Major Depressive Disorder And Social Security Disability

Often described as uncontrollable feelings of sadness, unhappiness, or misery, major depression or major depressive disorder can have a serious impact on an individual’s life and well being. While most individuals experience periods of depression during different difficult times in their lives, major depressive disorder (also known as major depression, clinical depression, and recurrent depression) occurs when feelings of depression persist over a long period of time, amounting to several weeks to months.

The precise cause of major depressive disorder is unknown. Some studies show that major depression can be caused by certain events, but the imbalances of brain chemicals in many sufferers of major depressive disorder show that there may also be biological, or even sometimes genetic causes. Though these chemical imbalances have been show to run in the family, it is not uncommon for individuals to develop them even without a family history. Outside factors that seem to contribute to major depression include: Drug or Alcohol Abuse, Medical Conditions, Prescription Drugs (Steroids), Trouble Sleeping, and Major Life Changes: Trouble in school, break ups, divorce, abuse or neglect and loss of job are some examples.

There are a wide variety of symptoms that have been associated with major depressive disorder. Each individual reacts to the disease in a way that is unique to him or her. Every individual suffering from major depressive disorder may manifest some symptoms and not others, or may not manifest any symptoms at all. Some of the more common symptoms of major depressive disorder can include:

Agitation, restlessness, irritabilityChange in appetiteDifficulty concentratingExtreme exhaustionFeeling hopeless, helpless, worthless or guiltyLosing interest in activities that were once enjoyedThoughts of death or suicideIrregular sleep patterns

Major depressive disorder can be a debilitating disease that keeps you out of work for long periods of time. If you or a loved one has this disease and it is affecting your life so severely that your doctor tells you that you should not return to work, contact an experienced RI Social Security Disability attorney right away. An experienced Social Security attorney in Rhode Island can help you to make important life decisions and can ease the stress of the application process to the Social Security Administration. Nearly 75 percent of all first time applicants for Social Security Disability are denied benefits. This denial is generally not because the disability is not worthy of benefits, but rather because the paperwork was not what the Social Security Administration was looking for.