Thankfully, we do not have to deal with frigid freezing temperatures and wintery weather such as sleet, snow and ice like much of the rest of the country. And although the winter solstice has come and gone, and the days will slowly be getting brighter, as of this writing, they are still short and the nights can get chilly down here in the Houston, Texas area.
Add to it the stresses of the holiday season, which is embraced by many as a time of happiness and sharing and family and friends, but can also be a time of depression and sadness for many, and you have what’s called “Seasonal Affective Disorder,” or SAD, a condition that is recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association.
Seasonal affective disorder generally occurs during a specific season every year, and may trigger a long-term depressive state. Mental conditions are included as qualifying conditions for Social Security disability benefits including Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, and Supplemental Security Income, or SSI.
If you suffer from a mental condition that prohibits you from maintaining gainful employment, and that condition is expected to last at least a year or end in death, you may qualify. Social Security disability benefits are not designed to fully pay for medical expenses or therapy, but are in place to help a sufferer make ends meet financially. The application process can get tricky, especially for proving a debilitating mental condition claims, so you may want to consider speaking with a legal professional to help improve your chances of getting your application accepted.
Source: Mayo Clinic, “Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)“, Accessed on Jan. 2, 2017