Women has disability coverage terminated due to Facebook photos

Read this horrible story on Huffington Post about a depressed woman and how her sick leave insurance company termianted her disability coverage based on a few photos she had on Facebook of her on vacation. Read the appalling, ignorant comments from readers about what a "scammer" she is according to them.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/1..._n_365040.html

Who would have guessed that Fackbook could be used in such a way?

Just the other day there was a teacher who was fired due to her facebook photos of her vacation too. Because she was drinking in each one! Hum?

*is shocked*

That's disgusting. I can't count how many pictures there are of me grinning from ear to ear -- even some on a beach in Florida -- on days that I was still feeling particularly depressed, or days when I wasn't but the depression always returned. That really bothers me.

I hope she gets her insurance back!

Tis a beautiful world we live in
Everyone is so understanding and thoughtful.

I can only speak from my own experience, but when I've been clinically depressed the last thing in the world I could have done is go on vacation. If she was able to travel, go out and socialize, why was she unable to work?

Have you ever heard of atypical depression? I could laugh if I appreciated a joke, a genuine laugh and that hours after being hospitalized because I was a danger to myself. The depression just returned very quickly afterwards.

Are you clinically depressed? For how long? Are you aware that not everyone experiences it the same way? Not everyone experiences it as you--possibly do, that is if you're clinically depressed.

Work is very different from socializing. Work requires work--socializing doesn't require productive output day in and day out. It's fun, sometimes. People have occasional moments that are positive; it’s not gloom and doom every minute. You don’t her whole story, nor do any of us. Maybe the rest of the time she’s in bed 16 hours a day. Maybe she showers once a week, wears the same dirty clothes endlessly, maybe she sully doesn’t go out or have anyone in, maybe she’s sui a lot, maybe she’s attempted, maybe she wasn’t having so much fun, maybe she was trying to put up a good appearance—something I’ve done a lot. I’m clinically depressed and have been for years.

I'm appalled at your comments because you could easily be talking about me. No vacation for me beyond one or two days in more than 10 years. I’d love it. You seem relatively clueless about clinical depression, and unable to look beyond your own experience.

I have been struggling with depression for more than 15 years. At my lowest point I was non-functioning for close to three years. I am fully aware that each of us has our own unique symptoms and coping devices.

I live the struggle daily of finding the energy and motivation to get up and go to work. And these are my good days, the bad days (may they be forever in my past because I don't know if I have the strength in me to climb back up from that dark abyss) I was unable to eat, shower or do any of the "normal" everyday things that people take for granted.

As I said, from my experience there's no way that I would have been able to do the things she's caught on camera. Perhaps it's my work ethic, upbringing, or just my own personal belief system but if I'm healthy enough for a vacation, I'm healthy enough to haul my butt to work.

This is truly a debilitating disease, and I fully understand that there are times when work is impossible; when even wishing you were well enough to work isn't even possible. And you are right, I cannot look beyond my own experience I only know of two types of existance at this point in my life, functioning and non-functioning. The depression is always there, every single second of every single day. If there is a transition phase, I'm not fortunate enough to have it.

Easy folks. Everyone has their own particular flavor of the poison. Mine varies a great deal, and I can see both being on the vacation depressed, and occssionally getting up a smile, and not being able to see leaving the house to go on vacation to save my life. No need for sniping OK?
I have a distrust for places like Facebook since many years, and when I do post, it is spartan. I set up no pictures, I don't go into private life much if it's not to people I know. There's just too many people out there looking for trouble, and secrecy/privacy laws get reinterpreted all the time. The most innocent things can get twisted I choose to assume that the lady in question is indeed depressed. I know what some of these agencies are willing to do to keep their money. Huggs to all.

