Nearly everybody goes through difficult times. Some may find themselves with depression and/or anxiety until things get better. But is your anxiety bad enough to warrant long-term disability? It can be, if it prevents you from working, and inhibits nearly every part of your life.
Anxiety, like most mental illnesses, is difficult to positively diagnose, and therefore harder to claim. Unlike an injury, such as a broken leg, or a condition like cancer, anxiety doesn’t have symptoms that are readily obvious or detectable with a blood or other medical test. But living with a physical disability can also trigger concurrent mental disabilities, including anxiety.
What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is usually defined as a chronic fear or worry about something that could happen, but hasn’t happened yet, and may never happen. There are many factors that can trigger this fear or worry, such as work-related issues, relationship problems, or other problematic situations (i.e., a car accident, chronic pain, etc.) A shortage of oxygen in some areas can contribute to anxiety, as well as brain chemistry. Certain medications can also cause anxiety, as well as withdrawal from some substances.
Mild cases may remedy themselves, but severe cases can be debilitating and prevent you from working and living your life. There are multiple variations of anxiety:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Phobias
- Panic Disorders
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD
- Separation Anxiety Disorder
A mental health professional (i.e., psychiatrist) can identify the cause of the anxiety. A physical exam, including medical testing, can identify any physical symptoms that may be causing the anxiety.
A positive diagnosis includes consistent worry for more than six months, difficulty in controlling that worry, and that the symptoms severely impact everyday life, interfering with work and/or school, etc.
Check Your Policy First
The first thing you’ll need to review is your LTD policy. What does it consider a “disability?” Does it cover mental illnesses? More importantly, does it exclude mental illnesses?
Check to see how your policy defines “disability.” Many LTD policies put a two-year limit on mental illness benefits. Anxiety may develop for any number of reasons, but it’s important to note if it develops in someone who is living with a physical disability that prevents them from working. Your LTD policy will tell you if mental illnesses are limited, or outright excluded.
You’ll need to meet all the other requirements of your LTD policy to be able to file the claim. If your anxiety was caused by an underlying physical condition, you may be able to collect benefits beyond the two-year standard for mental illnesses. But in order to do that, you’ll need to curate enough medical evidence that demonstrates your physical illness qualifies you as disabled on its own. This is where an attorney can help you.
The Human Factor
Always remember that disability insurance claims processors aren’t medical professionals. They’re not trained to offer medical advice or opinions, only to examine claims to see if they’re properly supported and submitted. They’re looking for anything that positively proves your disability, be it mental or physical.
Don’t rely on the insurance company to get everything. The more documentation you can submit that supports your claim, the better your chances of approval. Providing copies of physician’s notes, additional medical records, prescription records, therapy notes, and anything else that might be relevant can be submitted to support your claim.
Also be careful of any questionnaires or other documentation the insurance companies send to you. Some of the questions may be carefully written to intentionally disqualify your claim when you believe you’re answering truthfully to better support your claim. Having a disability lawyer review documentation before it’s sent to the insurer will help prevent automatic disqualifications for these kinds of questions, and make sure your claim is thorough and complete.
Surveillance
It’s not uncommon for insurance companies of all kinds to conduct surveillance on someone filing a claim, whether it’s LTD, for a car accident or a personal injury claim. (This is also common in divorce cases.) You may be followed, or your social media may be examined for evidence that you’re not as disabled as you claim, so be cautious about your activities and postings. Be aware that any evidence that is gathered can be used to deny your claim, even if it’s misrepresenting.
Your Houston LTD Disability Attorney
Nobody wants to suffer from chronic anxiety, but applying for long-term disability can be difficult. It’s important not to give up. We’re ready to help you through the long process of getting long-term disability benefits.
Over 4,000 Houstonians have received the LTD benefits they need, and we can help you too. The Herren Law Firm can help you with your application, appeals and help you through the process so you can concentrate on getting better. Contact us today at 713-682-8194 to schedule your free consultation. There’s no obligation and no up-front fees. We only collect if we win your case.
