Getting Disability for Depression???

245

Replies

  • marilynx
    marilynx Posts: 128 Member
    Well I can see you have never ever dealt with depression. Depression is crippling, it can make you desperate, it can make you not want to get out of bed. It is not just a made up thing, I think anyone suffering from severe depression deserves to get disability while they work with doctors to improve their mental state.

    No, you don't SEE anything. You have no idea where I've come from, or what I've dealt with when it comes to depression. So no, you don't SEE a thing. Obviously it's not a made up thing. *rolls eyes*

    So what I have taken from this is, depression widely ranges. It isn't like a physical ailment where you're EXPECTED to get better with treatment necessarily. When I have time I'm going to look at the science behind depression. Maybe if I understand more scientifically how depression works when it comes to neurotransmitters misfiring then maybe I will understand it better. I appreciate everyone who took the time to explain it to me. I'm sure it can be frustrating doing so when it makes sense to you and the person asking still doesn't seem to get it. To me though, if you're on disability, then you can no longer take care of yourself financially without somebody else. That's a very scary place to be at, which is why I'm just like wooow. It can get THAT bad.
  • Barbellgirl
    Barbellgirl Posts: 544 Member
    Marilyn, I guess I don't know what you are asking. In your first post you ask "isn't this a waste of money?" And then your last one you say " I just figured it would be money better spent if it was spent on better treatment." I'm not sure who's money you are referring to. Are you referring to her benefits that's she's using to live off of? Are you advocating that people not receive the benefits to which they are entitled to based on meeting the legal definition and the non- medical criteria such as working long enough and recently enough and paying FICA so they have this coverage if they should need it? Who decides what "better treatment" is? You, her neighbor? The government? I just don't understand where your thought process is going on this.

    There a lot of flaws in our conventional medical system, trust me you don't want to get me started on those. :). But severe depression or Major Depressive Disorder is at the root of many other very severe medical and psychological disorders and it can prevent someone from being able to keep a job in the competitive labor market.
  • Barbellgirl
    Barbellgirl Posts: 544 Member
    You are right Marilyn, the severity, and the duration, as well as response to treatment can vary greatly. :)
  • marilynx
    marilynx Posts: 128 Member
    Ok, let me better clarify:

    She is getting money to live off of. I don't know how much, and it really doesn't matter. I'm saying, would t that money be better spent on treatment instead of letting her continue to live with something so dibilitating? I'm coming from a "help her get better" perspective, but as I can see, it might not be that simple.

    And I'm saying she receive benefits that will HELP her, not continue to perpetuate her condition. I really don't want this to sway in the direction of whether she QUALIFIES for living assistance, because I cannot speak intelligently on that. Obviously she qualifies because she has it. My point was should that money she QUALIFIED for be used to help her get better, and not just let her pay her bills and let her continue to live with depression. As far as better treatment, I can't say what better treatment is. The only way for her to know would be for her to try them, but as a PP said, trying is not that simple, and I can remember from my depression days I often didn't want to try to do anything. So I'm sure compounding that times 100 and you may not be fit for treatment.

    I'm sorry if I'm not coming off clear. I hope I clarified myself.
  • anemoneprose
    anemoneprose Posts: 1,805 Member
    As a schizo on medication who currently cannot work I take mild offence to that.

    But to the point of the thread, yes clinical depression can be crippling to the point where a person cannot work. Is it really your place to be judging the veracity of someone else's mental illness?

    Do you have personal experience with it, or...?

    I'm very sorry. I shortened the work out of sheer laziness. I will go back and fix it.

    And yes I do. I was clinically depressed for a long time. So was my brother. He was hospitalized because of it, and on meds. But disability was never offered to him to help. My mom has a mental disorder, that I will not disclose. But no disability. I was just wondering is all. I have mental illness rampant in my family, but disability for it? It still doesn't seem right.


    Think about this. Most people, right, get something out of work.

    Even if it's a crappy job, they're bored, they don't like their boss, they get something.

