Have you ever thought about this? If your leg is fractured during a horrible accident, no one questions your pain. It’s easy to see you’re in pain. No one says, “You only have to work harder” or “someone has it worse”. They would recognize your difficulty and provide help if you need crutches without a second thought. Your pain will be so clearly visible that it would be the natural thing to provide support.
However, when your mind breaks down, when depression gets control of your entire life, individuals still expect you to be there, to practice and keep going. Sometimes the silence that comes with the pain may seem even heavier than your pain itself.
The positive part is that depression is a treatable mental health condition. A depression treatment plan includes psychotherapy, medication, lifestyle changes, and other alternative treatment options according to individual condition needs. To delve deeper into it, let’s first understand how chronic depression causes disability and how to deal with it.
Depression as disability
A broken leg is nagging, but it is visible, and no one can deny it’s painful. So, you don’t have to convince anyone that it is real. With depression, you get up every morning despite having no motivation and enthusiasm to start the day, but no one else can see it. You put on an act, following the instructions when you are in public. You are silently frustrated, but you force yourself to move on anyway.
Then, it begins: You start doubting yourself: “Am I exaggerating? Am I just lazy or not trying hard enough? What should I do to feel better?” Well, you would never say to a person with a broken leg that they must only persist and walk. Right? Therefore, why are you doing the same thing to yourself?
Chronic depression is not just about a period of bad mood for a few hours. It manifests itself quietly and tirelessly every day. As a result, you may experience:
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Feeling tired when waking up
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Cannot propel yourself into simple tasks after sitting for hours thinking about them
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Love the people you are around, but you feel like you are distant from them
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Putting the weight on the source of your pain (e.g., grief, hard feelings, etc.), making the weight heavier
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Makes you keep working on the outside yet losing yourself inside
Is chronic depression really a disability?
Yes, it is. A study that involved over 20,000 participants showed that depression was among the most significant causes of disability worldwide. It can shorten a person’s life by many years if it is not treated. When it becomes chronic and severe, it keeps you away from work, from connecting with others, and from looking after yourself on a day-to-day basis.
That is one way a disability can transform a person. Besides that, many countries have recognized chronic depression as a disability legally. Not to call you a supporter. It ensures you aren’t left without the support and protection you need for genuine reasons.
Can you get a disability check for depression?
Both the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) acknowledge depression as a disability. Support is available to you:
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Workplace accommodations such as non-traditional hours, a separate workplace, or non-absolute deadlines so the job does not become an additional factor in breaking down for you.
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Short-term disability benefits that let you focus exclusively on treatment while your paychecks are protected.
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Long-term disability support if your depression continues despite the ongoing treatment or failure to
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SSI or SSDI financial assistance if the condition is the main reason you can’t keep studying or doing a job properly.
Knowing about these resources doesn’t mean you’re trying to cheat the system. It’s about allowing yourself to get the emergency recommendations that support you. Chronic depression is just as demanding and deserves the same care we get when we suffer from physical pain. Typically, a structured approach should be followed:
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A diagnosis made by a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist
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Records that prove, by a psychiatrist, how long you have been affected
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Documentation that leads to a conclusion that depression affects both the ability to work and the ability to function daily
How can a psychiatrist help you?
You will not hesitate to visit an orthopedic surgeon if your leg were broken, right? Just walk in, tell them about your problem, and trust them to heal you. A psychiatrist is your specialist when it comes to repairing your mind, just as an orthopedic specialist is for your leg.
They won’t label you. They are ready to help you discover the forces you have been carrying, as well as the hidden problems that really matter to you. They analyze not just your mental or physical health, but both of them are interrelated, which is the whole of you. Additionally, they are experts in psychiatric medication more than a general physician.
Plus, a psychiatrist can document how depression is constraining you and inhibiting you from being able to function and work. The document can be what differentiates a person (you) who would be struggling alone and the one who will finally receive the best care they require.
You deserve the same care as anyone in physical pain
Not a single soul would dare to laugh at a person on crutches. They would instead open the door for them. They would come and offer to help carry the bags. A person’s pain would be treated with respect. This is because it is visible.
Your depression pain is equal to the kind of respect. Even if you feel like nobody around you sees it, even if the disease has been four years old and has told you it is not serious enough, even if you have passed months thinking you should be okay without the help of a psychiatrist, be it at a mental health hospital or rehabilitation center. Just follow the path to get the help you need.
You can never let a broken leg go untreated. So don’t leave your mind untreated in that way, either.
Reference:
MBH/PS