Is OCD A Disability?
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), OCD is a severe condition that has an adverse impact on the brain. As the functioning of the brain gets affected, OCD must be regarded as a disability.
In case you are working somewhere then your employer might need evidence of your mental health condition. This will verify whether OCD is a disability or not.
In bigger companies, employers have specific policies and procedures on how the accommodations will be provided. In these cases, it becomes convenient to classify OCD as an extreme disability.
Disabled people can apply for rational accommodations. The people having disabilities will be provided the accommodations through an application process.
This will help them in performing their job functions. All these advantages will be provided to the people who are disabled rather than people who do not have any disabilities.
As per the EEOC, only reasonable accommodations will be provided to the employees. Provision of accommodations will be offered in case there is no hardship caused to the employer.
Does OCD Qualify for Disability?
OCD stands for obsessive-compulsive disorder. This can impact an individual’s life negatively so much so that it prevents him from engaging in any work.
People who are suffering from OCD might compel the disabled person to do the same task again and again.
Many unwanted thoughts prevail in this disability. The tasks that can be performed on a regular basis are cleaning, counting things, and frequently checking.
People might also suffer from higher levels of anxiety. Some people might experience thoughts related to religion, germs, violence, and sex. Suppose, anyone is suffering from OCD and wants to keep everything in good order then it will be performed repeatedly. However, some people might not suffer from compulsions and obsessions.
It is due to these obsessions that people having OCD are accompanied by anxiety. These people suffer from:
- Fear of germs
- Thoughts related to religion, sex, and harm
- Thoughts provoking the disabled person to become aggressive.
- The repeated thoughts of performing things in a symmetrical order.
Compulsions are related to repetitive behaviour. An individual is compelled to do something based on obsessive thoughts. Some of the common compulsions that people suffer from are as follows:
- Excessive hand washing
- Excessive cleaning
- Arranging things in a particular order
- Ordering things in a certain way
- Checking things on a repeated basis such as locking doors again and again.
- Counting is based on a compulsive basis.
The overall process of obtaining social security is a complicated one.
Can I Get A Disability for OCD?
Yes, anyone suffering from OCD can apply for Social Security disability benefits. The benefits are granted based on whether the condition is documented properly or not.
The disability must also be severe and must negatively impact the capacity to work. The Social Security Administration (SSA) reviews the application and classifies OCD as one of the disabilities related to anxiety.
To attain the benefits of OCD, a complete diagnosis will be done. The diagnosis is based on spontaneous, and activities that are time-consuming.
This will help anxious thoughts from prevailing. You need to prove your disability by showcasing that you have a constraint in any one of the below-mentioned fields:
- You are unable to handle your behaviour and your emotions are going out of control.
- You are unable to transform and adapt to the change.
- Unable to complete tasks and decreased concentration levels
- Unable to communicate with anyone and changed behaviour socially
- Decreased ability to learn or understand or remember things.
Some people who are not suffering from any of the above areas of OCD disability might also get the benefits. There is an alternative way.
In case you are suffering from OCD for 24 months and more. Any medical treatment is not improving your health. In this case, you will be eligible for getting the advantages of social security.
What Type of Disability Is OCD?
OCD is an obsessive-compulsive disorder that comes under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). People who are experiencing OCD will not be discriminated against in the hiring process of the job. Even after getting the job, people having OCD cannot be discriminated against based on their disability.
OCD is a type of anxiety-related disability that can lay an adverse impact on millions of people in America. It can even be classified as one of the chronic pain that can affect relationships as well.
There must be medical evidence presented to the SSA. The documents must be well preserved and must be approved by a certified psychiatrist.
The medical records must also contain information on what treatment was given to you, what medications were prescribed to you, any therapies that were included in the treatment. The records will also show how you were responding to the medical treatment. This will include the side effects of treatment along with how effective it was.
The healthcare professional must also give you evidence that will state your inability to work. It will also state that you were unable to perform daily activities.
In case you have been given a list of questions for the diagnosis of OCD then you must also present this in front of SSA.
This will strengthen your claim and will also show the severity of your disability.
A Disability Lawyer in San Antonio will investigate your case and will assist you in how to win the disability advantages.