    Money. Credibility in the eyes of society. Regular exposure to peers, even friends; some kind of affiliation, anyway. If they're lucky, actual pleasure, and/or a sense of reward, from the actual job they do. If not lucky, at the very least, they get a sense of structure (not to say 'purpose').

    The person you're talking about is not engaging in any of that, and is taking on a much smaller, probably more isolated life*. Why would someone do something like that?

    *and also probably dealing with shame around not working and whatever in the whole history of their lives is driving the depression, right?
  • Parmcat
    Parmcat Posts: 268 Member
    I am a 22 year psych nurse, and have dealt with and have suffered from depression.

    This thread is a prime example of how far out of touch society is with mental illness.

    Sad
  • marilynx
    marilynx Posts: 128 Member
    The waste of money was me thinking of it's not helping her overcome her condition then it must be a waste. But I hadn't even thought about how hard it is to go back to work after or during treatment. It was hard for me to go to school when I was in treatment, so having to make money to support yourself and child has got to be incredibly stressful. So in that sense, maybe helping her get by is part of her treatment, because it helps take a major burden off herself.

    See why it's good to ask questions? You might get your head bitten off repeatedly but at least you gain important incite on what it's like to be in that person's shoes. I see things a bit more differently now. I just watched a documentary on the brain. A woman was suffering from depression so crippling you could see it in her face. She is better now, actually went on to get her phD in psychology, but you could still see the wear on her face. It reminded me of my brother. Very scary.

    I hope the woman gets better, I really do. I can't imagine they level of pain.
  • weightlossdiva1219
    weightlossdiva1219 Posts: 283 Member
    I have borderline personality disorder, which is more extreme than just depression because I get depression with it, and I'm on disability.
    YES.
    It is so crippling you can't work, at times. You've clearly never been depressed. When you have depression, which by the way is NOT all in your head or just feeling sad about something that happened, it is a clinical and CHRONIC issue, sometimes you can't even get out of bed.
  • weightlossdiva1219
    weightlossdiva1219 Posts: 283 Member
    As a schizo on medication who currently cannot work I take mild offence to that.

    But to the point of the thread, yes clinical depression can be crippling to the point where a person cannot work. Is it really your place to be judging the veracity of someone else's mental illness?

    Do you have personal experience with it, or...?

    I'm very sorry. I shortened the work out of sheer laziness. I will go back and fix it.

    And yes I do. I was clinically depressed for a long time. So was my brother. He was hospitalized because of it, and on meds. But disability was never offered to him to help. My mom has a mental disorder, that I will not disclose. But no disability. I was just wondering is all. I have mental illness rampant in my family, but disability for it? It still doesn't seem right.

    I

    You don't get "offered" disability. YOu apply for it and wait months to see if you qualify and a lot of the times you dont the first time. And EVERY PERSON IS DIFFERENT. Great for you, you are able to work. Now shut up about all of us who can't because we aren't quite there yet. I've tried working. I get fired or quit impulsively because of my disorder. Meds dont work for me.
  • CooperSprings
    CooperSprings Posts: 754 Member
    I left my last job because of my depression.
    I wasn't able to leave my home for 3 weeks because of my level of anxiety (meaning my mental inability to cope with reality, my most severe depressive episodes as a teenager brought on psychosis and I have to manage myself properly as an adult to avoid setting any of that crap off).
    I never applied for disability. I just started writing articles for clients and now hide behind my computer.
    I don't believe in getting disability for anyone with a mental illness.
    For those with severe illnesses the money gives them a chance to make things worse for themselves.

    I say these things through my experiences, and mine alone.
  • GiGiBeans
    GiGiBeans Posts: 1,062 Member
    A very close friend of mine is on disability for depression. She's been hospitalized numerous times for being suicidal, has been on numerous medications with some awful side effects but the worst was electroshock - she lost a good deal of her memory for half a year. You wouldn't know any of this by simply chit chatting with her. It took her 2 years to get approved.
  • Kindone
    Kindone Posts: 138 Member
    Interesting timing. I am in the middle of writing a blog about the debilitating effects of depression. Which can absolutely be crippling and make life very difficult to live. After a while, sometimes medication stops working. I have never considered going on disability for depression or anything else for that matter, but i can absolutely believe there are people who would need to.
  • Kindone
    Kindone Posts: 138 Member
    For those who don't understand just how truly crippling depression can be, take a look at this blog post. It's a perfect explanation, and even manages to be funny while talking about such a serious subject:

