Can people with GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) be considered disabled and eligible to receive SSI for it?

I recently started seeing a new psychiatrist, and he diagnosed me with GAD. However, my prior diagnosis was Bipolar disorder according to my old psychiatrist... I been collecting a social security income for a while, so can I still be considered disabled under GAD and still receive my SS benefits?

According to the SS website, the following conditions qualify you:

12.06 Anxiety-related disorders: In these disorders anxiety is either the predominant disturbance or it is experienced if the individual attempts to master symptoms; for example, confronting the dreaded object or situation in a phobic disorder 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. Resulting in 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.

OR

C. Resulting in complete inability to function independently outside the area of one's home.

just because you are bipolar and may have gad does not mean you have to rob the country by taking SS. I know many people who have productive lives and work too,instead of taking money for nothing and sitting on the computer all day.There are so many meds that can help you stabilize.

It depends on the severity of your disorder and how you respond to treatment. If your psychiatrist thinks that you are basically unable to be helped, and it causes your life to be completely unmanageable, you may be able to keep getting SS. However, I would caution you against doing so for a couple of reasons. First, if you do not have gainful employment for a long period of time, you may start to feel depressed, which will only make matters worse. Second, I strongly doubt that you will continue to receive social security, because GAD is not generally recognized as a completely debhilitating condition. On top of that, it is treatable, and manageable, with counseling and medication. I would encourage you to seek whatever help you can, and try to become a productive member of society again - you will feel a lot better about yourself if you do.