Appealing a Denied Mental Health or PTSD SSDI Claim

Reconsideration: Update Your Mental Health Records 

Reconsideration is a new claim review by a different examiner at Disability Determination Services (DDS), the state agency that evaluates the medical part of your claim. On appeal, reviewers examine the evidence from your initial claim along with any new or updated records received since the first decision.

Your updated records need to resolve the issues DDS identified when it denied your initial SSDI claim. You may need more recent treatment notes, an explanation of conflicting records, or evidence showing the pattern of symptom flares.

For example, your initial denial may be connected to a psychiatrist's note that says you were "doing better." You may have felt better when your psychiatrist wrote that note, but the improvement didn’t last or you had remaining symptoms that severely limited work.

Newer treatment records, or a medical source statement from your psychiatrist, can show how long the improvement lasted and the symptoms and work limitations that remained. 

Connect Symptoms to Work

Your medical records may describe anxiety, PTSD, depression, or another mental health condition without showing how symptoms of those conditions severely limit your ability to work. If reviewers believed that you could work a regular schedule, you need evidence showing why you can’t.

For example, your psychiatrist may have documented anxiety, and your employer's records show repeated absences. Without information connecting the absences to your symptoms, reviewers may not understand why you couldn't show up for work consistently.

If you tried to return to work but had to quit, were let go, or reduced your hours, your employment records can help support your appeal. On your appeal form, explain how your symptoms limited your ability to work, especially if that wasn't clear in your initial claim.

For more accurate treatment notes, tell your psychiatrist or therapist about the difficulties you have with concentration, maintaining a normal pace, working with others, or handling changes and how often you have these issues.

What ALJ Hearing Testimony Adds

If your mental health SSDI claim is denied at reconsideration, you may request an ALJ hearing. At the hearing, the judge reviews your claim file and may ask about your symptoms, treatment, daily activities, and past jobs. A vocational expert may also testify about whether someone with your limitations could do other work. You can explain how your symptoms limit your ability to work and clarify details that aren't clear in your records.

For example, you may have reported that you shop for groceries, while your treatment notes describe severe anxiety in public places. At the hearing, you can explain that you only shop when stores are quiet, need someone with you, or sometimes leave without finishing because of your symptoms.

These details help the judge understand why being able to shop occasionally doesn't mean you can handle being around other people throughout a workday or work week.

Explain the Limits the Records Do Not Show

Your treatment notes may mention panic attacks without explaining how often they disrupt a typical day or week. At the hearing, you can explain how often they happen, how long they last, and what you're unable to do during an attack.

For example, if a panic attack forces you to stop what you're doing, explain how long it takes before you can concentrate again and if you're able to finish the task. This helps the judge understand how your symptoms affect your ability to work.

You can also use specific examples from your daily life or past jobs to explain challenges that may not be in your notes. If your symptoms vary from day to day, explain what you can manage on good days and what you can’t on bad days.

For more guidance, read our article on how to testify at a disability hearing.

Tie Each New Record to a Denial Finding 

Before submitting your appeal, make a list of the findings that led to your denial. Next to each one, note which new records or explanations you need to strengthen your claim.

Review the new evidence to make sure its purpose is clear. Does it explain something missing from your original claim, clarify a record that was misunderstood, or show how your condition has changed? Focus on evidence that helps reviewers reconsider the findings behind your denial.

If you need help appealing a mental health SSDI claim, Advocate’s disability specialists can review your denial notice to see what’s needed. We can help you gather stronger evidence, complete SSA forms, or prepare for an ALJ hearing. We can also represent you in court.