Advised to apply for SSDI by my doctor and very scared.

The DDS understands that psychiatric disorders are a good day/bad day type of thing. They want to hear about your bad days. The days you can't get out of bed, or shower, or think clearly enough to balance a checkbook. The days you feel so lethargic that you can't drive to appointments or maintain social interactions. The days when your mind is racing, or you are hallucinating. They understand that there will be days when you can do the grocery shopping or the laundry. They want to know about the days you can't. Those are the ones preventing you from working.

As for the service you're receiving from the attorney's office - it sounds like you need to have a serious discussion with the attorney, letting him know that so far you're unimpressed. I'm not sure what kind of recourse you have in terms of firing this firm and finding another - it depends on how much work they've already done for you. Check your contract to see if there is a way to cancel it before a certain point if you're still not happy after discussing it with the attorney.

Oh, and as for the physical aspects of your job - I know for me, bipolar disorder is very physically debilitating. Whether I'm too leaden to move or my mind has slowed down to the point of not being able to do simple calculations - or maybe you have a lot of pain with your depressions - or you become so physically agitated during mania that you can't sit still or can't safely start an IV. I think you'll find that there are more physical symptoms than you realize. Break it down: I know I can barely lift a laundry basket when even moderately depressed - there's no way I could lift a patient. Could you calculate an accurate med dosage during mania? I might be able to - but then I'd become so distracted by something else that I'd forget it.

Just some examples there to help....

Massachusetts is 21st :-) Easier than my Maryland, LOL

http://www.ultimatedisabilityguide.c...ial_rates.html

Wow. Minnesota is ranked 46th on there. I am VERY lucky apparently

Good for you, Nicoleb. You've inspired some hope in me. My state is way down like yours is. But I guess that is not a reason to despair.

I'm glad for you that things worked out for you.

I have become very depressed. I had a friend over for Easter, and our being together did not go very well. Christmas had been similar. One good thing is that I refuse to let the next major holiday that comes along be a reason for me to jeopardize my mental health.

Up through Monday morning, I had been doing pretty well for weeks. I was moving along on what I need to do about my claim for SSDI. I have quite a bit of paperwork to do now. I became very depressed over not getting along with my house guest. Now I am down in that pit again. I tell myself that I will not be here forever. I always do recover. But it takes time. I am feeling awful right now.

I have the responsibility to do what the law firm needs me to do to advance the claim. Tonight I won't be doing anything. This can't keep up. I am disappointed in the law firm. That makes it even more important for me to do my part. I have to get over being this dispirited and move on. I know from experience that it takes me time to recover. I can't take forever. I can't mope around for a few weeks. Things need doing.

PC has helped me in the past. I hope that with the kind support of the many at PC who have helped me before that I can speed up the process a bit and get on with things.

I figured the best way to have good relations with the law firm that is representing my claim is to not bother them.

Some concerns have been building up and building up. I decided today to call them. The client services manager told me I seem to be "nit picking." He also said that I can be let out of the contract I signed with the law firm. I feel like I was told that they don't need my business and don't even want it, if I'm going to start questioning things.

This firm is one of these big operations that represents claims nation-wide. I do clearly understand that the five or six thousand dollars that they might earn from my claim is not a lot of money to them. It becomes less and less of a profit to them the more of their time I take up. So I avoided bothering them till now. I didn't mean to be bothersome. I did voice my concerns, and the message I got was to be called a nit picker. They made mistakes on the form they submitted to SSA. Not even my address was correct.

Last time I saw my pdoc, I was complaining about all the meds I'm on, some of which don't seem to help. He said that if I was going to be non-compliant that maybe I better stop going to the psych center.

I see a similarity between what the pdoc said and what the client services manager at the law firm said. Sounds like they both said "Get lost."

I am extremely depressed. My PCP told me that my state is hard to get SSDI in. I feel a sense of despair that I won't get my claim approved.

So what states besides CA are easier to get disability in?

