[ExpectDelays]

So my story real quick. I've had depression/anxiety most of my adult life. I had warped views on it and neglected seeing a therapist until I was 29. I saw him once, then stopped going. Then I spent some time in the hospital for a suicide attempt. I'm 30 now, my first psychiatrist appt is in a week. I've never been able to hold a job more than 3 months. Dropped out of college in my third year.

So my question is. How screwed am I? If I try to apply for SSI benefits that is. Should I apply right now? I really don't know what to do. I'm considering calling a lawyer for some consultation. It would be great if anyone could give me some assistance/advice though. I'm pretty much homeless/broke with no family or friends to help.

[nicoleb2]

I'm not sure with SSI. With disability, they would probably want more proof of treatment (like for a longer period) before they would approve anything

[avlady]

when i got on SSI back in the 1980's I had to have proof that I was in the hospital 5 times a month each, and my father did all of the paperwork because i was too sick to do them, that's all I know, it may be different now especially if you have a lawyer

[Perna]

Download the booklet http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/11000.html and read it, it will tell you what the requirements are. If you don't meet the requirements, a lawyer won't take your case so I'd start with seeing if you have the requirements. I don't think you have the medical records yet to qualify as being disabled. Too, ask your psychiatrist about it, he might have information from his practice/experience that might help you decide when to apply.

[Rose76]

There are plenty of law firms that you can call and get some advice from. I used one I saw on the Internet. Plenty of them advertise on TV. (You do have to have access to a phone that you can be reached at. Or not . . . you might be able to make an appointment to call at a certain time.) The person who screens you, most likely, will not be a lawyer, but will know a lot. If law firm, after law firm, declines to take you on, as a client, it is because they see your prospects as not that good.

Everything in the posts above is good advice, IMO. You're facing a pretty tough sell to convince the government that you cannot work. A big problem, in that regard, is that they set the bar higher for younger people. If you are homeless, you may have access to specific healthcare services for homeless people. Hook up to what you can. Any lawyer you talk to (or his/her assistants) are going to want a list of who treated you, and for how long. Also, they want a list of your meds. If those lists are all pretty short, or empty, then you might need to come up with another strategy to survive.

Some shelters offering short-term support can hook you up to longer-term support, if it seems like you might benefit from the additional investment.

What the government is going to look at is this: How big of an effort have you made to get treatment that might help you recover to where you could be employable? You may not be employable now, or ever. Still, you have to demonstrate a real attempt at trying to manage your psych problems, before they will look at you in that light. Alternatively, you have to be so lacking in self-care capability that the local adult protection services will make the case that you can't be expected to do that.

At age 30, I was homeless and unemployed and wandering across the country. I did have friends and family to give me a hand up from those circumstances. Lacking that support network, you are in a tough bind. I hope you find a way up.

[redbandit]

Originally Posted by ExpectDelays

So my story real quick. I've had depression/anxiety most of my adult life. I had warped views on it and neglected seeing a therapist until I was 29. I saw him once, then stopped going. Then I spent some time in the hospital for a suicide attempt. I'm 30 now, my first psychiatrist appt is in a week. I've never been able to hold a job more than 3 months. Dropped out of college in my third year.

So my question is. How screwed am I? If I try to apply for SSI benefits that is. Should I apply right now? I really don't know what to do. I'm considering calling a lawyer for some consultation. It would be great if anyone could give me some assistance/advice though. I'm pretty much homeless/broke with no family or friends to help.

It never hurts to apply for SSI or SS disabilty. If you don't have any income (you or family assistance) i would think you would qualify. I could ask my husband if you want. He's a social worker, and knows a lot more about that stuff. It helps a lot to have a lawyer I hear. I recently got denied my Social security disability, and am probably going to appeal. It is a long process though. I applied back in October, and just got denied last week. Good luck!