Bipolar Disability

I came across a great post on Bipolar Blast that contained some really interesting information regarding Bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder, of course, is an impairment seen on applications for Social Security Disability and SSI and the condition receives a nod in the social security disability impairment listing manual (the blue book). However, bipolar disorder hasn't actually been given its own listing and, really, is just listed as a sub-category of affective disorders (a category that includes all levels of depression, from dysthymia to chronic major depression). Perhaps in time, more consideration will be given by the social security disability process.

Here are some interesting pieces of information from the post:

1. In 2003, more than 5.7 million individuals in the U.S. received disability benefits from the social security administration with a diagnosis of mental illness.

2. Individuals who receive disability benefits and have mental illness often live in subsidized housing or in homeless shelters.

Regarding the second item, I'm not at all surprised. In fact, over the past few years, I've spoken to a number of individuals who were either homeless or living in shelters at the time they were applying for disability. And, as I recall, most had some form of mental illness.

Return to the Social Security Disability SSI Benefits Blog





The following links lead to pages that relate to bipolar disorder and social security disability and SSI.


Bipolar Disorder, Social Security Disability and SSI, and alchol and drugs
Disability Benefits for Mental Illness (bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression)
Bipolar Disorder, ECT, Social Security Disability