    http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depression-part-two.html

    yes. this. I love her work to begin with and had no idea why she had dropped off the radar. Her blog made me weepy and i related to a lot of it. I was just posting elsewhere how I had a blog brewing inside me concerning this topic, but I didn't want to put it out there because there is such stigma and shame concerning depression as though you are an ungrateful negative person who doesn't know how to appreciate what you have... or that you choose to see the glass as "half empty" etc. I think that most times depression isn't about being sad about bad things happening in your life. My life is near perfect and I struggle with it every single day significantly.
  • MexicanOsmosis
    MexicanOsmosis Posts: 382 Member
    Yes, I have a loved one that is dealing with depression. She gave me this to read to help me understand the disease more:

    http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/wpress/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/

    The writer herself has Lupus, however, it can be applied to many diseases you don't "see" (mental illnesses in particular).

    Also, check out NAMI for more info on mental illness:

    http://www.nami.org/

    I'm actually participating in walk for NAMI in September.
  • angel5561
    angel5561 Posts: 142 Member
    depression can be very debilitating having suffered with that panic and anxiety and agoraphobia since i was 14 i know first hand just how much it can hinder you from being able to function like everyone else. no one wants to be disabled no one goes out and chooses to be depressed. i do not receive a disability check for myself but i do receive it for my autistic child. they denied him the first time i applied he is autistic for life. There have been times i have been so bad i could not make it out my front door. depression has made me so overwhelmed that even the simplest of tasks was to much for me to bare. my whole entire body literally hurt from depression some people have thoughts of suicide while depressed imagine going to work every day when you want to kill your self and did you ever think that maybe this lady just didnt want to tell you every single thing she had wrong with her? because people are so very judgemental and there is a stigma when it comes to mental illnesses. im sorry but it is this kind of thinking right here that continues to feed that stigma. look up the symptoms of depression it is more than just being a little sad it is a whole lot more complicated then that. and even if you have been depressed before maybe your depression was not as severe as the next persons depression. you do not know until you walk in that persons shoes what they are going thru. that being said you can get disability and then improve and go back to work and still collect a portion of disability until you are able to work full time. people who get disability are not lazy they dont want to be on disabliity they want to be able to function like everyone else. disability is hardly enough to live off of people receiving disability are not rolling in the dough just loving life because they get a 600 or so check every month with which to live off of. they make it damn near impossible to even get diability as it is the world does not need any more people in it that think as you do.
  • angel5561
    angel5561 Posts: 142 Member
    i would also just like to point out that you get more than a check when you get disability you get approved for disability medicaid i have seen people with seizures and other debilitating things get denied repeatedly and then not have the money for doctors visits and meds. feel free to add me anyone that comes across this post and has a mental illness its always nice to have friends that understand what you are going thru.... goodnight everyone
  • anemoneprose
    anemoneprose Posts: 1,805 Member
    The waste of money was me thinking of it's not helping her overcome her condition then it must be a waste. But I hadn't even thought about how hard it is to go back to work after or during treatment. It was hard for me to go to school when I was in treatment, so having to make money to support yourself and child has got to be incredibly stressful. So in that sense, maybe helping her get by is part of her treatment, because it helps take a major burden off herself.

    See why it's good to ask questions? You might get your head bitten off repeatedly but at least you gain important incite on what it's like to be in that person's shoes. I see things a bit more differently now. I just watched a documentary on the brain. A woman was suffering from depression so crippling you could see it in her face. She is better now, actually went on to get her phD in psychology, but you could still see the wear on her face. It reminded me of my brother. Very scary.

    I hope the woman gets better, I really do. I can't imagine they level of pain.

    I think I know what you mean. Maybe you feel like this woman getting disability means everyone's given up on her, written her off; and it's that idea of hopelessness, or stagnation, that's maybe frightening, because it offends your sense of value in life.

