One of the most common misunderstandings around disabilities is that they are always plainly visible to others. This can lead to some confusion where people won’t be able to see any evidence of a disability, and so they will believe that person is not, in fact, disabled.
But this is such a dangerous misconception, because there are certainly an entire set of symptoms that are classified as invisible disabilities. These still have a tremendous impact on the person’s life, they certainly can qualify for SSDI and other types of benefits as a result, and the disability is definitely a part of their life that impacts the way they live and whether or not they can work. It just may not be as obvious to outsiders, but that has nothing to do with the validity of the condition or whether or not it would qualify someone for benefits.
What types of disabilities would qualify?
Experts note that these disabilities can be neurological, mental or physical in nature. There are certainly a wide variety, and it’s important to consider the unique factors of every case.
But one example of an invisible disability could be post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is common with soldiers who saw combat, for example, and those who have been involved in car accidents or other dangerous and hazardous events.
If you meet someone who has PTSD, they will most likely seem completely fine at that moment. But they may be having trouble sleeping or even dealing with insomnia. They may have flashbacks or nightmares at inopportune times. Little things may set them off so that they become agitated or unable to focus. PTSD can also manifest as extreme anxiety around specific events, such as an inability to drive a car after being involved in a traumatic accident.
Those who are dealing with invisibility disabilities need to know about all the legal options at their disposal.
