoms of a listed condition.
Sometimes, however, even listed conditions can be difficult to prove. Take fibromyalgia, for instance. Fibromyalgia is listed as an accepted condition on the SSA’s list, but it is also a condition that is very difficult to properly diagnose. As chronic pain and fatigue are primary symptoms of fibromyalgia, but are also commonly associated with other illnesses and medical conditions, there are often misdiagnosed. Extensive medical records as well as a consultation with a rheumatologist can improve your odds of having a fibromyalgia disability claim being approved.
Mental disorders, while commonly forming the basis for Social Security disability claims, can also be difficult to successfully claim. This is true despite depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and other mental disorders being disabilities that can qualify for such disability benefits. Consistent and extensively documented medical treatments and a history of contact with mental health practitioners can help strengthen this kind of disability claim. Claimants who combine a mental disorder with a physical condition in their disability benefits claim often see greater success than those with a mental disorder on its own.
Chronic migraines are also difficult to use as the basis of a disability benefits claim. Migraines are not included in the SSA’s list of accepted conditions and it doesn’t help that migraines can often be the symptom of other medical conditions that have yet to be properly diagnosed. If you are claiming disability benefits on chronic migraines alone, be prepared to produce significant records that include doctor’s reports as well as the treatments and prescribed medication you are taking or have taken to try and address the chronic migraines.
Los Angeles Social Security Disability Attorney
No matter what disability is the basis of your benefits claim, having extensive medical documentation will be essential to success. Lean on the dedicated team at Disability Advocates Group to help you put the strongest claim application forward and help maximize your chances for success. Contact us today.
