Anxiety Disorders

While there are many different anxiety disorders that can significantly impair a person’s ability to sustain full-time gainful employment, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of the most common and devastating anxiety disorders. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder can include the following:

– Persistent worrying or obsession about small or large concerns that’s out of proportion to the impact of the event
– Inability to set aside or let go of a worry
– Inability to relax, restlessness, and feeling keyed up or on edge
– Difficulty concentrating, or the feeling that your mind “goes blank”
– Worrying about excessively worrying
– Distress about making decisions for fear of making the wrong decision
– Carrying every option in a situation all the way out to its possible negative conclusion
– Difficulty handling uncertainty or indecisiveness
– Fatigue
– Irritability
– Muscle tension or muscle aches
– Trembling, feeling twitchy
– Being easily startled
– Trouble sleeping
– Sweating
– Nausea, diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome
– Headaches

When these symptoms are not responsive to psychiatric therapy, counseling, and/or prescription anti-anxiety medication, they may remain severe for a significant period of time and prevent a person from sustaining full-time gainful employment. Some of the most common reasons why Social Security disability claimants diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder are no longer able to work is that they cannot handle the stress of a workplace environment, lack the ability to interact effectively with coworkers and supervisors, struggle with an inability to make decisions for fear of making the wrong one, and suffer repeated panic attacks at the first sign of stress at work.

Contact Us

If you or a friend or family member suffer from an anxiety disorder and are no longer able to work, please contact our office for a free consultation as you may be eligible for Social Security disability benefits.