Be aware that May is Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so from Charlotte to California and from Chicago to Chattanooga and beyond, organizations are doing all they can to make people aware of the need for increasing understanding and respect for those living with mental health issues.

Those suffering from mental illness are not strangers or abstractions, they are our mothers, fathers, siblings, friends, co-workers and neighbors. Far too often, mental health issues make it impossible for victims to continue in their jobs and careers.

For them, Social Security Disability benefits offer a lifeline that makes it possible to keep a roof over their heads, food on the table and afford the medications they need.

A recent article in Psychology Today points out that mental health issues are so common that it is the person who never has to deal with those issues who is an anomaly. A recent study tracked people from age 11 to 38, finding that only 17 percent of them did not experience mental illness of any kind.

Forty-two percent of them had short-lived experiences with mental illness, while the remaining 41 percent had to deal with issues for years. Those common illnesses people struggle with, according to the study: depression, anxiety and substance abuse.

As many of our readers know, the leading cause of disability worldwide is depression. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the rate of depression across the globe over the past decade has been on the rise.

In this country, people suffering from long-term depression or anxiety or other mental health conditions can often qualify for SSDI benefits. Unfortunately, many of them will be turned down initially for the benefits, making an appeal necessary.

We will have more on Mental Health Awareness Month in an upcoming blog post.

An experienced North Carolina attorney can help SSDI applicants navigate the appeals process.