I just wanted to say there was a typo in my last post. It should read more than 25 years, my first dx was in 1981. There have been times when I've no doubt qualified for some type of financial assistance based upon my illness. But for me, it was a catch 22. If I had the strength and ability to jump through the hoops necessary for this assistance then I was able to work. In fact during the last dark age my doctor discussed disability with me, it was literally all I could do go in for the blood work to check my liver (because of drugs rx'd). I missed so many of those appointments he was not comfortable keeping me on that particular medication. Even if he had started the ball rolling by setting up appointments, I would have been unable to keep them.

[quote=AAAAA;1204493]

As I said, from my experience there's no way that I would have been able to do the things she's caught on camera. Perhaps it's my work ethic, upbringing, or just my own personal belief system but if I'm healthy enough for a vacation, I'm healthy enough to haul my butt to work.
[quote]

What I took offense at, and what you also wrote--not about your own experience: "If she was able to travel, go out and socialize, why was she unable to work?" That's judgmental of her in the context of your other comments

And no, it's not about work ethic, etc. It's about the ability to work.It's about the severity of the disease. Some people are just not capable of workign despite their ability to look happy in a few photos. Soem people are able to be productive workers, but I think that means their depression isn't as severe as the others. Disability is defined as the inability to work or engage in other significant work-type activities, i.e. school. If you can, then you're not disabled by definition. Good for you, but since you're not disabled you can't extrapolate from your personal experience and your judgment of her and others of us who ARE disabled is insulting.

You're jumping to the conclusion that I base my opinion on how she looks in a few photos that is just not the case, it's the actions, ie the ability to travel to another destination. This is not someplace she had to go, she chose to. She was able to make the decision to go, make the travel arrangements, in theory pack, and follow through with those plans. This is a HUGE undertaking. Compared to this, the daily work routine is easy. I'm not saying that this is something I wouldn't do or that she shouldn't have done, I am saying that when I was clinically depressed it is something I couldn't do. Lonegael put it well, I couldn't do it if my life depended upon it.

I have no control over how the question "if she can go on vacation, why can't she work" strikes you, but it is a legitimate question. In fact, unless I'm very much mistaken, the qualifications for disability (whether through the government or private insurance) depends entirely on that exact question.

I know that sometimes it is all I can do to take care of my house and kids. Sometimes even those are lackin. I would love a vacation and I have been clinically depressed for over 7 years. It is my understanding that it can come and go! We all have our moments.

Love ur poem, alot of meaning for me

AAAA, i respect that you have an opinion, but I don't think it is well-based at all and think you can't see past your own experience to understand that of others.

Re: her vaction planning, etc. That's wild speculation beyond what we know . We don't know anything about her situation other than a photo and a brief article. A person with clinical depression can easily be capable of getting away for a few days and smiling a few times.

My story:

I was a PhD student at one of the "elite" universities in the US---half-way through the degree. I was president of the graduate student body at said "elite" school. I'd had a long, successful corporate career prior to then. Then the bottom fell out.

I've been on disability for 7 years now. I've tried working minimal jobs. Failed. I had a great resume and went through 40 job interviews without getting hired; dropping my level of pay and responsibility continually I'd accept to no avail. Tried volunteering. I've been fired from volunteer positions for being so unreliable. Hard to get in and work a schedule when you don't know if you'll be able to get out of bed on a given day, but you try. And then I've failed. Repeatedly.

Lost almost every friend I've had. Lost respect from most of my family. You can only get so bad off and sui so many times before they give up and get sick of you.

I've been on 45 different meds. I've done individual therapy for 20 years, meds for 14. I'm now in a depression group, did a DBT groups 7 years ago and another group therapy following. I did a partial hospitalization program earlier this year and then a 3 month day treatment program. I've seen 3 pdocs this year (ongoing changed and hospital). Summer 2008 to winter '09 I got very, very, very bad off--as bad as ever. I saw 2 T's in Dec. '08--one once, one twice, after having sworn off T's after having been abandoned by the one I saw for 13 years. I was on the edge and they pushed me closer to it. So bad off, I flew across the country to see my old T from when I lived there who I hadn't seen in 9 years. I was at the end of my rope and needed significant help right away. I didn't have time to develop a relationship with a new T getting to know me, understand my problems, develop trust after having been burned by one I trusted for 13 years.

