New Anxiety Listing

     From Social Security's new mental impairments Listings effective January 17, 2017.:

12.06 Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders (see 12.00B5), satisfied by A and B, or A and C:

     A. Medical documentation of the requirements of paragraph 1, 2, or 3:

          1. Anxiety disorder, characterized by three or more of the following;

              a. Restlessness;

              b. Easily fatigued;

              c. Difficulty concentrating;

              d. Irritability;

              e. Muscle tension; or

              f. Sleep disturbance.

          2. Panic disorder or agoraphobia, characterized by one or both:

               a. Panic attacks followed by a persistent concern or worry about additional panic attacks or their consequences; or

               b. Disproportionate fear or anxiety about at least two different situations (for example, using public transportation, being in a crowd, being in a line, being outside of your home, being in open spaces).

         3. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, characterized by one or both:

            a. Involuntary, time-consuming preoccupation with intrusive, unwanted thoughts; or

               b. Repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing anxiety.

AND

     B. Extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the following areas of mental functioning (see 12.00F):

          1. Understand, remember, or apply information (see 12.00E1

          2. Interact with others (see 12.00E2).

          3. Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace (see 12.00E3).

          4. Adapt or manage oneself (see 12.00E4). OR

     C. Your mental disorder in this listing category is “serious and persistent;” that is, you have a medically documented history of the existence of the disorder over a period of at least 2 years, and there is evidence of both:

         1. Medical treatment, mental health therapy, psychosocial support(s), or a highly structured setting(s) that is ongoing and that diminishes the symptoms and signs of your mental disorder (see 12.00G2b); and

        2. Marginal adjustment, that is, you have minimal capacity to adapt to changes in your environment or to demands that are not already par t of your daily life (see 12.00G2c)