Questions about SSDI forms

Pasara, I wish I knew more about the process of filing for disability, but I don't. I just know that it's a very long process and they do everything they can to deny your application. Most people have to appeal 2 or 3 times, but if you persist and don't give up, you have a decent chance of getting it. If you don't get too many answers on this forum, my suggestion would be to post your questions on the fibro forum since the two illnesses have similarities and I know that some people there have applied for or gotten disability. I wish I could be of more help.

Dear Anne,

I'm glad everything worked out for you and SSDI. You are one of the fortunate ones!

I did check out the site you listed, and unfortunately it does look like it breaks forum rules regarding advertising sites. Please see #4 in Forum Rules (link to the right. ) If you would like the site administrator to review and allow the website you are suggesting, please click on the link there that submits it for consideration in our Resource Directory.

I'm sure you posted in good will and appreciate it. Hope you continue to post you questions and experiences with CFS.

I have crohns, and I'm currently on state disability, and I have my first appt. at ssa on wed. mar. 3rd I have old dr report for when I first had my 3 surgeries, my other surgery was in canada in 1989, that hosp. isnow been leveled due to asbestos, so that might delay my acceptance, but Iam bring all my gi report from 2006 when I started having issues again, my local dr and my gi dr i didin't get for I figure ssa will obtain those Iam bringing with me everything I could get, the main thing I was told is that all your dr's have to be on the same page as you by saying you cannot work, Iam 59 and have crohns for 40 yr's i started working as a dealer at a casino in 2005 and I started going downhill after 6 months of working in that business by  2007 i was really having major issue by 2010 I could not work with due to diarreha and severe gas cramping, so I called in sick so much they let me go, so i went on state disability and immediatly filed for ssdi, so now I heard the older you with my disease the easier it is to gt approved for they feel if you have been sick for 12 months and will continue to be sick and they can't place you in another job, they will usually deny the first tome but I have a law firm that will handle my appeals if I need to. also you need to go to your dr's at all times. Iam on imuran and prednisone and pain meds when needed

I just visited very good freind of my wife's they're older than we are he is 72 she is 75 both have gooten ssdi, him for cronic pain, her for lupus. she went over the 6 page form you get from ssdi and she said you have to be very descriptive in your answers. all the questions they ask on that form has 2-3 lines you can't describe your illness and how it effects your life in 2-3 lines so my form that i'm filling out says are you being treated yes or no. well of course yes but it takes 3 pages to expalin. so my point is the form you receive sets you up to be denied, i have taken 2 days to write about why I can't work, what my work day was like, what a good day is like what a normal day is like what a bad day and so forth. my form is 20 pages, between type of med's and the side effects form those drugs. our freind use to work for medicaid and she did alot of these forms

I just had my ADJ SSDI court hearing on Tuesday and now I'm freaking out. My illnesses are flaring up (sores in mouth, deep depression, no appetite, nausea, light-headeness, dizzy spells, and sore joints all over body). I am in much worse physical/mental shape than I was during the hearing! I wanted to get the point across to her that my illness gets inflamed with stress(physical or mental) and a job is a major cause of stress! I feel that my crying throughout the hearing might hurt my case. I claimed bipolar, anxiety, auto immune disorder, back pain, and acromegaly. I'm only 31 but all my records are from the veterans hospital and I had a RFC form from my psychiatrist saying that I "could easily miss 1/4 to 1/3 of shifts assigned. I didn't have a lawyer and now regret it. I feel so alone in this whole process. I'm scared that since i have had drug problems in the past and I did well last semester in school that I will be denied. I had bad depression this semester and failed one class, got a C in another, and an incomplete in the third. My psychiatrist said that this is because of my illness. I take 1mg Xanax 3 x a day, 5 milligram Vicodin 4 x a day, and 600mg gabapentin 3 x a day- the drowsiness alone should be enough to get me approved, but I don't know.

Pasara - I am a disability lawyer w/fibro/CFS. I am seeing so many questions (not surpisingly) re SSI/DIB, so I'm trying to help where I can.

1 - as for the forms, I would call your attorney's office first and they should be able to assist you with that.
2- sometimes you have to pay the drs for the forms, sometimes they do it for free, sometimes they require you to schedule an appt and charge you that way. Just depends. They are usually worth their weight in gold.
3-other ideas for 3rd party forms may be former coworkers, friends, neighbors? Again, check with your attorney for more ideas.

Good luck!

I was approved for SSDI the first time without the aid of an attorney. I think the key to approval is submitting all the evidence you possibly can at the initial interview at your local social security offfice. Be honest, if you have lost a job because of CFS, memory problems, inability to concentrate, etc. put it on paper. Another thing is to go to all of doctors you have seen and ask for copies of your complete medical record including Xray reports and lab work. Be sure to talk to your doctor and let him know that your are applying for SSDI, so that if Social Security contacts him he is aware and more likely to get the forms filled out. I had copies of my medical records going back to when I was discharged from the Navy (where it was originally diagnosed in 1993) My daughter wrote a letter about how I had changed over a period of years. I also wrote a letter about how I had changed over the years, including the fact that I had was unable to do simple tasks like cleaning, and other activities of daily living. Also included that if I did anything as simple as going to the grocery store, how it might knock me out for a couple of days. I gave social security everything I had in a binder sectioned off according to medical records, lab work, xrays, statements from doctors. The Social Security office sent me to clinic for a physical to support my claim. The entire claim process took about 3 or 4 months. I wish the VA would be as fast with their claims, I first applied for benefits in 2005 and to date I have been denied 4 times. Doesn't make any sense to me if one government agency has declared me as disabled, why another federal agency can't do the same. To me it is a no brainer.... Good Luck everyone, feel free to ask questions.

bchcrab95, I tried to send you an email and your profile showed it was unavailable. If you will send me your email, I might be able to get some links for you to help with your service-related disability. My cousin is going through the process right now and he has a fantastic contact person helping him. He has posted a few links on his FB account and I can just copy and paste them to you in the return email.

HTH.

I'm usually over at the Fibromyalgia forum.