Right now I do phone sessions 1/week with my Old T in NY, a session every other week with a local T, my depression group meets 1/week, led by a PhD psychologist. I started a 12 step program a few months ago for an addiction I kicked 20 years ago at the behest of a friend from day treatment to get me out of the house and meet people. 6 psychologist T's this year (5 with PhD's, one close to it--has MA right now), not counting the 5 therapists of various types in the outpatient programs, 3 pdocs, 3 other MD's. Sicne 12/08.

I voluntarily went in the hospital 6 years ago for ECT. Was in 4 weeks and with some follow-up visits probably had 15 sessions.

At times in my depression. I've gone as long as 3 weeks wearing the same clothes without taking them off ever, 24/7 for 3 weeks. Not showered for 4 weeks at a time.

Spent 18 hours a day in bed for many months at a time--at multiple diff times in my history, including about a year ago. Or 16, 15, 14....

Had mood swings that are organic and med induced that have led to me alienate anyone. I get started on the things and can’t finish. I can be aggressive and assertive—I’m a high flying, intense, highly successful person when I‘m not severely depressed—yet I can barely lift a finger beyond the first step for many things. I’ve been in a dispute with my Part D company all year, have paid thousands out of pocket that they should’ve paid, but can’t quite get my act together to fully contest what they’re doing.

I’ve personally paid out of pocket—for therapy, not meds which I should recoup--$9,000 for all my treatment—THIS YEAR alone, on top of what insurance has paid. Luckily I have some money I inherited, but it’s dwindling fast. It was either spend it or die.

I’m considered to have “treatment resistent depression,” which basically means you’ve tried everything and nothing works. It makes me a candidate for the brain implant and electrode treatments they’re studying, but neither Medicare nor private insurance will pay for it.

I had a volunteering thing growing, dealing with a public policy issue that I was doing a bit well with for a little while. Out of my home, reading and research and simple writing. But my level of ability to function tanked and so I couldn’t be a part of it anymore. Plus my attitude was rotten, stemming from my diagnosed disorders and my meds. My social skills are non-existent. I spend almost all time alone, as it's been for 10 years now.

I can’t read books anymore, and haven’t been able to for years. I was in a book club in kindergarten. I was reading at a college level when I was 11. I took a speed reading pre-test for a class in high school and maxed—I could have only done worse in the class from the pre-test. My IQ is over 175 (old scale). The director of graduate admissions at Yale said "wow!" when she saw my test scorses. I had the highest test scores in my graduate department at the "elite" university I went to. In grad school, I was reading 3000-7000 pages a week—we all were. I’m scary smart in every way, but it means nothing anymore. I own about $20,000 worth of books left after grad school, half unread. I haven’t been able to get more than a few pages into one. I can barely read simple things. Stuff that I could’ve read when I was 12.

I go through periods for months where all I eat is cereal because I can’t function to make or buy anything else. Or peanut butter and jelly. I live in squalor. I have to clean my apartment about 4 times a year because the bldg owners come in now and then to check on things. The only other person who’s been in my apartment in 3 years is my brother. He lives in the same bldg. and helps me clean. I haven’t had any sort of girlfriend in 3+ years (only for about 4 months, she was depressed, too) and other than she and another 1 or2, maybe 4 people have been in my apartment—not inspectors—since 2003.

I've gone as long as 4 weeks without showering. I’ve gone as long as 9 months not doing laundry. It got to the point where I got so many 2nd hand clothes so I could go for a long time, but still wearing everything at least 7-8 times. I buy new underwear and socks after I ruin the old ones from a few months of non-stop wearing them. I haven't changed my sheets since April. I go insanely long times not shaving or getting a haircut. Not by decision, but because it either doesn't occur to me or I just can't bring myself to do it. People know how bad off I am based on how long my hair and beard are, in addition to the body odor, dirty hair and dirty clothes.