    Well, to that idea... obviously, it's complicated. I know there are programs that aim to support people towards at least partial engagement in society, in a way that's sensitive to their history & situation. Some people are ready to be helped by that sort of thing; others aren't. That can change, and it's not entirely up to anyone, because depression's a funny thing. (Not haha funny, at all, obviously.)
  • benol1
    benol1 Posts: 867 Member
    Hi Kindone,
    Interesting timing. I am in the middle of writing a blog about the debilitating effects of depression. Which can absolutely be crippling and make life very difficult to live. After a while, sometimes medication stops working. I have never considered going on disability for depression or anything else for that matter, but i can absolutely believe there are people who would need to.

    What has worked for me is a range of strategies. What I have found is that lifestyle-related strategies, while cannot replace medication, are really important. Eating well, getting to bed on time, regular intense exercise, meditation and getting involved in meaningful activities with other people are all equally important planks in my raft. So, hence, I recommend that for others with depression to talk to their clinician/therapist about whether a similar approach would be suitable for them.

    I wish you all the best with your blog. I would like to see it once you have it up.
    kind regards,

    Ben
  • BonnieandClyde29
    BonnieandClyde29 Posts: 1,026 Member
    Obviously all mental illnesses are different, I have been diagnosed a few years ago with depression, adhd, and insomnia. I did not take medication because I didn't like how it made me feel, it didn't feel natural, so I work around it, I would never imagine being offered disability. I could see if varying on the severity of the mental illness though, my father and step mother both have paranoid schizophrenia and "manic depression" and they receive a disability check, it isn't much though, so my Dad still tries to work. I guess in some cases it's believable but a lot of people now like to blame their problems on other people or the world, if you aren't happy with yourself then change, simple as that in most cases.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Well I can see you have never ever dealt with depression. Depression is crippling, it can make you desperate, it can make you not want to get out of bed. It is not just a made up thing, I think anyone suffering from severe depression deserves to get disability while they work with doctors to improve their mental state.

    No, you don't SEE anything. You have no idea where I've come from, or what I've dealt with when it comes to depression. So no, you don't SEE a thing. Obviously it's not a made up thing. *rolls eyes*...

    Just as YOU don't fully see your neighbor's situation and you have no idea where she's been, what she's gone through, or where she's going. Do you know all the details of her condition and treatment? Don't make assumptions.

    P.S. You seem like you're open to listening to different perspectives. I appreciate that. :flowerforyou:
  • Awhile back I met a woman who used to live in my old neighborhood. She was a very nice woman. We would talk everytime we saw each other. One day out of the sake of conversation I asked her where did she work. She told me she didn't work. I looked confused because she lived alone except for her 16 year old son, so I knew something didn't seem right. I think she could read the expression in my face because she said, "oh, I'm in disability due to depression."

    It took a lot of conscious thought to keep my face straight.

    You're getting disability for being depressed?

    What are your thoughts? Am I the only one who thinks this is a waste of money? Can depression really be so crippling that you can't work? I mean, even people with highly crippling mental disabilities on medication can go to work...... Is someone's depression so damning that they just won't be able to work? To me that's a hopeless existence.

    How's the world over there perched on your golden pedestal?

    Wouldn't it be lovely to be able to judge everyone you meet by your own standards and your idea of what constitutes a real illness or not. And yes of course depression can stop you working. It can literally stop you doing everything. Silly silly post.
  • marilynx
    marilynx Posts: 128 Member
    The waste of money was me thinking of it's not helping her overcome her condition then it must be a waste. But I hadn't even thought about how hard it is to go back to work after or during treatment. It was hard for me to go to school when I was in treatment, so having to make money to support yourself and child has got to be incredibly stressful. So in that sense, maybe helping her get by is part of her treatment, because it helps take a major burden off herself.

    See why it's good to ask questions? You might get your head bitten off repeatedly but at least you gain important incite on what it's like to be in that person's shoes. I see things a bit more differently now. I just watched a documentary on the brain. A woman was suffering from depression so crippling you could see it in her face. She is better now, actually went on to get her phD in psychology, but you could still see the wear on her face. It reminded me of my brother. Very scary.

