Cotard’s Syndrome or Cotard’s Delusion is the rare mental illness in which a person believes he or she is dead, putrefying, or has lost his or her blood or internal organs. See Wikipedia. Frankly, this condition sounds like a living hell to me. Then again, perhaps to some, it may seem like heaven on earth.

This rare disease is not listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illness Disorders (DSM); therefore, I do not know if Social Security would recognize it as a valid diagnosis. But I believe they would follow the DSM V and take the position that this is not a diagnosable condition, and correctly so, in my estimation.

However, I would imagine that a person afflicted with this unfortunate disease would also be experiencing severe symptoms of a concurrent or accompanying mental illness, such as some sort of a severe psychotic disorder. If this is the case, they would likely have a claim for social security disability or SSI benefits if they can meet the high standard of proving they cannot do any work in the national economy.

This material should not be construed as legal advice for any particular fact situation, but is intended for general informational purposes only. For advice specific to any individual situation, an experienced attorney should be contacted.