Getting Disability for Depression???

CooperSprings

Ya'll need to chill.
Everyone has their opinion.
It's OK to disagree or agree or change your stance or whatever.

Actually, you need to "chill." Who are you to say that?? Depression is an illness. That's not an "opinion." It's a fact.

I am super chill.
I am just someone trying to intervene with people getting testy with one another.
That obviously didn't work, lol.
I meant that people have all sorts of opinions on depression and it's OK for them to have them.
I posted earlier in this thread to describe my thoughts on the depression/disability thing myself.
I was enjoying reading things until people started getting uppity with one another.
I didn't mean anything rude by it... Just meant to get you guys to step back and breath for a moment.

No. This is a serious topic with real-life consequences. If you don't "mean" to be rude, then don't tell people to "chill" and don't call people "uppity." I don't give a **** what your "opinion" was two pages back. You need to get real.

Alright.
Well, I hope you have a better day. :flowerforyou:

nichi123

I am Bipolar and I suffer from severe highs and severe lows as well as anxiety. I get a benefit because I could not hold down a job due to my extreme changes in mood. I cannot control this and even medication only helps to a certain point. As soon as I am stable and my psychiatrist thinks I am ready, I will get a job. I have worked since I was 14 and only stopped working when I had my first child. I have kids that I have to stay at home for anyway and my husband works. All I would say to you is that unless you have had severe depression/bipolar/or any mental illness then please do not judge. It takes control of your whole life and those around you. You have always had a nice encounter with this lady but you have never seen her at her worst. With respect, don't judge what you don't understand.

jofjltncb6

Well...

...that escalated...

...slowly.

FlaxMilk

Haven't read past page 1, but part of disability isn't being severely impaired every single day-it's being impaired enough and often enough to prevent sustainable employment. For people with severe enough depression, which can be quite treatment resistant, this is sadly a reality. People who would otherwise benefit from working cannot sustain long-term steady employment. I'm glad that people with depression and other disabilities have the option to work part-time without losing assistance. Most people with depression won't qualify for SSI, just like most with obesity won't.

People can also use depression as a catch all, not wanting to share more personal information with others. Or they won't go into the details of why their depression was severe enough to get SSI. Too few understand how bad it can be.

nichi123

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...?

As a Bipolar sufferer I couldn't agree more ^

nichi123

I can't speak for depression but I have a friend who gets disability for being obese. In my eyes she can get up and lose the weight but everyone is not willing and able to do that. Now I applied for disability when I got diagnosed with Luekemia in 2009. They turned me down saying I didn't have a debilitating disease. Not to mention I have a disabled child that for as long as she live she will never be able to walk talk or feed herself. Yet to them I wasn't needy, but I didn't cry about and I continued to work and take care of my child while doing chemo. I just finished another 6 month round of chemo and I worked through it all. We all have our crosses to bear and only god can be the true judge. I like to believe that the man upstairs knew I was wrong enough and here I am 4 years later still living.

See, this is the problem. If you can get disability for something like depression, then you should be able to get it if you have cancer, especially if you have a disabled child. You are a survivor ma'am. Awesome for you.

I just think we should be trying to FIX the problem. That money could be spent on intensive inpatient treatment. I had a professor in college who discussed this topic. It was a Drugs and Society class. After taking his class I have a whole different perspective on America's treatment of mental disorders. Instead of trying to help we medicate and put bandaids just to keep making money off of people's suffering. Disability for obesity? I guess it pays more to keep a person motivated to stay obese so doctors are guaranteed thousands of dollars by the time this person dies.

I'm not trying to judge, but I am entitled to my opinion. I had no idea that depression could be so crippling. Like I said I watched my brother spiral in it. He was hospitalized for a month, medicated and sedated; he used to tell me demons were following him. I cried for him quite a bit. After awhile he got some newer aged treatment, starting exercising, and now he's in college and going to work. I guess that's why I didn't empathize with the woman, because I saw my brother fight it and come out on top.

I am glad I asked. I learned something new. It still makes me uneasy, but that's probably because there are theoretical practices that could be tried. But every situation is a different case, so I don't know.

You have NO idea what you're talking about. It's shameful....

FlaxMilk

Loo! Oh trust me, I know. I'm not someone who believes that people can easily scan the system to get money, or that the to government is handing out assistance like it's a free for all. And that's not even the point of the thread. Basically when she told me she was on disability I didn't know if she meant government or job related disability. Either way to me it doesn't matter. I just figured it would be money better spent if it was spent on better treatment, and not just on some psychiatrist trying to milk the person for as long as they can. I know not all psychiatrists are like that, but how is she getting help to get over her illness? Is the psychiatrist really doing their patient justice by doing this?

