Seizures and Social Security Disability

Hello and welcome to Seizure Disability.com, your all-in-one stop for information relating to Social Security Disability claims arising from seizure disorder and/or epilepsy.Here you will find specific information about pursuing disability claims arising from seizure disorder, case strategies that have proven effective in securing benefits for seizure disorder claimants, and ongoing dialogue about seizure disorder and Social Security Disability (see the Seizure Disability Blog which is part of this site).

Additionally, if you are interested in pursuing a disability claim based on seizure disorder, or are currently in the process of a claim and would like our expert advice, please use the contact form on the right for a free case review.

Seizures and Social Security Disability

Seizures are usually defined as the behavioral changes or the physical findings that result once the human brain has experienced some type of electrical activity which is considered to be abnormal. The seizures oftentimes mandate a variety of symptoms which are based in the area of the brain that they occur in. The most common of these are either a loss of awareness, shaking spells, or an uncontrollable twitching. You may feel a combination of these as well.

Even staring spells which appear as a dazed look in the eyes or looking at nothing can be signs of a person experiencing a seizure. This makes identifying the event even harder to discern. They can even result in changes to a person’s vision or a temporary loss thereof. The symptoms appear without warning as do the actual seizures themselves over a period of mere seconds to several minutes.

Because of the unpredictability of these attacks, it makes things difficult for the suffering individual to conduct their daily lives in normal fashion. This is especially evident where the performance of their job responsibilities is concerned. Additionally, the seizures can last for up to 15 minutes at a time. Rarely do they continue longer than this. Typically, when shaking is an issue, it only lasts a few minutes and normally ceases after about 5 minutes.

Seizures may be relative to temporary conditions such as:

• abnormal glucose or sodium levels in the person’s blood supply
• exposure to drugs or prolonged drug abuse
• withdrawal resulting from stopping the use of certain drugs
• high fevers

Or they can result from previous injuries to the brain such as concussions (head trauma) or a stroke. Heredity can also play a significant role in the onset of seizures. It has been hypothesized that it can pass down through family generations and therefore increases the risk of it occurring in future generations.

Although the above information would suggest that there is a disabling issue involved for the individual that suffers from seizure episodes, they still need to prove that this has created the incapacity to hold down a regular full-time job therefore hindering their ability to be a financial contributor to the household. The burden of proof ultimately falls on the individual attempting to obtain SSDI benefits. It is critical that once the condition has been diagnosed and medication has been prescribed for preventative treatment of the seizures that the individual has documented evidence of following the regimen.