Indiana Social Security Disability Legal Blog

In order to qualify for Social Security disability, you need to prove that you have a disabling condition that will prevent you from working for at least a year or that you have a fatal condition. Proving that this is the case may not be entirely easy in all situations. In fact, many people apply for Social Security disability, get denied and have to resubmit with more complete information for another review.

In some cases, if you have a clear diagnosis of one of the Social Security Administration's pre-approved conditions, you can receive an automatic approval into the Social Security disability program. In other cases, if you don't have a pre-approved condition, you'll need to provide evidence and doctors notes explaining what your condition is, why it prevents you from doing your job and how long your disabled or fatal condition is likely to last.

Fibromyalgia can be so detrimental to your health that it is impossible for you to work any longer. However, one of the big problems with this disorder is that many people do not understand it completely. This even extends to medical professionals, as this disorder is often misdiagnosed.

Since a proper medical diagnosis is needed when seeking Social Security disability benefits, it is important to know what signs and symptoms to watch out for. Below are a few of the most common:

• An often overwhelming sense of fatigue
• Widespread pain in your joints and your muscles
• Tender points on your body
• Problems sleeping, which could contribute to fatigue
• The onset of depression
• Constant anxiety
• A general sense of stiffness in muscles and joints every morning
• Memory problems and issues concentrating, which are often called the "fibro fog"
• Consistent headaches
• A tingling feeling in your legs, arms and hands
• Numbness, often in the extremities
• Issues urinating
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Menstrual cramps that are more painful than usual

If you're suffering from a medical condition listed in what's colloquially known as the Social Security Administration's (SSA) "blue book," there's a strong likelihood that you may qualify to receive disability benefits.

In order to be automatically qualified to receive either Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), your condition must be included in the SSA's "Listing of Medical Impairments."

If your disability means you face many struggles in your daily life, it should be no surprise to you that trying to obtain Social Security Disability Insurance benefits will be one more struggle. Close to a million people apply for SSDI each year, and only about a third of those applicants gain approval for financial assistance.

This statistic may seem daunting and even discouraging to you. However, if you understand some of the reasons why the Social Security Administration denies so many claims, you may be better able to prepare an application that will improve your chances of receiving the benefits you need and deserve.