    I hope the woman gets better, I really do. I can't imagine they level of pain.

    I think I know what you mean. Maybe you feel like this woman getting disability means everyone's given up on her, written her off; and it's that idea of hopelessness, or stagnation, that's maybe frightening, because it offends your sense of value in life.

    Well, to that idea... obviously, it's complicated. I know there are programs that aim to support people towards at least partial engagement in society, in a way that's sensitive to their history & situation. Some people are ready to be helped by that sort of thing; others aren't. That can change, and it's not entirely up to anyone, because depression's a funny thing. (Not haha funny, at all, obviously.)

    This is it. I live in an area where I've heard people say, "hey look! You have PTSD? Apply for disability you'll get it!" In college, I know people who applied for disability because they have ADHD. I volunteered in a school where the hyperactive boys were given books and pushed to the back of the classroom, where hopefully they wouldn't be a bother. I worked with these boys, an inexperienced college student because the teachers didn't want to work with them. I was good enough because I could babysit. It didn't matter if I could really help them learn. I thought by this woman receiving disability for depression, I thought that she had tried to get help, nobody was helping her, so they said for her to just live with the illness. Here's some money, now go away come back once a week so I can keep making money off you but only give you the bare minimum of treatment. This really does happen, and it makes me mad.

    @sexymuffintop

    First off, the human mind is designed to apply what it senses to their own experiences and relate it accordingly based on their beliefs, how they were raised, etc. If this wasn't the case, then we would not have a sense of what's right and wrong, and people wouldn't be able to receive help that they need. So, you can go on with your pompous attitude, cause whether you know it or not, you just did to me what I did to that lady; fit her into a context that isn't true. At least I'm trying to gain an understanding. You're just being a nuisance. *rolls eyes*

    @jenilla1

    Yes, you are right. I don't know her entire situation, which is why I posted this thread in a place where I knew I would get information relevant to understanding. If I'm wrong I'm wrong. I can accept that. There's no shame in not knowing. The problem is carrying on like an idiot in your own mind thinking things, when your own rationale is wrong.
  • marilynx
    marilynx Posts: 128 Member
    I have borderline personality disorder, which is more extreme than just depression because I get depression with it, and I'm on disability.
    YES.
    It is so crippling you can't work, at times. You've clearly never been depressed. When you have depression, which by the way is NOT all in your head or just feeling sad about something that happened, it is a clinical and CHRONIC issue, sometimes you can't even get out of bed.

    Once again, going off of what YOU SAID, everybody handles depression differently. Just because I wasn't crippled to the point of not working does not mean I have never been depressed. What made my mom suggest depression to me was me never wanting to get out of bed because I constantly felt sluggish. Like it was hard to move. So apparently your experience with depression is the norm, and if anybody else hasn't experienced it your way then they've never had it before? Thanks, your logic CLEARLY makes sense. *rolls eyes*

    And as for being offered disability, when you are I a mental hospital that has social workers YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE OFFERED ANY AND ALL SERVICES YOU CAN APPLY FOR BASED ON YOUR SITUATION, since we apparently like to use all caps. That's why I said my brother wasn't OFFERED disability, because NOBODY TOLD HIM HE MAY QUALIFY FOR IT. If he could have applied then MAYBE HE WOULDN'T BE FACING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DEBT. Or maybe he would have been denied and still would have the debt. At least the option would have been made available to him.

    And no, I will not shut up. You shut up. See, it's so easy to sink to juvenile tactics when you don't think you're being understood. Shall we continue this dance, or are we going to converse like adults (just to let you know I normally don't address comments like yours because they're almost too emotional to bother pulling apart. But because you started off with something I hadn't thought of I replied. Depression IS commonplace with other categorized more "serious" mental disorders. I just didn't know that depression on its OWN can be so crippling).
  • dakitten2
    dakitten2 Posts: 888 Member
    Boy do I have experience in this area. Both for myself and my partner. I went through many years of therapy before I could reach the point that I am at today. I suffered from PTSD from my childhood, I was abused as a child and also a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. I was physically abused during my first marriage and so on. I could write a book. I never went on disability but there were times I would have to take a leave of absence from work to get some intense therapy and healing.

