Disability - Do People Judge You?

I've had one or two people give me the Evil Eye for being on disability.

Honestly, this forum is the only place I feel comfortable talking to people.

I rarely leave my home. When I do leave it's only for what is absolutely necessary.

I spend a lot of time fighting negative voices, nightmares and serious depression. I am bipolar.

It only took the tax guy doing my taxes to make me feel like a piece of crud for being on disability.

Has this happened to you?

Don't pay any attention to those people, they arent in your shoes only you know your situation and only you have to live with it, so don't let anyone make you feel some type of way!!! keep your head up. Good Luck

Everyone that knows have judged me, just a very few have not. Even been judged by other people on disability!

ive had a doctor judge me.

its set up for people that need it. and you hear some say for those that need it should get it. (not everyone though).

and then your treated like scum for having it.

stuff like that makes me highly confused with society. in fact its not just with disability but a lot of things that i get bad feedback for or am confused with society about.

i just shut my mouth now.

even stuff i say people take advantage of.
like ive said before to someone "ive learned to just shut my mouth" and they said "good. finally. you shouldve learned that a long time ago". but in reality its just me saying ive learned something negative out of an overall negative.

actually i might still be a little naive to how individuals work/think. i constantly get taken advantage of because people have always told me either "you had it coming" or "you set your own self up". it really really hurts me.

anyway i have no faith in the human race race - definitely as a whole and many many individuals.
people want a free laugh off others or to stroke their own ego and most people are flat out cold.

I've been more than judged. I've been mistreated sometimes very cruelly. This is way more common than someone being sympathetic and understanding so I've decided not to tell anyone. Whenever I do, I always end up getting hurt.

Totally feel judged and yes I get that evil eye/piece of dirt type look too.

So, yes I feel judged. Totally and completely… such a stigma

Thanks for this thread

I have been asked many times if I am asked if I work I say no... I have Health problems... I go no further. It is NOTB none of their business. I don't fill them in or volunteer any information unless it is required by law or they are my attorney, doctor or psychiatrist. Only a few friends know I am bipolar and the ones who do know only learned so after YEARS of being my friends with them. it was NOTB either until it was brought up that they were having a hard time handling a family member being bipolar or their own bipolar issues. Until then I did not need to tell them I was disabled cause I was sick. It is no bodies business but my own and i leave it at that i find no need to share.. because i have been shunned in the past and have no intention of being victimized again.

Yes... I feel judged too.

Could not agree more.

Yes, thank you; I have been on the other side of that, helped a bipolar boss who suddenly had a bipolar daughter struggling and let her know I had mental health issues too so would be sympathetic to her discussing it (I didn't know at the time she was bipolar, she was just being secretive to the extreme and I had the feeling it was about mental health issues). She was much more relaxed and comfortable after sharing with me, didn't have to keep so much in.

I think people judge disability if it can't be seen on the outside. My disability is inside my body so people can't see it. Mentally I am well but I have health issues. People think I am just saying I can't do things. So not true. I wish for those people to be in my body for even a day to see how I feel.

Worst thing I ever had I think was someone I thought was a friend suddenly screamed at me to go to my "hard working neighbors" and give back all the money I STOLE from them.....

I smile and say my parents paid my disability and please respect their will to pay for me.

I'm way past apologizing. The tax guy tried to guilt me into revealing my disability. Isn't that against the law? Outright asking?

Many people have judged me as being a drain upon the economy, as though I'm "abusing the system", because I look perfectly normal. Even my ex-hub and family members! That always brings me down.

My disabilities are completely misunderstood ~ epilepsy, TBI, and major depression. Sometimes, I become very angry that U.S. society is so judgmental. Mostly, however, their anger and resentment towards myself & the Social Security system normally ends up feeding into my self-hate cycle.

Don't ever let them do that to you! The social security system was created to help the people who truly needed it. and parents pay into it for the children who one day need it.. so be po'd at those who don't understand this NOT at yourself. You did nothing wrong by being sick.

The system is so ****ed.

