darned if you do, darned if you don't

Here is my list of catch 22's:
When applying for disability, if you are a recovering alcoholic, make sure that you go to AA meetings and don't drink cuz that may hurt your case. However, if you do go to aa, and don't drink, that will show that you are able bodied and don't need disability.
Make sure you are doing all the doctors tell you, so you are not at risk for appearing non-compliant. However, if you what is suggested, and show some improvement because of it, then you are lying about being disabled. So you basically have to not go to treatment or follow the doctors orders so you can get worse again, but then you are refusing treatment, so that disqualifies you rite there.
Don't do anything you need to do, like clean up your bathroom, or actually go shopping, because that will show that youre self-sufficient, and you don't need disability. But, if you don't do anything, that could appear as if you are non-compliant or refusing treatment.
Don't do anything like go to church, or anything that requires you to be outside of your house, otherwise you will appear that you have a social life, therefore must be lying about your disability. But, if you do isolate yourself, youre being non-compliant.
Don't take your meds if they help you, because then you are improving and therefore, lying about your disability. But if you don't take them, then you are non-compliant. The same goes for your doctor appointments.
Don't do any kind of physical exercise no matter what, because then you are not really disabled. But if your doctor tells you to and you don't, then you are non-compliant.
Don't ever have a good day, because "real" disabled people do not have good days; but don't have a bad day, either, because that will show defiance and non-compliance!

and if you do have optic neuritis, one of the worst of the worsts, don't file when your vision is all nice and cleared up, because then clearly you can work, albeit you are supposedly on the auto-disabled list.

Then, when you get the rejection letter, oh crud...missed the appeal, because felt, well, why bother, but with government work...there went all the ssdi credits...



((of which I was really hoping to use that to help me get away from an abusive spouse, but that had to come a completely different way...))

I seem to recall I wrote in the issues when they were at the worst--such as fibromyalgia can get better and then get really bad. So I described my symptoms when things were really bad. After all, you have no control over such matters, and they could definitely affect your work attendance and performance.

Alas, it does seem like they do all they can to keep people from getting accepted. But it is true that people lie to try to get it. Such as a man who is disabled due to back problems but is able to get out in his yard and rake leaves and such. (I knew one guy who lost his disability because a government detective saw him doing things he wouldn't have been able to do if his health claims were true!)

I wouldn't be on disability if I didn't have to.

Hope you get it, though, dear one, if you truly do need it.

well, some of the stuff like the alcoholism, AA, and having better days mostly came from doctors notes. like with my psych appointements they would sometimes ask if I drank or used or ever had problems. What am I supposed to do= lie? A lot of the better days were mostly reported by the docs--they would sometimes report that I apeered well-nourished, which I guess is a no=no--but the doctors wrote that down, not me. and well, sometimes the doctors that I was cooperative, which I guess is seen as having good days a lot. and yes, I was excercising--but only on the doctors orders, and it was very moderate and I could only do a little bit at a time. sometimes the doc would ask me if I was keeping up my exercise regime; if I lied and told him no I would've appeared non-compkiant. yes, I go to the store, but it is extremely difficult for me---and I told my lawyer and the judge that; I wouldn't even go if I didn't absolutely have to, and I was very clear about that. and yes, I actually clean my bathroom once in a while, and I told them that, but I also told them that it's hard for me to keep things up on a regular basis and that I usually had my kids do that like about 90 percent of the time. I never said anything different or gave them any reason to believe that I couldn't do something I could.

Sounds like you've done the best you can with the application, anyway.

Have you had your psychiatrist give information?

Yes, my psychiatrist did give them all the info they had; I even had some psychological tests done and it came out very clear that i shouldnt be working.