If you have fibromyalgia, you may suffer from symptoms of fatigue, pain and stiffness. According to WebMD, those with fibromyalgia may require disability because they do not have the capacity to work.
If you have fibromyalgia and want to file for disability, you will require proof and detailed information about your condition.
Do you have an impairment?
While the Americans with Disabilities Act does not have a list of medical conditions, you do have to meet the definition of a disability. Fibromyalgia may be difficult to diagnose because healthcare providers have to do various blood tests and physical exams.
Social Security Disability regulations define disability as an inability to perform a substantial gainful activity because of your medical problem.
Can you prove the impairment?
You have to do more than describe your symptoms to receive disability benefits. You need to take the symptoms and your condition with fibromyalgia and apply them to your ability to work. For example, your pain symptoms could result in you being unable to leave home or find work. To prove your impairment, bring reports from doctors and psychologists. You also need your medication documentation, therapies and any lifestyle remedies that you use.
Can you appeal a rejection?
If you do not receive approval for disability, do not worry. Many patients do not receive approval at first. You have the right to appeal before a judge. While appeals and applying for a disability take time, it can help save your life when you cannot work.
Before you file for disability, you may want to evaluate yourself by a fibromyalgia specialist to give a detailed assessment.