[frosstyy]

Below I go over everything I've basically diagnosed myself with through my own research. The problem is everything I list has never been diagnosed by someone 'licensed', so legally I guess I don't have any of these things. This isn't meant to be a sob story because it's all very real to me on a daily basis. I'm considering applying for disability (ssi), I've never worked, I live with a relative, they understand what i'm going through but I'd prefer to being able to take care of myself in anyway possible. To actually qualify for any disability do you have to be diagnosed by a psychiatrist or can you diagnose yourself? Sorry if i'm missing the obvious here but i've never had any good experiences with doctors so have always kept to myself about things like this..If you can't self diagnose, how would I go about explaining this situation to a psychiatrist? Would I tell them what I'm sure I have and have to be diagnosed by them?

I was diagnosed with Asperger's but have done enough research myself to know I don't have it, and I consider a misdiagnosis. But the problem is I never returned to the psychiatrist who diagnosed me to talk about this because he was extremely unprofessional and just in general I haven't been to any therapist or psychiatrist for almost a year now.

I've done a lot of research on many different disorders out there, and really understand what each disorders involves . I'm sure I have depersonalization disorder and also avoidant personality (if you can actually have 2 personality disorders at once). I have severe social anxiety to the point where I don't leave the house for days/weeks at a time, depression, and suicidal thoughts almost as soon as I leave my 'comfort zone'.. I also have irritable bowel syndrome which makes it impossible for me to plan out my day accordingly (usually that consists of sitting at home). Again none of these are actually on my medical record except Asperger's which I see as a misdiagnosis. Also, do I even have a chance at getting approved for ssi?

[No Fuse No Flame]

You must go to the p-doc, if one doesn't seem to help don't be afraid to find another. It's very hard to get an appointment so stick with it. Be honest with them so they can help. I have anxiety problems but never discussed it in earnest with p-doc. I almost think I have some form of autism. Ever since I was little I always wanted to play alone, with out interference. Can never tell what people are feeling. Avoid social gatherings of ALL kinds. Being in public or meeting new people is terrifying. I have avoided parties next door due to the anxiety, which makes people think I'm stuck up. I have trouble talking with people I have known for over a decade. Go get professional help.

If you haven't pursued any form of help or support from professionals iyn a significant way regarding these issues, particularly if it hasn't been any time recently, it doesn't make sense to seek Supplemental Security Income [SSI] or Social Security Disability Insurance [SSDI]. They are both programs based on disablement to a degree where one cannot fully support oneself, and this disablement must be recognized by the Social Security Administration for one to be eligible.
They make these judgements usually based on clear consistent evidence of poor functioning despite treatment, referencing various medical records, self reports and assessments.

If you haven't sought treatment there is no clear case for unavoidable disablement but also, as you touched upon, there is no evidence for medical evaluation- the opinion of a medical professional.

As lit fuse has said, I really urge you to seek professional opinion and care regarding your concerns.

ETA:
Here are two links with info on the two programs-

http://www.ssa.gov/pgm/disability.htm

http://www.ssa.gov/pgm/ssi.htm

To address the treatment part: I, personally, would start with a clinical therapist or social worker. How you tell them what you are experiencing is up to you. Telling them what keeps you from functioning specifically without labels is probably a good start.

Maybe even make a short list, I have often found that helpful when I have more than one issue to address.

[nicoleb2]

You have to be diagnosed by a professional, and it usually has to be shown that it is an ongoing illness, so going and getting diagnosed now will probably not help immediately, but maybe in the long-term

[shortandcute]

usually they dont go by a self-diagnosis

[(JD)]

Good question. It's tough enough to be approved without any questionable illnesses. Why not go back to an MD and discuss these things, see if you get referred to a decent psychiatrist and be done with the guessing? I guess you could apply anyway, since when you are approved your benefits go back to the date you first applied, but I think that's on a legitimate illness...so go with asperger's? Good wishes....but seek help.

[frosstyy]

Well I mentioned I was diagnosed with Asperger's, and that was a few years ago. There was some therapy sessions before/after this diagnosis, and also I was trying some medications at the time to, but meds never seemed to work for me and eventually I stopped going to any appointments/medications I was taking because they just weren't helping

I didn't completely agree with the diagnosis then but it was only after I stopped going to the appointments and eventually doing my own research that I came to the conclusion that it's not what I have, I do have problems making friends but its not that I 'can't' make them, it just takes me a lot longer to warm up to people. So i'd lean towards what social problems I have as being social anxiety or effects of having it. When I was diagnosed I was in high school and we went over how I was extremely quiet and didn't have friends, mainly due to always switching schools (parents getting divorced/financial reasons), but that's not to say I can't communicate with people.