    My partner is bi-polar, has PTSD, also a survivor of childhood abuse and sexual abuse (rape by her brothers). In the last four months, she has been in a mental health facility at least once each month. She is not on disability but she is currently on leave of absence from her job. In the last year and half, she has deteriorated rapidly. She has pseudo seizures that can happen anytime or anyplace. Her only forewarning is that she starts feeling "ants crawling on her brain". She hears voices telling her to kill herself and she has tried to commit suicide. One night this week she locked herself in the bathroom for the entire night crying and talking to the voices. I couldn't get in. Finally the next morning she was begging me to let her out of the bathroom. She thought I had locked her in there. It took me an hour to convince her she had to stand up and unlock the door. When she finally got out, she fell into my arms crying and exhausted.

    No, she is not on disability yet, but as the former director of disabilities for the state of Kentucky, I have convinced her that she really needs to apply for disability and she has an appointment next month.

    Please don't assume that all disabilities must be physical in nature. Actually mental disabilities can be much more crippling than physical ones. While I had good success eventually with years of therapy and finding the right combination of medications, a lot of people never do. Just pray that it never happens to you.
  • cwaters120
    cwaters120 Posts: 354 Member
    my husband has serious depression issues. Living life is a struggle daily for us both - him because of his depression, my just dealing with the effects it has on our family.

    If you've never experienced this, you cannot judge. In any case, as an adult, you should know not to judge those whose shoes you've never walked in.
  • marilynx
    marilynx Posts: 128 Member
    Boy do I have experience in this area. Both for myself and my partner. I went through many years of therapy before I could reach the point that I am at today. I suffered from PTSD from my childhood, I was abused as a child and also a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. I was physically abused during my first marriage and so on. I could write a book. I never went on disability but there were times I would have to take a leave of absence from work to get some intense therapy and healing.

    My partner is bi-polar, has PTSD, also a survivor of childhood abuse and sexual abuse (rape by her brothers). In the last four months, she has been in a mental health facility at least once each month. She is not on disability but she is currently on leave of absence from her job. In the last year and half, she has deteriorated rapidly. She has pseudo seizures that can happen anytime or anyplace. Her only forewarning is that she starts feeling "ants crawling on her brain". She hears voices telling her to kill herself and she has tried to commit suicide. One night this week she locked herself in the bathroom for the entire night crying and talking to the voices. I couldn't get in. Finally the next morning she was begging me to let her out of the bathroom. She thought I had locked her in there. It took me an hour to convince her she had to stand up and unlock the door. When she finally got out, she fell into my arms crying and exhausted.

    No, she is not on disability yet, but as the former director of disabilities for the state of Kentucky, I have convinced her that she really needs to apply for disability and she has an appointment next month.

    Please don't assume that all disabilities must be physical in nature. Actually mental disabilities can be much more crippling than physical ones. While I had good success eventually with years of therapy and finding the right combination of medications, a lot of people never do. Just pray that it never happens to you.

    The last part of your statement is what I learned. I was coming from a physical meaning of disability. I didn't know depression could be so problematic. So why is it classified on such a low degree of severity then, is it because it's capacities can range from minor to severe? I hope your partner gets help, because yeah, you really can't function if your mind won't let you.

    I do apologize if I offended anyone. I didn't purposefully mean to. I still think that people with crippling depression need more than just a check every month. I really think it's important for a psychiatrist to really be working with them that CARES. If the money helps alleviate a burden on the mind, then that's what's needed, but they should not be pushed aside and given up on just because typical avenues haven't worked for them. My family member is struggling with disability right now. Her doctors just load her up on pain meds and send her on her way. When she calls back cause they either don't work or stopped working, they either give her more and tell her to wait. No compassion, no desire to help, just here's some money, here's some food stamps, here's some health insurance, try not to let the door hit you on the way out. Oh, and make sure you're back by the 15th, so that your 800.00 for you equates to 1500.00 for me. I gotta keep your cycle going you know.