I don’t read mail. I can’t bring myself to face the potential bad news.

You know what?

Once in a while I go to a movie with my brother. He drives when we’re together. Once in a while I rent a movie. Sometimes I enjoy it. In Jan. I planned—ALL BY MYSELF—my trip to stay with a friend in NYC so I could see the T I hadn’t seen in 9 years. I stayed with a friend and I think I was there 4 days for multiple sessions. I actually rode the subway around Manhattan and walked around a bit—ALONE, my friend was working—and had to kill time in some shops between appointments . Luckily, no pictures were taken of me, or not by the government or some corporate entity I encountered. This trip was when I was in the midst of my closest sui time ever. I was so bad off that I knew the only thing that would stop me was seeing the old T. Only. If I hadn't gone to meet him, I wouldn't have been around 3 days later. Does taking the trip demonstrate that I wasn't depressed or disabled because I was able to, or that I was but so extraordinarly desperate that I was able to make a couple of phone calls and go to the travelocity site?

In Aug. I went to a retreat for the 12-step group I’m in now. 2 days! I packed my own bag! I smiled a couple of times! I faked liking it and being happy and smiling quite a few times so that everyone didn’t get a bad opinion of me or ask me what was so bad. Hate to tell them about all that multiple kinds of childhood abuse, you know. My (non) relationship, career woes, devastation at losing the carrier everyone says is perfect for me (can't do a PhD when we're disabled with clinical depression). I was a highly promising academic star—very heavily recruited for grad school and got in 5 of the top 10 schools on anyone’s list of the best of the best.

I went out to a small gathering on Fri. I went late. I always go to social gatherings late so I don’t have to spend much time there or talk much. Less "keeping up appearances." I laughed a few times. Went to the store and bought a pie to bring. Went over to a friend from the 12 step program’s house to help with some clean-up. Did it to help! And get to know people better in the hope that someday I can start socializing more. I’m very attracted to her, but who wants anything to do with someone like me?

After returning home from grad school, not knowing I’d never go back or be depressed for a decade, I lived on my savings in my IRA. I figured I’d get a job, or go back to school soon enough. I lived for 2 years on the most minimal amount of money until I hit zero and had to declare bankruptcy on $17k debt. The most humiliating moment of my life. I tried, and tried. I also went on SSDI. Also, and still, humiliating. I did everything I could to avoid it. The bankruptcy court judge told me I should’ve declared way earlier and not spent my retirement savings in my IRA to zero. Pride kept me from doing that, and my life never turned around like I thought it would.

I’m a genius in test scores and accomplishments. I have a great work history—spectacular. I worked for one of the biggest companies in this nation and earned/saved them a few million in my time (vs. making a pittance, on the way up you know, before the big bucks)—I created a way to calculated my personal impact on the bottom line—for just part of what I did (ficnnce and control), so it can be demonstrated.Were I to have been working for them when my depression hit, I would’ve been eligible for their disability coverage, but as a grad student, no such thing exists.

I’ve contributed greatly in many ways, and still can, but I can’t right now and haven’t been able to for years now. Someday.

Am I not really depressed and not disabled because I smile once in a while, see a movie, and pretend to enjoy myself with others for a few hours or days? Planned an airplane trip to another city and was able to get out of bed at my friend’s place to go to my therapist’s appointment?

It’s been for worse for than what I’ve described here. You tend not to remember the really rough stuff.

Maybe I’m not depressed or disabled. Maybe I’m just lucky no one took my photo in NYC, on the retreat, at the video store, or at the movie theater.