And in sophomore year of high school I transferred to a private online school and graduated through that, obviously that shows some indication of me not being able to function in a social environment like that.. So i'd say there definitely is some history of reaching out for help and the online schooling seems to prove that in my mind.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by frosstyy

Below I go over everything I've basically diagnosed myself with through my own research. The problem is everything I list has never been diagnosed by someone 'licensed', so legally I guess I don't have any of these things. This isn't meant to be a sob story because it's all very real to me on a daily basis. I'm considering applying for disability (ssi), I've never worked, I live with a relative, they understand what i'm going through but I'd prefer to being able to take care of myself in anyway possible. To actually qualify for any disability do you have to be diagnosed by a psychiatrist or can you diagnose yourself? Sorry if i'm missing the obvious here but i've never had any good experiences with doctors so have always kept to myself about things like this..If you can't self diagnose, how would I go about explaining this situation to a psychiatrist? Would I tell them what I'm sure I have and have to be diagnosed by them?

I was diagnosed with Asperger's but have done enough research myself to know I don't have it, and I consider a misdiagnosis. But the problem is I never returned to the psychiatrist who diagnosed me to talk about this because he was extremely unprofessional and just in general I haven't been to any therapist or psychiatrist for almost a year now.

I've done a lot of research on many different disorders out there, and really understand what each disorders involves . I'm sure I have depersonalization disorder and also avoidant personality (if you can actually have 2 personality disorders at once). I have severe social anxiety to the point where I don't leave the house for days/weeks at a time, depression, and suicidal thoughts almost as soon as I leave my 'comfort zone'.. I also have irritable bowel syndrome which makes it impossible for me to plan out my day accordingly (usually that consists of sitting at home). Again none of these are actually on my medical record except Asperger's which I see as a misdiagnosis. Also, do I even have a chance at getting approved for ssi?

dont worry about not actually being diagnosed. on the forms you fill out it will ask you about diagnosis. fill them in with what you feel you have. then send in the form. you will get a letter from social security with a list of treatment providers that they want you to see based on what problems you listed on the forms. you go to those treatment providers who will do an evaluation of those problems and others too, then they will send the reports to social security letting them know what your actual diagnosis's are and whether those problems make it impossible for you to work. if the treatment providers that are evaluating you say yes you are disabled and unable to work you will get approved, if not you will get denied. you can also request copies of the evaluations reports from the treatment providers you see.

will you get approved based on what you posted...I know some that have and some people who have not. it can go either way.

my suggestion it doesnt hurt to try.

I'm not sure how to say this without it being interpreted as some sort of attack. But I'll try.

It's just that, if you haven't been in treatment for a while and you feel you have all these things that have never actually been addressed, then you were never actually given a real opportunity for treatment to work and to even try to be "on your own" in the first place.

So, you don't actually know if you can or can't?
I'm not sure why you would assume you can't without pursuing the proper treatment... I would rather be supporting myself through traditional means. SSDI kind of sucks, to be perfectly honest.

[frosstyy]

I'm not really sure why I can't see my replies or if they're event going through but to the last comment, I've tried therapy and medication. Not for what i've described in this thread but it still gave me an understanding of the possible treatments available and in all honesty they didn't work then so why would they work now?

It's really more of a problem with the therapists and psychiatrists out there, they really don't connect with you and understand what you're dealing with, they're really just there to get their pay check and don't seem to care about what you think/feel.. at least from what i've dealt with

I haven't tried to get help mainly because of those feelings towards them but also because i've just been living in a bubble the past few years and really have just been avoiding it as long as possible and could i physically work ? yes i'm sure I 'could' but it really seems like it'll be the same as when I was in school: I was 'there' but in terms of learning and understanding I wasn't, I just couldn't focus because of all the thoughts running through my head and the anxiety, really just so many things at once, too many to list here

i think people tend to look down on others with mental problems looking for help because they don't truly understand what you might be dealing with on the inside, but if it was a physically disabled person everyone would be rushing in to help and care for. would you tell a physically disabled person to get up and work?

Originally Posted by frosstyy

...i think people tend to look down on others with mental problems looking for help because they don't truly understand what you might be dealing with on the inside, but if it was a physically disabled person everyone would be rushing in to help and care for. would you tell a physically disabled person to get up and work?

Um. In all sincerity you are absolutely preaching to the choir right now.

In terms of why treatment would work now as opposed to before- treatment for different mental issues can be extremely varied.

[d00mbunneh]

I'm currently on my 2nd time trying for SSDI. The first time I didn't use a lawyer, never received most of the paperwork, and SS didn't receive basically any of my documentation from hospitals or doctors. I also opted out of seeing a doctor they wanted me to have an evaluation with because I thought they could get documentation from the doctor/therapist I was already seeing. They didn't care about me missing work due to treatment, because in their eyes I was still functional.

