Can people with personality disorders receive Social Security disability benefits?

Yes. Much like depression and mental disorders, personality disorders can make it extremely difficult for someone to earn a living. In most cases, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will not recognize a personality disorder as disabling unless it causes a person to “significantly impaired” in social or occupational settings.

These disorders are so named because the person’s personality presents a barrier to normal daily functioning. The person may have specific ideas about the world or inflexible personal traits that cannot be modified in order to interact with others or perform work tasks.

In order to collect Social Security disability, people with personality disorders will have to satisfy both the requirements of the condition, and suffer work restrictions to a certain degree. This means he or she must display some (or all) of the following traits:

• Maladaptive behavior. People may suffer a variety of symptoms, such as withdrawal from social situations, inappropriate or hostile behavior, autistic thinking, persistent suspiciousness of others, altered perceptions, altered speech patterns, mood disturbances, constant dependence on another, dangerous or impulsive behavior, or unstable friendships or personal relationships.
• Difficulties and limitations. In order to qualify for disability benefits, people must be able to show that they are limited in their ability to work regularly. This may mean restrictions on daily activities (such as getting dressed, preparing meals, or bathing), difficulty interacting with others, an inability to maintain concentration, or complete timely work. They may also be asked for evidence of repeated gaps in compensated work due to these limitations.

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