    Yeah. Can you tell America's standard of healthcare makes me a little irritated?
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member

    And as for being offered disability, when you are I a mental hospital that has social workers YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE OFFERED ANY AND ALL SERVICES YOU CAN APPLY FOR BASED ON YOUR SITUATION, since we apparently like to use all caps. That's why I said my brother wasn't OFFERED disability, because NOBODY TOLD HIM HE MAY QUALIFY FOR IT. If he could have applied then MAYBE HE WOULDN'T BE FACING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DEBT. Or maybe he would have been denied and still would have the debt. At least the option would have been made available to him.

    What one ins SUPPOSED TO be offered, and what is reality in a busy, over-worked and under-staffed hospital, are often radically different. I am on disability, my diagnoses are Bipolar Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and sever, chronic Insomnia. I have been hospitalized 7 times since my diagnosis 10 years ago - all seven times were within the span of the first 4 years post-diagnosis. Not once in the hospital was I "offered" the opportunity to apply for disability benefits. My psychiatrist offered to help me with the application and appeals processes (for a fee of course) after my fifth or sixth hospitalization, after I was hundreds of dollars behind in my copays and drowning in medication debt. I have been on 37 different medications in the past 10 years, and finally am on a cocktail that has kept me relatively stable for the last 3 years or so. When my next disability review comes up I fully anticipate that it will be decided that I no longer qualify, and I'm finally in a place where that's not going to be the end of the world.

    Additionally it's exceptionally common for people to have to apply for disability, be declined, and appeal up to 3 times, sometimes more, before finally being granted disability benefits. So yeah, maybe your brother would have been denied on his first try. Doesn't mean he wouldn't have been deserving, and certainly wouldn't have been a reason to give up. Just sayin.'
  • LJSmith1989
    LJSmith1989 Posts: 650
    Awhile back I met a woman who used to live in my old neighborhood. She was a very nice woman. We would talk everytime we saw each other. One day out of the sake of conversation I asked her where did she work. She told me she didn't work. I looked confused because she lived alone except for her 16 year old son, so I knew something didn't seem right. I think she could read the expression in my face because she said, "oh, I'm in disability due to depression."

    It took a lot of conscious thought to keep my face straight.

    You're getting disability for being depressed?

    What are your thoughts? Am I the only one who thinks this is a waste of money? Can depression really be so crippling that you can't work? I mean, even people with highly crippling mental disabilities on medication can go to work...... Is someone's depression so damning that they just won't be able to work? To me that's a hopeless existence.

    Only if there doing everything in their power to combat it and only if they receive the benefit for a short period of time.
  • maegmez
    maegmez Posts: 341 Member
    I'm just going to add there are too many that play the system. I know a few that did everything they could to make sure they got disability. I saw the lies, the manipulation, and changing stories when we discovered the lies. A few times we were told she did it to keep on disability. If she wasn't in a mental hospital, she was in reg hospital and you can guarantee she would be in for at least a week. She has been on disability now for over 20 years and now has a baby. She has had so many shock therapies she may not be able to work and I don't feel she is capable of raising a child. She wants to eat and sleep all day. At the rate she is going, her son won't have a mom in 10 years.

    That being said, I feel there are genuine sufferers who really need the help.
  • LJSmith1989
    LJSmith1989 Posts: 650
    I'm just going to add there are too many that play the system. I know a few that did everything they could to make sure they got disability. I saw the lies, the manipulation, and changing stories when we discovered the lies. A few times we were told she did it to keep on disability. If she wasn't in a mental hospital, she was in reg hospital and you can guarantee she would be in for at least a week. She has been on disability now for over 20 years and now has a baby. She has had so many shock therapies she may not be able to work and I don't feel she is capable of raising a child. She wants to eat and sleep all day. At the rate she is going, her son won't have a mom in 10 years.

    That being said, I feel there are genuine sufferers who really need the help.

    and everything and anything gets considered depression these days, genuine suffering has been replaced with dull despair.
This discussion has been closed.