Hamster - look at Perna's reply above. Click on the Link in blue. When you get to the site, go down a bit and you will see a list of all the states lined up in order of what percentage of people get approved. That will basically answer your question. It's very good info to have.

When you put in a claim, it first of all goes to a "Disability Determination Services" agency and lands in the hand of an agent there. The DDS agency is a STATE agency funded by the federal government. As a STATE agency, it is a child of state politics. Just to give you an example, TEXAS is the hardest state to get approved in. (Not where I live, thank Heavens.)

Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri are the best states, as far as having high approval ratings. This could mean that they are the best states to live in, if you are trying to get SSDI.

One could look at it another way. Maybe the good people of Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri are so darn determined to work, come heck or high water (mid-western stock and all), that they have a low rate of spurious claims, which would mean that people there don't apply unless they really, really have a spectacularly good claim. That would, also, bring up their approval rating.

One thing I noticed in the line up was this. States tend to have approval ratings similar to the states that neighbor them.

If I sound kind of hyper on this issue - it's because I AM.

I am oscillating between profound despair, thinking that I probably don't even have a chance, and thinking that all these lawyers and doctors and therapists telling me I have a good basis for a claim wouldn't be encouraging me to file if I didn't have a good shot.

The uncertainly has me half out of my mind. I almost wish they would just turn me down with finality, and then I could figure out what to do next. Get some pencils and a tin can and go on the corner, or whatever. My pdoc tells me I am "kind of funny." There is NOTHING about this whole process that amuses me in the least. I often truly wish I were dead.

Rose, the only time I had contact with my lawyer was the first meeting to see if they would take my case. They where not amused that I did the paper work by myself.

Anyways, I didn't hear or see anyone from the law firm until the court proceedings.

Thank god, we won! No questions asked. Part of my claim was for depression.

I'm glad for you, Bella, that you prevailed in court. You are right about having little contact with the lawyers. It's no different with me. When I refer to "the law firm," I use that term because I have never spoken to the attorney with whom I have a contract, and I doubt that I ever will. If a lawyer is ever required, then I will meet one. Till then I don't even deal with para-legals. They are too lofty to be bothered with the likes of me. I get to talk to - well, I guess you could call them "clerks." Even that term used to have a higher meaning than it does today.

Congralutations, Bella! So how many months from filing to first payment did it take?

I was approved the first time. The therapist at program even told me I wouldn't be.

I do not see how ranking works. It seems out of whack.

1. National 36.0 and 13.8
2. Iowa 32.4 and 12.2
3. Kansas 36.0 and 16.2
4. Missouri 33.6 and 28.3
5. Nebraska 37.3 and 12.0
6. Colorado 34.9 and 21.5
7. Montana 41.6 and 14.6
8. North Dakota 38.2 and 12.7
9. South Dakota 35.8 and 11.6
10. Utah 44.3 and 15.6

The first number is up and down. Should be looking at the combined ##s?

Hamster - Wow, I didn't even notice that, but now I think I see what you're saying. You raise a good question. If I figure it out, I'll post my analysis.

Thank you thank you. It is very important to me, as I might be moving out of state.

This is from the Wall Street Journal, http://online.wsj.com/public/resourc..._20110314.html, and thus might be more reliable (the figures must have been confirmed).

Hamster - How Very Interesting!

Here: I kept California where I currently live and ranked states with over 50% chances. Among those, I would select less expensive ones.

California 43.7%
Hawaii 51.3%
Nebraska 51.7%
South Dakota 52%
Maryland 52.3%
New York 52.9%
Alaska 53.2%
Delaware 53.5%
Massachusetts 53.6%
Vermont 53.8%
North Dakota 53.9%
District of Columbia 55.4%
New Hampshire 56.8%
Wyoming 59.1%
New Jersey 59.4%

That's an interesting list. It seems to contain all the states where it is really expensive to live (except for CT,) plus a few states where the winters are just really rough. I'ld find it very difficult to choose. Thanks for sharing that.

If it were me, I think I'ld stay put in California.