ARE YOU ON SSD OR SSI FOR YOUR MENTAL ILLNESS?

Are you on SSD or SSI for your mental illness ? Have you found it to be a blessing or a cruse?

I'm on SSD for my bipolar . I worked all my life . I never finished high school yet I was making very good living .Own 2 houses 3 new cars so on.Then out of know where i got very very ill with my bipolar and lost everything . I know now i never really cared about that stuff anyway i was just trying to fit in and be what we call normal but i was never happy know matter how much i got .So when I got SSd It was A blessing so i thought . Now i can get help have my meds. pay for go to day programs and work on getting better. But as time goes on im seeing that I've been labeled that what was once a blessing is slowly turning to a curse .Its the frist thing people use against you and use it they will and they have.

I have never had any problem being on SSI for depression & anxiety.....later added to that is dealing with stress related anorexia & PTSD from a trauma I went through 3 years ago & it's thought that PTSD should have been part of the original DX.

The only problem I have found is that because I was an engineer & had a good salary....my disability income is based on that.....while it is good to have more disability income...it is also keeping me out of programs that I could get financial help with. I am struggling right now finding enough money to pay for my meds....my med costs $1200/month.....even though I have the prescription coverage now....it still has the "donut hole" where you have to spend $4050 before they will cover you again. Coming up with the $1200/month during that time takes almost my whole disability....leaving nothing for my $850 propane bill/month let alone food & other expenses.

Unfortunately, I am considered to still be married even though I have to get the divorce going....so I am even more messed up because they hold his disability against me on top of that....& we own the house in California which has to be fixed up before it can be sold.

As far as anyone holding the fact that I am on disability against me.....I mostly tell people that I am in a forced retirement & if they ask what kind of income I have that's when I say anything about being on disability.....but if they don't ask....I don't offer.

I found I was also messed over with medicare.....the cost of hospitalizations & Dr's are still there & I haven't had the money to pay for those either.....many went to collection because I was to sick & didn't have the knowledge of my financial situation when I left my husband in control.....he didn't take the financial information to them to have them excuse the payments like they would have.....so now I owe thousands in medical bills & have several leans on the California house that have to be cleared before the refi goes through.

Now that I am living on my own & in control of everything.....things are being handled under control.....& now that I know my own financial situation.....I can handle it if I ever get sick to the point I was before......I won't be depending on someone else to take care of the situation which was wrong because my husband was anything but the kind of person you could depend on.

Yes, I am on SSD for my mental illness, and it is helping me get through nursing school........

trippinmickey--i understand where you are coming from. my meds are real expensive too and so are my doc bills. when i reached the doughnut hole i only had the drug programs to deprnd on. they sure got me through the summer. i need to go to hosp but i don't need another payment. so my heart goes out to you. i am labeled and always will be. take care and hang in there something good will come your way. pj56

I'm on SSD for my many mental as well as physical illnesses. It is getting me through business school. I will graduate in June. I plan on staying on it for awhile afterwards and still work as I found out I can work up to a certain point and still keep my disability. I am going to that before jumping head on into the working world.

Jbug

I recieve SSI for mental illness(ocd, severe depression, and anxiety) and back problems. The money really helps pay the bills. I also feel like I've been labeled and looked down on because of it.