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Has anyone ever filed for disability for anxiety or depression?

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Posted 12/30/2013 3:27 PM (GMT 0)
Recovery,

I'd think that as a moderator of this forum, you'd understand that mental illness varies in its severity from person to person. Your "give me a break" comment is so disrespectful.

I'm on this thread because my doctors - from my nurse practitioner to my psychologist and the psychiatrist where I was hospitalized for depression - have all encouraged me to quit working and seek disability.

That brings me back to my original question for everyone.

I absolutely cannot afford to quit working for months, years, etc. to wait for disability. I don't have anyone else to depend on - right now, I'm helping financially support the people others would normally depend on. I get up and drag myself to work every day. If not for the fact that I've been with the company for so long, I'm sure I'd be fired. I run late, I fall asleep at my desk, I lock myself in the bathroom to cry, I forget things and mess things up, I have difficulty maintaining a professional appearance. I'm to the point that there are rumors among clients that I'm dying or something. I don't know what to do. I mean, if you're working, you can't apply for disability can you?
Posted 12/30/2013 6:08 PM (GMT 0)
Hi BeRock

One of the most important things that you can do in order to be able to apply for disability is to seek treatment. It seems by the way it's going for you that you might eventually be laid off or stop working. If you are not feeling well, seek mental health professional help so someone who is qualified can see you, make a diagnosis, provide treatment. When you apply for disability they ask for your medical records to make a decision. If you don't have medical records, it's difficult to get disability, unless they schedule you for a consultative exam and the person determines you are disabled, however, it is better for you to have a history of medical treatment because the definition of disability is someone who is not capable of gainful employment for a year or more. I hope you seek treatment so you can get to feel better, heal.

Nick
Posted 12/30/2013 6:17 PM (GMT 0)
After you see a doctor and establish that you cannot work, go to the Department of Social Services and see if you can get some help. If your doctor says you can't work, they should help you.

But as Nick has stated, you need to establish that you aren't able to work. And you could benefit from some counseling or therapy, they will also help you to get the disability.

I wish you the best.

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 12/30/2013 8:43 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you guys for your responses. :)

I've been in treatment since last May. I'm on a combination of three medications, go to counseling on a weekly or bi-weekly basis as finances allow and spent nine days in inpatient treatment for stabilization after letting myself fall into a pretty dark place. I went somewhat voluntarily, but not really. My doctor gave me a certain amount of time to check myself in before sending the police to my house. I've been on a 12 week medical leave for depression earlier in the year (hospitalization came during that time).

My official diagnosis that everyone agrees on is severe chronic major depressive disorder. I have a few symptoms not explained by that diagnosis, which some of the people I've seen have called psychosis and others believe is schizoaffective disorder. Basically, I have some auditory and visual hallucinations but not on a daily basis.

Some days, I wish I could just go back to the hospital to live. Days like today. Or at least go back for stabilization again, but I still owe another $1,600 for the last time. I just want to hide in my house and never leave again, but if I did that, the bank would be taking my house.
Posted 12/30/2013 9:46 PM (GMT 0)
Hi BeRock

I'm glad you are receiving treatment and hanging in there! I hope you can get better! Most people that are receiving disability have waited months or years without working in order to receive benefits. They lose most everything they have and incur in a lot of debt, unless they can live with a spouse, relative or friend that helps them financially. In the end, disability payments are much less than what you receive when you are working, right around or below the poverty threshold. It is something to consider, it is a very stressing, grueling process financially and emotionally, however, if you are disabled and can not improve with therapy and medications, it's the choice you have. I wish you the very best!
Posted 12/30/2013 10:01 PM (GMT 0)
I guess I can share my disability story. I've got lots of medical conditions, some of which are anxiety, depression, and PTSD. I started my process of getting disability after my dr said that with my joints as they are (the joints of a 70 year old) that I was risking losing my mobility. I'm youngish, 30 now. I began the process with very supportive drs. It took me 6 months to be approved, and I saw a dr of their choosing for my depression, anxiety, and PTSD. I only qualify for SSI. I'm one credit short. My husband made too much money for us to draw funds.

Now jump to this past November when my husband and I separated. To get my payments I had to update all of their information. Then they said that I had to be without income for 2 months before getting any payments. I have gotten my first payment (early because of the holidays) it was for 463 dollars. Now this is for me and 2 kids. I get a max of 710 dollars a month. That's it. Disability is not going to make things easier. It's hard to live off this amount. I'm completely stressed out just trying to balance necessities. I'm just saying this because I feel like you need to know the reality of disability.
Posted 12/30/2013 11:20 PM (GMT 0)
It may not be much to live on but it is stable, and sometimes you can work while on it. Though you have to report your earnings. I think... Anyway...

Sometimes it takes people up to two years to get it. But in your case, it might go faster. Especially if your doctors are behind you.

Try not to worry, take this as it comes and listen to your doctors. Some people get an attorney. They take a percentage of your lump sum.

I wish you the best.

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 12/31/2013 4:47 AM (GMT 0)
I appreciate y'all sharing your thoughts with me. I can't imagine losing everything I've worked for - honestly, I don't want to lose my job, I have a pretty decent job and worked my boohiney off to get it. I just can't imagine how I can sustain it. I can't imagine going years without an income, either. Honestly, I can't imagine anything that makes the future look more bearable.

I'm so sorry for those who've gone through so much with your disabilities. :(
Posted 7/9/2016 2:35 PM (GMT 0)
I wanted to start application for depression. I have cryung spells its hard to care for daughter with adhd when she acys out it stresses me out. I am a single paeent caring for her alone trying to work and attend school its hard.
Posted 7/9/2016 3:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Nehi31,

Welcome to the depression forum. This is a very old thread, you may want to start a new one for yourself.

If you want to, click on "new topic", put in a subject line and go from there.

Do you take medication for depression? Are you seeing a psychiatrist or a therapist? You will need to when filing for SSD or SSI. The more evidence you have the better. The more doctors the better. Do you have your daughter on medication for adhd? I know it must be difficult and I wish you the best.

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 7/9/2016 6:03 PM (GMT 0)
I did file and was eventually successful. I case will not apply to how it would be today, so I will only share the bullet points so to speak.

My filing was with a Privately owned Disability Policy I had purchased when I was 20 years old, and added coverage amounts as my income increased. From the advice of both a disability attorney and my Dr. I didn't file for Social Security Disability. Was told back then the claim would never be accepted.

This was way back in the dark ages. 1993 - 1996. I indicated that 3 year period because that is how long it took me for approval. The only details I need to give is the boxes of all the correspondence between myself, various departments of the insurance company, attorneys, Department of Commerce and Insurance in both Tennessee (my home state) and in Wisconsin (headquarters of the insurance company), those papers stacked in one single stack would be about 4 ft. tall.

So, enough said about how difficult it was back then.

Fast Forward to the Present. Obviously the knowledge of society in general, and the insurance and medical professions about depression is far more advanced. And get this!!! My insurance company has hired a group of attorneys that specializes in Social Security Disability claims in cases like mine. Of course there is some benefit to the insurance company here. Anyway these folks have been quite successful in getting social security approval in cases like mine and even retro-active disability payments.

I will not go into specific monetary amounts, but 25 years of retro pay will be an extremely nice chunk of change. Soooo...naturally I'm hoping those guys get everything they are working to get. And Yep, naturally it's to their financial interest to get as much as they can for me. More $$$ for them.
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