I don't expect you to understand my struggle, but judging me--were you to--based on what you THINK YOU WOULD DO IN THE SAME SITUATION is laughable. Until you're in the situation, you don't know what you'd do. That's elementary logic. My addled mind can at least hold that thought in place. It's bad enough when people who don't understand clinical depression judge and/or put that woman down, but I expect a higher level of understanding and compassion, and less judgement, here.

actually, not a legit question. having worked in assessing applications for the pension myself (in australia) - we don't look at whether you can have a vacation, we look at whether you can work. and we also recognise that scheduling pleasant activities is an important part of combating depression and encourage clients to do so.

as for clinical depression, perhaps you don't understand the meaning. you only have to have a low mood for 2 weeks (along with a few other fairly generic symptoms) to be classified as "clinically depressed". being clinically depressed doesn't necessarily mean being "disabled" (in terms of ability to do work). most people who have depression can continue to work, in fact. what you are describing as your experience sounds somewhat more severe, but i would also question your perception of going from fully functioning to fully disabled without an in between area. current understanding of depression simply does not support that view. rather, you might be severely depressed (unable to get out of bed), mildly depressed (still clinically significant, but able to work for example), and then not depressed. it's a dimensional scale not a dichotomy .

imapatient we are extremely similiar in many many ways. I completely understand what you are saying. I can put on a happy face and pretend with the best of them, well I could years ago, I don't even make that effort anymore.

I work menial jobs these days because they are the only ones I can get or perhaps feel I deserve. I'm able to go to work today, but I have no idea what will happen tomorrow. I cannot even tell you how many medications and combinations I've been on. When one would start to make me feel better I would have so much hope that finally I may be able to get my life back in order, to somehow still live up to the potential I once had. But time and time again that hope was short lived, until I do not feel it anymore. I have no definate proof, but I believe that my memory problems these days are a result of being on so many different medications through the years.

When I say I battle every day to go to work, it isn't a "boy I'd rather stay home today" it's the little things, the nausea, diarrhea, and my limbs feeling like they're made of lead that make it so difficult. Once I wake up (if I've been lucky enough to sleep) in the morning and feel the dismay of making it through another night, I pray for the courage to take a shower, sometimes the process of convincing myself to get out of bed takes too long and I have to skip that step, then its just give me the strength to get dressed. I lost any sort of pride in my appearance in my 20s. I do not wear make up, my hair goes up in a quick bun, and my uniform is laid out for me in the bathroom but this process still takes over an hour and a half. I have alarms set for me on my phone, by the time this one goes off I have to have had my shower, next one I have to have my hair brushed and up, next dressed, next in the car, next leaving the driveway, etc etc etc.

I just have to make it to the next alarm. Family and friends know I depend upon that phone to get through the day. They have no idea how important those alarms are to me, but they don't understand why I don't answer the phone. I was so happy when we got rid of our land line I cannot even tell you. The sound of that phone ringing alone was enough to make me pull the covers over my head and hide.

I know my neighbors think I'm some sort of a lunatic, sitting in the driveway each day trying to find the strength to turn the car on, then back out of the driveway. Most of the time I'm talking to myself, reminding myself what would happen if I didn't. I get so angry sometimes because I think of all the time I've wasted, and feel resentment that billions of people every day are able to do all of these things without a thought. And these are my good days.

I'm not being judgemental, I'm angry and jealous.

I don't mean to add fuel to the argument, but there is a photo posted on facebook by my sister which shows me eating chocolate cake while visiting my son at a camp overnight, which involved taking a boat to an island, packing a dinner and putting on a mask of stability. At the time this photo was taken, I had agreed to check myself in to the hospital, but told my therapist I wanted to see my son at camp before I went. The next morning, I packed a small bag and went to the ER for severe depression with sui thoughts.

There are several photos of me on facebook, all of them smiling and happy (or so the world would think. I have learned to make even a fake smile look genuine by using my eyes.)

Other than that, I am in a phase of my life where there is just no way I can work. Even if I am granted disability, I have the right to enjoy family time and look forward to vacations. Disability is not a jail sentence, depression and bipolar is enough of a sentence for me. I plan to enjoy the good days, even if I do go on disability.

I do understand that everyone has different ideas of what disabled means, so I write this post with all due respect to everyone here.

