Schizophrenia – Overview
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If you match the criteria for Blue Book Listing 12.03, Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic diseases, you may be granted for schizophrenia disability benefits immediately.
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness in which the affected person’s mental and emotional processes disintegrate, making it impossible to distinguish reality from illusion. Schizophrenics sometimes struggle to behave appropriately in social contexts and may also struggle with self-care. The sickness typically progresses slowly, taking months or even years to manifest completely devastating symptoms.
The cause of Schizophrenia is unknown. It typically manifests itself throughout adolescence, but can also manifest itself during childhood or later age. Genetics, environment, infection, or family dysfunction may all play a role in producing the condition. Schizophrenia is classified into four distinct subtypes:
- Schizophrenia with Paranoia
- Schizophrenia Catatonic, Schizophrenia Disorganized
- Schizophrenia Without Distinction
- Leftover Schizophrenia is a word that refers to a condition in which an individual has a good handle on the bulk of their symptoms but nevertheless exhibits residual symptoms.
Schizophrenia is typically diagnosed by psychiatrists rather than medical professionals, and is typically determined through verbal interviews with both the patient and close family members. The psychiatrist will assess the symptoms mentioned, the person’s behavior since the symptoms were first detected, the person’s family and medical history, and the person’s response to the medicine given to treat the symptoms. Although there are no medical tests that may be used to diagnose schizophrenia, a diagnosing psychiatrist may conduct a CT scan of the head to rule out other physical illnesses that may cause comparable symptoms.
Schizophrenia manifests itself in a variety of ways. Due to the sluggish progression of schizophrenia, symptoms may initially be imperceptibly mild or resemble common ailments such as tension, sleeplessness, or difficulty focusing. The condition’s symptoms, such as social disengagement or trouble making and keeping friends, are sometimes misdiagnosed as shyness or social ineptness. However, as the disease advances, psychotic symptoms frequently manifest. These include hallucinations, delusions, flat affect (the appearance of no feeling), catatonic behavior (social withdrawal), and disturbed thinking.
Additionally, the various kinds of Schizophrenia are frequently associated with other condition-specific symptoms, such as the following:
- Schizophrenia Catatonic – unpleasant emotions, tight muscles, irritability, diminished ability to sense pain, and inability to care for oneself.
- Schizophrenia with Paranoia – rage, argumentativeness, and anxiousness.
- Schizophrenia with Disorganization — childlike and repetitive actions, incoherent laughing, and incomprehensible speech.
- Schizophrenia Undifferentiated – encompasses symptoms associated with multiple types of schizophrenia.
Treatment for schizophrenia frequently include hospitalization, antipsychotic medication to help manage symptoms, and behavioral treatments. Many schizophrenics, with therapy, are able to control their symptoms sufficiently to operate reasonably effectively, usually in a supportive setting. Unfortunately, there are still numerous cases where people diagnosed with Schizophrenia are unable to function and require long-term care, sometimes as a result of severe responses to prescription medications.
Applying for Social Security Disability with a Schizophrenia Diagnosis
Under Section 12.03 Schizophrenic, Paranoid, and Other Psychotic Disorders, the Social Security Administration (SSA) supports applications for disability benefits based on a diagnosis of Schizophrenia.
To qualify for disability benefits based on schizophrenia, an individual must be able to establish that he or she suffers from one of the following:
Delusions or hallucinations; or Disorganized or catatonic conduct; or A pattern of disorganized or illogical thought (as shown by inappropriate mood or flat speech, for example); or
Isolation and disengagement from social connection on an emotional level.
Additionally, you must be able to demonstrate, through medical documentation, that your symptoms significantly impair your ability to perform routine daily activities and to obtain and retain gainful employment. If your symptoms are not severe enough to necessitate full-time care but are severe enough to prevent you from working, the SSA specifies a second set of criteria for eligibility for disability benefits. These include the following:
Your medical records must demonstrate that you have had a psychotic disorder for at least two years and that it has had a detrimental effect on your capacity to work.
You must demonstrate that you are unable to function in the world without significant outside assistance; for example, you must require home care and be unable to find or hold a job, or you must require assisted living accommodations, etc.
While medical records frequently detail symptoms and resulting limits, they frequently do not detail how a condition prohibits you from working, and hence may not be adequate to establish total disability under SSA guidelines. Due to the complexity of schizophrenia and the difficulty of establishing your inability to maintain gainful employment solely through medical records, it is frequently highly recommended that claimants hire a Social Security Disability attorney or disability advocate to assist them in formulating and presenting their case.
Your Case for Schizophrenia Disability
If you are incapacitated by Schizophrenia to the extent that it prevents you from working, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefits under the Social Security Administration’s Blue Book definition. Although establishing total disability based on a Schizophrenia diagnosis can be challenging based on medical records alone, collaborating with medical professionals and a qualified Social Security disability attorney or advocate to collect and present the necessary documentation to the SSA can help ensure that your Schizophrenia disability case has the best possible chance of success. Additionally, you can learn more by completing a brief and completely free case evaluation form.