Getting Social Security Disability Benefits for Conversion Disorder

It’s very common for people to experience physical symptoms of mental distress, like shaking when you’re nervous or fainting when witnessing something disturbing. When these symptoms persist despite the lack of any external stressors or medically determinable diseases, doctors sometimes make a diagnosis of conversion disorder or functional neurological disorder (FND).

The Social Security Administration (SSA) doesn’t rule out any particular diagnosis as potentially being disabling, but the agency does need to see objective medical evidence of something abnormal before awarding benefits. You’ll also need to show that you have symptoms from conversion disorder that keep you from working full-time for a year (or longer). If you think you fit the bill, it’s a good idea to learn some basics about the disability determination process so you can make your case as strong as possible.

When Is Conversion Disorder a Disability?

The SSA awards disability benefits to people who have a medically determinable impairment that prevents them from engaging in substantial gainful activity for at least twelve months. The agency determines this by looking at your medical records for evidence that you meet a Blue Book listing (a category of conditions that the SSA can consider automatically disabling) or that you have functional limitations preventing you from doing any job on a regular basis.

Conversion disorder is characterized by neurological symptoms that can’t be explained by anything physically wrong with the brain. But that doesn’t mean that the symptoms aren’t real, or that they don’t cause problems with functioning. These symptoms may include:

• weakness or paralysis
• loss of balance or difficulty walking
• shakiness or seizures
• trouble swallowing
• numbness, and
• difficulty speaking, seeing, or hearing.

Doctors don’t fully understand conversion disorder yet, but they think that it may be triggered by a traumatic event, such as abuse. Conversion disorder is a type of somatoform disorder, the term for a class of mental illnesses that cause physical symptoms without a known cause.

You don’t need to know what causes your condition in order to get disability (although it helps). When determining whether a condition is disabling, the SSA focuses more on how symptoms from the condition affect your ability to work, rather than any specific diagnosis or cause. For example, somebody whose conversion disorder causes mild difficulty swallowing isn’t likely to have much trouble working, while another person with severe hand tremors might find it hard to grasp small tools or use a keyboard. The first person probably won’t qualify for benefits, while the second person may be able to get disability, especially if they’re 50 or older.

How Will Your Application for Conversion Disorder Be Evaluated?

Once you submit your application for benefits, your claim will be sent to Disability Determination Services, a state agency that helps Social Security review disability claims. There, a claims examiner will gather evidence from your doctors, counselors, therapists, and any other professional who has documented symptoms of your conversion disorder. The claims examiner will then contact a medical consultant to help determine your residual functional capacity (RFC).

Your RFC is a set of limitations that reflects the most you’re capable of doing in a work environment. For example, somebody whose conversion disorder causes them to lose balance easily might have an RFC that restricts them from jobs working at heights or around heavy machinery. Or somebody whose hands shake intensely may have an RFC limiting their ability to perform tasks involving fine manipulation.

Social Security compares your current RFC with the physical and mental demands of your past work to see if you could still do those jobs today. If not, then the claims examiner will need to determine whether any other jobs exist that you can do, despite the limitations in your RFC. If you can’t perform even basic sedentary work—or the medical-vocational grid rules apply—the agency will consider you disabled.

After the examiner makes a decision about whether you can work full-time, they will send you a decision in the mail. Not many claims are awarded at this initial stage of the disability determination process, so it’s likely that you’ll receive a denial letter, but you can appeal the denial.

How Can You Get Disability for Conversion Disorder?

Getting approved for disability benefits on the basis of conversion disorder can be tricky. Because conversion disorder doesn’t have any apparent physical basis, showing that you have the disorder at all—without blood work, lab tests, or medical imaging—can be an uphill battle. And many doctors can mistake conversion disorder for malingering (“faking it”), which can damage your disability claim.

You can increase your chances of getting disability for conversion disorder by taking the following steps:

• Document your symptoms. Start a journal or diary to keep track of all of your symptoms. Write down what your symptoms are, how frequently they occur, and how long they last.
• Visit your doctors. Regular visits to physicians and psychiatrists signal to the SSA that you’re actively being treated for your symptoms. Your doctors’ notes should contain their observations about any abnormalities you have with your senses and motor skills.
• Provide treatment notes. Cognitive behavioral therapy, physical therapy, and medication management are all tools used to treat symptoms of conversion disorder. Let the SSA know if you start a new treatment or see a new provider.
• Get a letter from your doctor. Medical source statements can help the SSA understand what your symptoms are and how they limit your ability to function, especially if your doctor has treated you regularly for at least a year.
• Ask friends and family to help. Letters from friends or relatives can provide insight into how your conversion disorder affects your ability to do basic tasks such as household chores or grocery shopping.

It’s important to understand that Social Security is required to consider all your combined impairments when assessing whether or not you're disabled. This could mean multiple mental conditions, or both mental and physical conditions together. If you’ve been diagnosed with any other medical condition besides conversion disorder, let the SSA know.

Applying for Disability Benefits

Filing for Social Security benefits is a fairly straightforward process. You can choose from the following methods:

• Apply online at the SSA’s website.
• Call the SSA at 800-722-1212 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. If you’re deaf or hard of hearing, you can call the TTY number at 800-325-0778.
• Visit your nearest Social Security field office and apply in person.

Keep in mind that Social Security runs two disability programs, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Each has its own preliminary non-medical eligibility requirements that must be met in order to legally receive benefits. For additional details, check out our step-by-step guide on applying for SSDI or SSI.

Getting Legal Help With Your Disability Claim

If you’re thinking of applying for disability benefits based on conversion disorder—or you’ve received a denial letter from Social Security and want to appeal—consider hiring an experienced disability attorney. Even well-documented cases of conversion disorder can be a hard sell to a claims examiner or administrative law judge, and a lawyer will know which arguments have the best chances of success. For more information, see our articles on hiring a disability lawyer.