Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, is a type of inflammatory disease of the bowels that affects millions of people. Symptoms of IBS can include stomach pain, cramps, diarrhea, nausea, and bloating. While some people suffer only mildly from IBS, many people must deal with this chronic condition on a much more constant basis, which can really interfere with their ability to live a normal life, including work.
If you suffer from IBS and find that it has affected your life to the point where something like holding down a steady job is impossible, then you might want to consider applying for Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefits. You should know, though, that while it is possible to secure SSDI benefits for IBS, it can be difficult. This is because unlike some conditions, the symptoms of IBS are often sporadic, playing havoc with your life one week, and then completely gone the next. To make matters worse, IBS is not one of the conditions in the Social Security Administration’s “Blue Book” of covered conditions.
All hope is not lost, however. If you can prove that you suffer from IBS and that it has caused you to be unable to work, then you can still collect SSDI benefits. It’s estimated that if you can show that your IBS has reduced your general productivity by about 20%, then you should be able to make a strong enough case for SSDI benefits.
Well, the first thing you need to do is collect your medical history. This history should include visits to the doctor and other medical professionals, medications, and treatments. These records should show a pattern of how your life has been affected by your IBS. For example, if your IBS has caused you to have serious, debilitating cramps, or requires you to make sudden, frequent trips to the restroom, this needs to be documented. In addition, a written statement from your doctor about how you have suffered and will continue to suffer for the foreseeable future is very important. Social Security will take this information and create a “residual functional capacity” (RFC) assessment, which will be used to determine what, if any, work you might be expected to do.
Based on information like this, the SSA will then determine if your IBS is serious enough to prevent you from meaningful, long-term work, which in turn will allow you to collect SSDI benefits.
If you have any more questions about how SSDI and Irritable Bowel Syndrome, please don’t hesitate to contact us today!
