Does Anxiety Disorder Qualify For Social Security Disability?

Claims based on anxiety disorder are often approved if the allegations are substantiated with strong medical evidence

Everyone experiences anxiety at one time or another, so it is a normal human reaction to stimuli (such as taking a test or solving a problem). However, when the anxiety level is totally out of proportion to the stimulus, it can be disabling. The level of distress can be so severe that it limits your ability to function normally. Anxiety Disorder is among the most common mental disorders. Symptoms associated with anxiety disorder can include feelings of panic, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, inability to sit still, muscle tension, etc. Over a prolonged period, these symptoms can take a serious toll on your body and mind.

Does Social Security consider anxiety disorder to be disabling?

The short answer is, “It depends.” And it depends on many factors, most notably the severity of your symptoms, the effectiveness of treatment options, the strength of your medical evidence, your age, your education level and the type of work you have done. A difficult issue with disability claims based on anxiety is that the underlying cause of the symptoms is oftentimes not medically determinable, meaning there are no tests that can objectively confirm the existence of the disorder. This makes it difficult for Social Security to assess the severity of the alleged conditions. Anxiety disorder claims typically come down to your credibility and, relatedly, the strength of your medical treatment. The more specialized your medical professional, and the more convincing his or her medical treatment records, the more likely your claim is to being approved. Treatment can include psychiatric treatment, hospitalizations, medications, etc. If you suffer from severe anxiety disorder, it can be difficult to adhere to treatment regimens, make appointments, etc., which can hurt the credibility of your claim by limiting the availability of compelling medical evidence.

How exactly does Social Security evaluate a disability claim based on anxiety disorder?




Step 3: Medical Listings. At Step 3, the question is whether your chronic pain meets or equals a medical “Listing.” Social Security has broken down the human body and mind into 14 different Impairment categories, called the Listing of Impairments. Anxiety disorder claims are evaluated under Listing 12.06 Anxiety-Related Disorders. Disability under this section requires anxiety as either the predominant disturbance or experienced if the individual attempts to master symptoms or resisting the obsessions or compulsions in obsessive compulsive disorders. The required level of severity for these disorders is met when the requirements in both A and B are satisfied, or when the requirements in both A and C are satisfied: A. medically documented findings of at least one of the following: 1. generalized persistent anxiety accompanied by three out of four of the following signs or symptoms: (a) motor tension; or (b) autonomic hyperactivity; or (c) apprehensive expectation; or (d) vigilance and scanning; or 2. a persistent irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation which results in a compelling desire to avoid the dreaded object, activity, or situation; or 3. recurrent severe panic attacks manifested by a sudden unpredictable onset of intense apprehension, fear, terror and sense of impending doom occurring on the average of at least once a week; or 4. recurrent obsessions or compulsions which are a source of marked distress; or 5. recurrent and intrusive recollections of a traumatic experience, which are a source of marked distress; and B. at least two of the following: 1. marked restriction of activities of daily living; or
2. marked difficulties in maintaining social functioning; or 3. marked difficulties in maintaining concentration, persistence, or pace; or 4. repeated episodes of decompensation, each of extended duration, C. resulting in complete inability to function independently outside the area of one's home.


Step 4: Past Work. The objective of Step 4 is to determine whether you have the ability to perform work you have performed previously. To determine this, the adjudicator determines your Residual Functional Capacity (RFC). Your RFC identifies what your body and mind can still do after considering your medical symptoms. In developing your RFC, the adjudicator will consider all impairments and symptoms, including mental and physical. For example, if you suffer from Bipolar Disorder and also severe Back Pain, both conditions will be considered in developing your RFC. The adjudicator will estimate your ability to perform such functions as remembering, understanding, communicating, etc. Your RFC might contain some of the following limitations: inability to comprehend basic instructions, inability to maintain concentration, persistence or pace, inability to interact with the general public, inability to work without excessive breaks, etc.


After finalizing your list of Past Relevant Work, the adjudicator must now classify it. The type of work you have done in the past will be classified by both exertional level and by skill level. For example, a Nurse works at the Medium exertional level and the position is considered Skilled, while a Security Guard works at the Light exertional level and the position is considered Semi-Skilled. Once all of your PRW has been classified, the adjudicator must then determine whether you have the functional ability to perform any of your past work. If the adjudicator determines you can still perform the functions required in you past work, you will be found Not Disabled and denied. If the adjudicator determines you cannot perform your past work, your claim will advance to Step 5.


To start, Social Security classifies your Education level as follows:

• Illiterate (or unable to communicate in English)
• Marginal (generally 6th grade or less)
• Limited (generally 7th through 11th grades)
• High school (and above)




• Younger (ages 18-49)
• Closely approaching advanced age (ages 50-54)
• Advanced age (ages 55-59)
• Closely approaching retirement age (ages 60+)



Conclusion: Will my disability claim be approved?

Social Security disability claims based on anxiety disorder are never easy to get approved. Mental health claims require expert understanding of the above evaluation process, as well as compelling medical evidence. If the medical evidence does not support the alleged severity, the claimant is often found to be less than credible and denied. If you would like to discuss the specifics of your case with a disability expert now, please contact us. We will do everything possible to get your claim approved.