Disability doesn't mean life long assistance. It requires reevaluations. The point of a psychiatrist or a therapist helping a client receive SSI is so that they can live life while hopefully receiving treatment. You can try meds, ECT, intensive inpatient therapy, intensive outpatient therapy, but how will the patient retain their housing, their food, the nurturing of their children? People with depression aren't going to get much better if their children must live in a homeless shelter because their depression is so bad that they can't work and are instead in the hospital for repeat admissions. 12 weeks FMLA is not that impressive for someone with severe depression, and it's unpaid.

FlaxMilk

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.

People on SSI make very little. The upper amount of what she could be making would likely cover a single day of hospitalization, if that. People on SSI usually receive some form of health care assistance that can be used for treatment, though whether it's adequate is pretty debatable (in some situations, at least. In others, the health insurance is amazing coverage.)

marilynx

Ok, OP - I looked at your profile. You're 23. You are a child. You need to grow up. I don't care if suddenly you've changed your mind. That doesn't happen. Come back in 10 years.

Also, I never claimed to be "sympathetic." You just need to walk in someone else's shoes before you can make judgements. And yes, I do wish horrible diseases upon people like you. It's called karma.

ROFLMBO!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I seriously laughed man. I seriously made you mad enough to wish diseases on me because I asked a question? Awwwwwww MAN!. Since it's impossible to change your mind when people present facts, no wonder the US is so behind when it comes to public policy. Don't worry, nothing you say anymore is worth taking seriously. You're the type that I was talking about; too hardheaded to accept when they're wrong. Do all of us a favor and stay out of public policy. In fact, stay out of the voting booths. People like you would ascertain that because inner city kids dot read much that they don't need libraries in their area..... Because you know, even though this has been unproven, it takes a minimum of ten years for a concept to truly sink it.

Roflmao @ YOU!

@ Philo

I get that, but that doesn't mean that I have to sit there and take disrespect. I won't. If you can dish if, you need to be ready to take it back, especially when it comes to me. I am very humble when someone tells me in a respectful manner that I've offended them, but if you're gonna continuously bite my head off after I've apologized, then I'm less inclined to curtail my sarcasm. And I fail to see what I don't have a clue about? What, you think because I won't take disrespect that I don't have a clue? What kind of sense does that make?

FlaxMilk

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?

The healthcare irritates me too. I'd actually argue that Medicare needs to improve their reimbursement for psychiatry though. Many won't or can't accept it (even nonprofits) because of the low reimbursement rate. The psychiatrists are unlikely to be keeping SSI patients on a revolving door for the fee. Unfortunately, there just is no cure.

FlaxMilk

Finally read through the thread, and I appreciate OP keeping an open mind. You're right that people with depression shouldn't be given up on, but SSI doesn't do that. People still retain free will to get treatment; it's not an either/or situation. The problem isn't the living expenses assistance, but a more complex and too individualized answer than can be given here.

marilynx

Aaaaaaannnd, I'm gonna take me exit before I get in trouble. I'm starting to sound mean, and it doesn't need to go that far.
To everyone who shared and helped me to understand, thanks. I'm more understanding now. But before this thread gets anymore hostile I'm gonna take my exit. If this were a topic on inner city children, breastfeeding or education, I'd be more inclined to stay. I got what I needed from the thread. I've got nothing else to prove cause I've been disproven. Later.

DavPul

Aaaaaaannnd, I'm gonna take me exit before I get in trouble. I'm starting to sound mean, and it doesn't need to go that far.
To everyone who shared and helped me to understand, thanks. I'm more understanding now. But before this thread gets anymore hostile I'm gonna take my exit. If this were a topic on inner city children, breastfeeding or education, I'd be more inclined to stay. I got what I needed from the thread. I've got nothing else to prove cause I've been disproven. Later.

Heh

__Di__

Actually, I can say that you've never been clinically depressed. If you had, then you wouldn't have started this thread in the first place. I actually hope you do suffer from clinical depression one day because you clearly deserve it (and I would never wish that on my worst enemy).

Whoa that is out of order, I cannot believe that anybody would wish an illness, physical or mental on another person, seriously. I urge you to think very carefully about what you are saying there!!