Having a baby is truly a miracle. Unfortunately, for many new moms, it can feel far from blissful. Many new mothers experience a condition known as postpartum depression after giving birth. Postpartum depression often manifests in anxiety, depression, mood swings, and periods of crying. It often begins within the first couple of days after giving birth.
Postpartum Depression Can Impact Employment
While it may be mild for some, it can also prove severe and chronic for others. It can impact everything from the ability to provide self-care, to the ability to care for the newborn, to the ability to maintain a job. For women who experience postpartum depression, seeing a physician or psychiatrist can prove imperative. Because the condition can impact one’s ability to maintain employment, it makes the individual suffering eligible to receive Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits.
For an individual to qualify for SSD benefits, your disability must last at least 12 months or must prevent you from upholding full-time gainful employment. Therefore, if you are suffering from postpartum depression and are unable to return to work or perform other full-time work, you may want to apply for SSD benefits.
Determining if You Qualify
Once the Social Security Administration (SSA) confirms that you have met the basic eligibility, they will look at your medical records to ensure that you also meet all of the program requirements. The SSA will also obtain the proper documents to look over your symptoms and prior treatment and to see what your current abilities are. The SSA wants to know what you are able to and not able to do.
Always Document Your Treatment
Ensuring that your treatment is always documented can be the difference between receiving and not receiving SSD benefits. The SSA may also schedule a mental status examination with you in order to assess your condition. The findings in this examination will be used to either support or to hurt your SSD case.
When you are struggling with postpartum depression it can be difficult to even get out of bed in the morning. Understanding how to file a SSD case and to provide the proper documentation and evidence can be complicated. Luckily, a qualified disability attorney can help to ensure that you file everything correctly and can also help to file an appeal should your claim be denied.
The Las Vegas SSD Attorneys at Roeschke Law, LLC Can Help
If you or a loved one is struggling with a disability that prevents you from working, you may not know how to proceed. Fortunately, the attorneys at Roeschke Law, LLC can help. We understand the impact that a disability can have on your physical, emotional, and financial health. That’s why it’s our mission to help you. To learn more, or to schedule a consultation, contact us today!