What are the hidden disabilities on Social Security?

Hidden disabilities recognized by the Social Security Administration (SSA) are conditions not always obvious but significantly limit work, including mental health disorders (depression, PTSD, anxiety), chronic illnesses (fibromyalgia, lupus, Crohn's, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, long-COVID), neurological issues (TBI, ADHD, autism, migraines, epilepsy), and sensory impairments (hearing/vision loss, learning disabilities), all requiring thorough medical documentation for approval.

What qualifies as a hidden disability?

A hidden disability (or invisible disability) is any physical, mental, or neurological condition that isn't immediately obvious to others but significantly impacts a person's life, including examples like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, mental health conditions (depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder), chronic illnesses (diabetes, Crohn's disease, lupus, fibromyalgia), chronic pain/fatigue, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, and hearing/vision impairments (without aids). These conditions often lack visible signs but require understanding and support, unlike visible disabilities such as paralysis or blindness.
 

What is the most commonly overlooked disability impairment?

A: Professionals regard mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and PTSD as the most hidden kinds of disabilities. People typically miss these conditions because they show no physical signs, and individuals hide them during social or work interactions.

What is the hardest disability to prove?

Here are the Top Disabilities That Are Difficult To Prove

• Mental Health Conditions. Mental illness stands as one of the most prevalent causes of disability, yet its impact is often underestimated or misunderstood. ...
• Chronic Pain Disorders. ...
• Fibromyalgia. ...
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. ...
• Autoimmune Disorders.

What disability gets approved the most?

The most approved disability category for Social Security benefits is musculoskeletal disorders, including conditions like severe arthritis, back pain, degenerative disc disease, and fibromyalgia, as these often have strong medical evidence and clear limitations on daily activities. While these physical ailments lead in approvals, mental health conditions (like mood disorders) and nervous system disorders are also very common reasons for approval, with intellectual disabilities common for younger applicants. 

5 Hidden Signs You Will Win Disability Benefits

What are 14 major types of disability?

autism; • deaf-blindness; • deafness; • emotional disturbance; • hearing impairment; • intellectual disability; • multiple disabilities; • orthopedic impairment; • other health impairment; • specific learning disability; • speech or language impairment; • traumatic brain injury; or • visual impairment (including ...

What is the easiest diagnosis to get disability?

There's no single "easiest" condition, as the Social Security Administration (SSA) focuses on how your impairment stops you from working, but musculoskeletal issues (like severe arthritis or back pain), certain cancers, intellectual disabilities, and mental health disorders (like depression) are among the most frequently approved, with severe cases qualifying faster through Compassionate Allowances (CAL) for conditions like ALS or acute leukemia. 

What are the 4 main disabilities?

The four main types of disabilities generally recognized are Physical, Sensory, Intellectual/Developmental, and Mental Health/Behavioral, encompassing challenges with mobility, senses (sight/hearing), learning/cognition, and emotional/psychological well-being, though categories can overlap and vary by definition. These categories help understand diverse needs, from mobility issues (physical) to learning differences (intellectual/developmental) and mental health conditions (behavioral).
 

What is the most common disability for seniors?

Arthritis. As the body ages, we become more susceptible to a myriad of conditions, including arthritis. This musculoskeletal disorder is the most common disability affecting seniors in the United States, with almost 52 million adults over age 18 living with arthritis.

What doesn't count as a disability?

Similarly, traits such as irritability, chronic lateness, and poor judgment are not, in themselves, mental impairments, although they may be linked to mental impairments. Broken limbs, sprains, concussions, appendicitis, common colds, or influenza generally would not be disabilities.

What are 21 types of disabilities?

What are the various types of disabilities recognized under international and local laws?

• Blindness.
• Low Vision.
• Leprosy Cured Persons.
• Hearing Impairment (Deaf and Hard of Hearing)
• Locomotor Disability.
• Dwarfism.
• Intellectual Disability.
• Mental Illness.

What are two hidden disabilities?

Hidden disabilities include autism, mental health, acquired/traumatic brain injury, sensory processing, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, partial sight and hearing loss. For instance, those with autism may need some extra time and space to process what is around them.

What is the easiest thing to get approved for disability?

The "easiest" disability to claim (primarily for VA benefits) involves conditions with clear service links like Tinnitus, hearing loss, scars, and musculoskeletal issues (back/joint pain), often due to high noise exposure or physical strain in service, with PTSD being easier for combat veterans due to presumptive service connection; the key is strong evidence like personal statements and medical records connecting it to service. 

What conditions qualify for adult disability payment?

To get Adult Disability Payment, you must have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability, or be terminally ill.

What diagnosis qualifies you for social security disability?

The types of conditions that qualify for disability listed in the Blue Book include musculoskeletal disorders, special senses and speech, respiratory disorders, cardiovascular system disorders, digestive system, genitourinary disorders, hematological disorders, skin disorders, endocrine disorders, congenital disorders ...

What conditions count as disabilities?

Conditions that qualify for disability are severe physical or mental impairments that prevent substantial work for at least 12 months, with examples including cancer, heart disease, severe arthritis, mental disorders (depression, PTSD, bipolar), neurological conditions (MS, epilepsy, Parkinson's), respiratory issues (COPD, asthma), and immune system disorders (HIV, lupus). Eligibility isn't automatic; your condition must significantly limit basic work activities like walking, sitting, lifting, or remembering, and often involves meeting specific criteria in the Social Security Administration's "Blue Book" or proving your limitations are as severe as a listed condition.
 

What are the fatal four disabilities?

In the past we have offered The Fatal 4 training focusing on aspiration, dehydration, constipation, and seizures. These health issues, often unrecognized, are linked to serious illness and preventable deaths in community-based settings.

What are the 10 most common disabilities?

Medical Disabilities

• Arthritis.
• Asthma.
• Cancer.
• Diabetes.
• Gastrointestinal disorders.
• Orthopedic limitations.
• Heart disease.
• Chronic fatigue syndrome.

What disqualifies you from receiving disability?

You can be disqualified from disability (like Social Security) for not having enough medical proof, earning too much money ($1,620+/month in 2025 for SSDI), not following doctor's orders, your condition lasting less than a year, the disability being caused by drug/alcohol abuse, or failing to cooperate with the SSA (like attending exams). The core issue is if the condition prevents "Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA)" for over a year, with strong, documented evidence.
 

What proof do you need to show that you are disabled?

If you need evidence to show you have a disability

You can get evidence from your doctor or another medical professional. This could include: how long your impairment is likely to last and if it's likely to get worse.

What is the most feared disability?

Among all the disabilities/illnesses assessed, fear of blindness was the highest and that of deafness was the lowest.

What is the most commonly approved disability?

The most approved disability category for Social Security benefits is musculoskeletal disorders, including conditions like severe arthritis, back pain, degenerative disc disease, and fibromyalgia, as these often have strong medical evidence and clear limitations on daily activities. While these physical ailments lead in approvals, mental health conditions (like mood disorders) and nervous system disorders are also very common reasons for approval, with intellectual disabilities common for younger applicants. 

Which is better, SSI or SSDI?

For most people, SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) is better than SSI (Supplemental Security Income) because it generally pays higher benefits based on your work history, doesn't have strict income/asset limits like SSI, and leads to Medicare eligibility after a waiting period, whereas SSI is a needs-based program for those with minimal earnings and limited resources, often providing lower payments but immediate Medicaid access in many states. 

What is disability code 10?

10. Multiple Disabilities Concomitant [simultaneous] impairments (such as mental retardation- blindness, mental retardation-orthopedic impairment, etc.), the combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in a special education program solely for one of the impairments.