Bipolar disorder of any form is a very serious and disruptive mental illness. You can receive Social Security disability benefits for bipolar disorder in Minnesota. There are symptoms that Social Security specifically looks for to evaluate the severity of your bipolar disorder. These symptoms include hyperactivity, pressured speech, flight of ideas, inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, easy distractibility, involvement is high risk activities, or hallucinations, and/or paranoid thinking.
The frequency and severity of these episodes (otherwise known as “cycling”) are essential in Social Security’s determination process. Medical professionals need this information to diagnose and treat you. Ultimately, Social Security may decide if you are disabled from bipolar disorder based on how your symptoms impact your daily activities, social functioning, and concentration.
In our legal experience, the two most common reasons people with bipolar disorder can be denied are (1) if they fail to take medication as prescribed, and (2) if they are chemically dependent. Work with your physician mental health professional on these two and other issues that arise, and you will have a better chance of proving you cannot maintain full-time employment.
[1]Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). When you become depressed, you may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities.