[justpassingby]

I just want to get other people's opinion on whether you think getting approved for Social Security Disability will hurt me in the long run. I already applied and was denied twice and now I am waiting for a court hearing which could take even longer since i applied last September. I quit working the same day and haven't been able to work since. I have been hospitalized 6 times in two years and my meds are still not making me stable enough. I can't go back to working in my old field and I am too scared to even think about finding a job now.

My very best friend says she believes if I get the disability it will hurt me as I will depend on that income and never try to find work again. She means well, but I felt ashamed and now I'm wondering if she is right. I'm 48 years old and in a very rocky marriage right now. I could use the income and Medicare that comes with it.

What do you all think?

[bluefusionxl]

My mother is 39 and has SSI for her depression and schizophrenia. She works at a local retail store, but her SSI earnings are much less than when she was solely on her check. I think she was making around $800 when she first started recieving SSI and now she makes around $300-400. But coupled with her work earnings she still makes a decent amount. If you can find a job with income levels SSI will still allow you to have then everything should be fine. Retail shops and fast food places are two places that are good for this.

It won't nec. make you worse, but if you decide to work in the future, you are screwed. I want to work and I think that I am stable enough to, but I can't because of gov. If I work I will lose all health insurance with no grace period, food stamps, home, and more. Everything is based on income including my rent. If I work I need a job that has "affordable" health insurance, and still pays enough to cover rent food utilities child care. I have tried and unless you are a doctor this job does not exsist. Not to mention that people don't hire people for higher jobs that have not worked in years. I feel screwed.

[justpassingby]

Thanks for your input because I don't know what to do. I really don't feel stable enough to work and I really do need the funds whenever it is approved or whatever. I'm in the process of marriage counseling to decide if we are going to stay together or not and if not I don't know what will happen to me and whether my husband will fight to get custody of our son. There's a lot to consider. I understand the stigma as well when you are labeled disabled. It's bad enough to have bipolar diagnosis as a label. I already feel the stigma at various places I go.

[Yoda]

If you need and qualify for disability now then you should try for it IMO. I have been disabled for since Feb 2000 and it has only been in the last year that I have aspired to work again as my condition improves. My doc still says it's too soon but I am feeling resilient now and hope my condition will continue to improve. I know I probably will never work as a critical care nurse with patient's lives at stake again but I can teach and have good writing skills and hope to write some journal articles for publication. I am allowed to make up to $800 per month before that would cut into my disabiity income and I get to keep my insurance as long as I am considered disabled.

Consider where you are now and your present functional level and worry about returning to work when/if you feel improved.

A bit of trivia: only 5% of those disabled for more than 2 years return to work. I hope I can be in that minority but if not I will find something useful to improve the world even if it's just volunteering at the animal shelter.

[justpassingby]

Hi Yoda,

Thanks for responding. It's been weighing on my mind alot these days since I know it will take longer before I get a court hearing on my appeal. It's been one year since I quit working and pure hell since then. Six hospitalizations since Feb 2006, panic attacks, unstable with meds so far, severe depression and bipolar symptoms. I have been to a residential treatment facility for 3 weeks and it was not good, I was even baker acted there as well. They changed all my meds when I got there and now when I came home, my pdoc switched them all back and I had a rash with Lamictal when he tried to put me back on it. So that was discontinued and Lexapro was started for depression. Then the panic attacks finally stopped as the doctors in the emergency room determined it was from Asthma attacks. I guess when I had asthma real bad, I couldn't breathe in all the way and it started me having panic attacks. At first my pdoc said it was all in my head so he wouldn't give me anything for them. Then after 3 visits to the hospital for panic attacks they decided it was asthma related. Go figure. I also have high blood pressure and anxiety attacks. Not too bad right now. So with all these illnesses, I don't feel able to work, nor do I have the desire to work. I pray that they realize this so I can get approved.

When someone gets approved for SSDI, I know they qualify for Medicare and get insurance, but doesn't it take another two years before that kicks in? My Cobra insurance runs out in March 2008 and I don't know what I am going to do. So if anyone has experienced this problem please let me know what I can do. I can't do community mental health since that is where i used to work and I can't apply for Medicaid because of my husband's income. I'm stuck now.

[Yoda]

I think you may be right about the Medicare thing. I was on long-term disability for 2 1/2 years so I didn't have that issue.

Can you not do the community health because of their policy or because of your discomfort with being treated by former peers?

[justpassingby]

Yoda, I just can't be treated at my former work my any coworkers. Too humiliating for me. I will try to ride it out and get another insurance company if possible or I'll do without anything. Perhaps I can go to one in my area that is a different company, but I don't like community health centers. You don't get the same treatment as private health docs and the quality is just not there I know from experience unfortunately.

[sassypants]

Sorry to hear you are having a rough time. I also had thought that getting SSD would hurt my chance to work again.

I am on SSD, fortunately I have insurance from my co.
that downsized. SSD told me, medicare insurance will
start after 2 years.

At this point, the way my life has been, I can't see myself
working in the near future. One good thing about SSD is that they help you find a job. There are programs for
the disabled to help you find a job

Best of luck.

I was denied too...have to go to tribunal...cos you cant see depression and anxiety....imo....i lost my job too.....

sorry you are struggling....hope you get it

j