It pisses me off when people say that others who are on disability or social assistance are 'freeloaders' and should be subjected to random drug testing. ... Takes all kinds, I suppose. And don't even get me started on what I think of the general populace's idea of 'addicts'.

It is illegal to outright ask. And yet people ask me all the time. Just had this problem looking for housing. Totally discriminated against every step of the way.

My own family is neglecting me and judging me since I fell ill. They refuse to believe anything is wrong ( my own mother called me out on it). I am an embarrassment and an ingrate to them. And they are ashamed of me. I do not exist in their eyes. I have not heard a word from any of them in almost two weeks. I am a ghost to them. The way they are behaving... they dont know me. Never heard of me.

I dfinately have been judged, and the worst thing a person could say obnoxiously is "get a job"

I am applying for disability, so I am not on it yet for people to judge but I am sure they would. There is stigma towards being on Disability especially SSI cause 'why should the tax payers have to carry their weight they should all just get jobs or not exist.' type mentality. It pisses me off, if people don't want to pay taxes maybe they should move to another country instead of acting like its people with disability directly 'stealing' their money when in reality I doubt the majority of tax money goes to help with disability.

But yeah not so sure I will keep it a secret, I'd rather have it known then if someone has a problem with it I can then avoid them...I'd rather not be friendly to someone who would judge me for something so stupid.

people are stupid.

disability is not a free lavish life. especially ssi.
most people only get around 700. give or take a hundred. thats not a nice life! its just a financial support system. im lucky enough to get enough for my current lifestyle that i have a couple hundred to splurge a month. but i know it wont be like that for long.

was in a mini supermarket the other week, three tills in a row with a tape on cones dividing them from the main shop, lady was at the nearest till, others were free, so i politely said excuse me to the lady so i could pass in my mobility scooter to pay for my goods, her first statement was 'i don't know why they allow those things in here' everyone was stunned, she went on to say 'if you weren't so fat and lazy you would get off it and do some exercise so you coud get a job' I looked at her and simply said 'i would love to, if i could i certainly would, but unlike like your disgusting attitude my disability can't be fixed... oh and i do work!!' i didn't say it was unpaid voluntary work but hey it shut her up and gave the tillers a good laugh at her expense!

everyone in the uk who is on benefits is being assessed for capability to work, one man was deemed fit for work one week before he died of a known about cancer, although i am deemed as needing day and night care i was also deemed fit for work along with most other disabled and mentally ill people...so yes we are being judged, and unfairly judged at that. the consensus seems to be that everyone on benefits can do some kind of work. the only way to over turn the decision is to appeal, only, those most in need of appealing are too ill to appeal so are often left struggling to meet the needs of the employment sector or be without benefits and those who were deliberately playing the system are the ones who have the energy to appeal and often win!

A friend's right wing jerk of a husband called me a freeloader off American's money. But, I am on SSDI meaning I paid into the freaking system for 20 years!! Just to shut him up I told him I had the education and background potential to clear 6 figures a year so why would I choose disability?

Another ex-friend told me "some of us have to work for a living." That is why he is my EX friend.

I hate the question, "What do you do?" I usually list the last job I left and say I'm looking for a PT low stress job at the moment. And, never tell anyone why you're on disability. It is none of their biz and HIPPA laws protect your right to keep it a secret. People are so damn nosey.

when asked 'what do you do' I reply 'i am a director of a charity for disabled people' which is true. only it is not a paid position, but i don't let on about that!!!!
when asked whether i work or not, i simply reply i am medically retired! on forms which do not have this as an option i usually tick the retired box then write in 'medically' so as not to cause confusion as i am only in my 40's!
people seem to respect the saying medically retired as ok or at least better than disabled or unemployed, when forms ask for my DX i write it in total confidence that the person reading the form will not have a clue what dissociative motor disorder is!
i love it when people ask me what my condition is as every time without fail they look totally blank and say what, i havn't a clue what that means!...their reaction makes me smile every time!

My therapist has a bird when I say I'm medically retired. This really irritates me. He doesn't have to face the judgmental types.