You wouldn’t believe how many people lose their Social Security Disability cases, not because they aren’t truly disabled, but because of what’s in their medical records.

If the Social Security Administration sees any sign of drug use or alcohol abuse, they may assume your health problems are caused by these substances rather than by a disabling medical condition. And under SSA’s rules, if the judge doesn’t believe you would be disabled independent of any drug or alcohol use, you lose.

It doesn’t matter how severe your condition is, if you’re still drinking while dealing with cirrhosis, or using drugs while claiming disabling mental health conditions, your case will almost certainly be denied. Even cigarette smoking is looked at negatively by some judges, especially when healing or recovery is slowed.

In the video below, I’ll explain how these habits impact your claim, what the SSA looks for in your medical records, and how to rebuild credibility through documented recovery and treatment.

Reviews that made us blush…

If you want to book a call with our team to discuss applying for disability, call us at 972-532-6375 or book a time using this link.

Many readers are surprised to learn how often substance use, even something as common as smoking, shows up in their SSA records and impacts their case. Let’s see where everyone stands: