Progress of Disability Tax Credit For Anxiety Disorders
Dealing with serious mental health issues today can be a daunting proposition, but in the not too distant past, things were even harder. Many suffered silently from depression or other forms of anxiety disorder either because they lacked adequate information about what might be going on with them or they feared the stigma that could come attached to a mental health related diagnosis.
A recent article on the Globe and Mail website highlights how far things have progressed in recent decades, as the author, Allan Rock, now the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ottawa, writes about his own struggles while a student there many years ago; a time when mental health resources were scant and programs like the Disability Tax Credit were nonexistent:
I found it hard to admit to myself that I had a mental health issue. The very idea left me frightened and ashamed. What did this mean for my future? Would I have to drop out of university? Who could I ask to help me?
I struggled on for many weeks, miserable and lonely. Until one day when I was standing on the second floor of Simard [Hall], watching students in the lobby between two classes. I remember being overwhelmed by anxiety and feelings of isolation. I vowed to myself that I would do something, anything, to find a way forward.
He eventually mustered the courage to call for help and found a sympathetic psychiatrist who even waived his usual fee for the young man (who later reimbursed him). This taught Mr. Rock how important it is for a person to open up about what it going on with them and informs the efforts his office makes today on behalf of the university’s students.
Facing Down the Demon of Excessive Medical Expenses With the Disability Tax Credit
Anxiety disorders are a phenomenon virtually unrecognized until the modern era but one which the US National Institutes of Health estimates costs that country alone some $42 billion every year. On an individual level the NIH describes General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) as causing “significant economic burden owing to decreased work productivity and increased use of health care services, particularly primary health care.”
The Canadian Mental Health Association estimates that 5% of Canadian households are impacted by anxiety disorders, some of them severely impacted. For thousands of Canadians disabled by crippling anxiety just making the rent in the face of diminished work capacity and increased medical costs would be an impossible task without the Disability Tax Credit assistance.
When medical bills become the dominant reality of life in a household the quality of life suffers for everyone, not just the individual struggling with the condition. The Disability Tax Credit was designed specifically to help ease the economic burden that accompanies disabling anxiety disorders like depression. The Canadian government recognized some years back that it makes more financial sense to help disabled citizens meet their obligations before they become overwhelming, than it does to allow households to be undermined by these expenses and fall apart, creating a raft of cascading problems that will cost far more to address.
Today, if you or someone in your family is suffering from a disabling anxiety disorder there is no need to suffer in silence and no reason to feel you are alone in your struggle. You’re not. The Disability Tax Credit can help lift the odious weight of excessive disability-related expenses from your shoulders and was created to do just that. No one should be shy about taking advantage of it.
If You Need Help Disability Credit Canada Can Provide It
However, because securing benefits under the Disability Tax Credit can be a confusing process some people will understandably need assistance. That’s where we come in. We’re Disability Credit Canada and bringing our fellow citizens together with this important government program is our mission. If you qualify you may be eligible for up to $40,000 in annual assistance and may claim benefits for up to 10 years retroactively. So don’t delay. Call us today at 1-855-765-4458 and let us help you lift the cloud of medical expenses from your life and shine a light on a new day.