To qualify for SSDI you must have worked in the past. To qualify for SSI this is not necessary, however. You should contact your local office and get more information.

You really DO need dr's (a pdoc's and a T's too if you can) documentation and records to support your claim.

[frosstyy]

And what if you're not officially diagnosed by a pdoc? I'm no doctor but i'm not incapable of seeing what symptoms/criteria a specific disorder has, would my opinion matter at all to a pdoc?

I just never had a major reason to go and get help because I literally just stay at home and avoid any problems I may have.. i'm not leaving that 'comfort zone' and as soon as i do all of these issues come into play, but that's exactly what i look to avoid

[Perna]

Wanting to avoid problems is not an illness. To be eligible for any agency's assistance, you have to be diagnosed according to that agency's rules. It would be nice if there were money available to pay for us not leaving our comfort zone but someone has to in order for there to be taxes/money in the first place?

Originally Posted by Perna

Wanting to avoid problems is not an illness. To be eligible for any agency's assistance, you have to be diagnosed according to that agency's rules. It would be nice if there were money available to pay for us not leaving our comfort zone but someone has to in order for there to be taxes/money in the first place?

This, pretty much.
What I have stated previously in this thread is based not only on my own experience but also on the experience of helping several people go through the process.

It's involved and generally the SSA needs to see evidence of effort to improve your situation- so often if you break a foot you get it casted so it can heal and you can then eventually walk around on it again.

You don't settle for crutches or a wheelchair indefinitely because a cast is itchy.

They provide benefits generally based on the criteria that you are unable support yourself despite efforts at treatment. At this point in the discussion you kind of seemed almost opposed to the idea of treatment. So, to be honest, your chances at being approved for any type of benefits based on the experiences I have described are likely pretty slim.

[frosstyy]

Well getting medication for DP or social impairment isn't going to magically treat those problems, if anything it numbs you out to what your feeling..i.e...not treating but 'covering it up' in a sense, it's still there, just not affecting you. You can research and see actually see what treatment is available and works, and not everything has an effective treatment.

I've said in other replies that i've been on medication before and have been to therapy, they didn't work for me, that's the way it is, it doesn't always work for everyone. Wanting to avoid problems is actually an illness 'avoidant personality disorder' which I mentioned at the beginning of this thread.

I think some of us are forgetting that not everyone is in the same boat here, we're all in our own situations. But thanks for anyone who helped out, I have all the answers I need, not here to have disputes.

[lostincornflakes]

I am on ssdi. I worked 17 years when a traumatic event happened which left me incapable of working. It took 8 months for me to see pdoc. I went thru their intake process and was deemed smi, seriously mentally I'll by my state. I then applied for ssdi. I was asked to see social security Dr. Which I did. A month later I was approved. That was ten years ago.

[shortandcute]

Originally Posted by frosstyy

I'm not really sure why I can't see my replies or if they're event going through but to the last comment, I've tried therapy and medication. Not for what i've described in this thread but it still gave me an understanding of the possible treatments available and in all honesty they didn't work then so why would they work now?

It's really more of a problem with the therapists and psychiatrists out there, they really don't connect with you and understand what you're dealing with, they're really just there to get their pay check and don't seem to care about what you think/feel.. at least from what i've dealt with

I haven't tried to get help mainly because of those feelings towards them but also because i've just been living in a bubble the past few years and really have just been avoiding it as long as possible and could i physically work ? yes i'm sure I 'could' but it really seems like it'll be the same as when I was in school: I was 'there' but in terms of learning and understanding I wasn't, I just couldn't focus because of all the thoughts running through my head and the anxiety, really just so many things at once, too many to list here

i think people tend to look down on others with mental problems looking for help because they don't truly understand what you might be dealing with on the inside, but if it was a physically disabled person everyone would be rushing in to help and care for. would you tell a physically disabled person to get up and work?

Regardless of your "feelings" towards therapists, etc, you will not get approved unless you've got something from a doctor, stating that you actually have what you claim you have. It's not like you can go in there and say, "I think I have this and that, but I haven't sought out treatment because I don't think the doctors understand me," and then expect them to just hand over a check. I'm sorry, but it just doesn't work that way.

[frosstyy]

Originally Posted by shortandcute

Regardless of your "feelings" towards therapists, etc, you will not get approved unless you've got something from a doctor, stating that you actually have what you claim you have. It's not like you can go in there and say, "I think I have this and that, but I haven't sought out treatment because I don't think the doctors understand me," and then expect them to just hand over a check. I'm sorry, but it just doesn't work that way.

That was the whole point of this thread, I wanted to know whether my opinion mattered or not to a pdocs and simply stated my opinion about them, and apparently that offended you for whatever reason. Not everyone has to agree with the status quo.

[sabby]

Because the OP has stated they have gotten the information they need, I am now closing this thread.

Thank you for your input!

sabby