Not to discount those who are suffering and are able to wear a mask but there are those of us who either cannot wear a mask or manage to do so for only a very short period of time.

With all due respect…a vacation? A vacation from what? I suffer from schizophrenia. I have yet to find a vacation package from such a sentence.

I should mention I have also been diagnosed with severe depression.

I think that you have a point in being a martyr! Bravo!

Too bad we are all different and not all of us could say "I am working (functioning - like a machine), not thinking!" Sometimes I wish to put me a stamp with "the ants go marching in"!! I admire your struggle and your power so much that looking at your words "I live the struggle daily of finding the energy and motivation to get up and go to work" and seen that I could reach so... I feel that better give up! Function, do not think about my words!

I don't expect you to understand my struggle, but judging me--were you to--based on what you THINK YOU WOULD DO IN THE SAME SITUATION is laughable. Until you're in the situation, you don't know what you'd do. That's elementary logic. My addled mind can at least hold that thought in place. It's bad enough when people who don't understand clinical depression judge and/or put that woman down, but I expect a higher level of understanding and compassion, and less judgement, here.
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Imapatient, AAAAA gave her opinion on this woman. After all you did post it. Nothing personal, but your twisting this into you. I read all of AAAAA's post, and she has NOT said anything bad about you. Just because she see's things differently doesn't mean blow up on her. I haven't seen AAAAA judge up. Actually I see the opposite.

............................

I am sorry but I do not understand the above comment. From judging someone else's struggle or life upon a photo - the woman from facebook - it has started all! Although each of us got more or less upset by AAAAA's comments (twisting this into us!) she could reflect, think more about the below sentences and appreciate if her opinions aren't somehow judgments - as we all did it here too. Sorry for thinking-judging, showing again my opinion, about her comments that support invading someone else's privacy under the idea that one must not smile if she is depressed and therefore the medical health personnel was wrong when assessed that.
The idea that someone can't go on a holiday and have the worst time inside while trying to " put on a happy face and pretend with the best of them"( too) it's contradicted quite by her AAAAA! What's worrying me is AAAAA's final words. Something is happening with her - but yes, we shouldn't attract her the attention in such a way. I just snapped out as she did too! I am not a saint! I have felt quite very bad, after reading her comments, just for still existing and smiling, joking... while in depression.

Although we are " similiar in many many ways." we are also different in so many ways and I could hardly say " I completely understand what you are saying"

I would like to be corrected in the same way when I make remarks that look strange, that's why we are here (?):

“If she was able to travel, go out and socialize, why was she unable to work?”
“I was unable to eat, shower or do any of the "normal" everyday things that people take for granted.”
“there's no way that I would have been able to do the things she's caught on camera. Perhaps it's my work ethic, upbringing, or just my own personal belief system but if I'm healthy enough for a vacation, I'm healthy enough to haul my butt to work.”
“You're jumping to the conclusion that I base my opinion on how she looks in a few photos that is just not the case, it's the actions, ie the ability to travel to another destination. This is not someplace she had to go, she chose to.”
“I have no control over how the question "if she can go on vacation, why can't she work" strikes you, but it is a legitimate question.”
“feel resentment that billions of people every day are able to do all of these things without a thought. And these are my good days.

I'm not being judgemental, I'm angry and jealous.”


I do apologize and send this and this to AAAAA and to that woman from facebook who might be on the site and wants to see how people look at her after that story, this:

That's horrible!

I am no martyr, I am a woman that has been struggling with a disease for a very long time. My life is difficult, but there are people out there that deal with much worse on a daily basis. I shared part of my story because some people seemed to think that I had no concept of how debilitating this particular affliction can be, I wish that were true. The last black spell lasted so long and took so much from me, that I will never be the same again. My reality and priorities have changed, I now accept that I will deal with this for the rest of my life. As difficult and depressing as the existance I lead is, I am grateful that right now my will power is stronger than the depression. I live in fear of returning to the time when depression tips the scales in the other direction.