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Using mood disorders and other ailments to obtain Social Security Disability
#1
Hey everybody,

With 70 billion dollars of cuts aimed right at Social Security Disability recipients, and those wishing to be recipients, one cannot be too careful. I would like to give the employees at the Social Security Administration the benefit of the doubt, but when someone tells you that your department has to come up with 70 billion dollars in savings over 10 years... it is easy to adopt an "us or them" mentality. Their well-paying government jobs may be on the line unless they can sufficiently trim the disability rolls. Well, those of us with mood disorders and physical illness can adopt an "us or them" mentality, too. Gotta fight fire with fire sometimes. (See last paragraph)

For those thinking of applying for SSD or SSI, please run it by an attorney who specializes only in Social Security disability. If he agrees that you have a case, retain him before moving forward. He will have experience in these matters, which means he would not be wasting his time unless he thought that you had a winning case. He also has connections to doctors who are sympathetic to the cause. He will send you to them and they will find things wrong with you that you never knew existed, as well as reinforcing and confirming the fact that you are too sick to work.

For those already receiving Social Security disability benefits, beware, because they are potentially coming for everybody. Save all your documentation. Visit the doctor even more than necessary. Put away your pride while at the visit and tell him or her everything. Even if you weren't awarded your disability on the grounds of mental illness, start seeing a therapist. Again, have no foolish pride while seeing them. I saw clients for nearly 30 years and such a high percentage of those clients tried to put on a good face while I was counseling them. Don't do it. Let your counselor know just how bad that you are feeling. The combination of physical and mental illness is often a winner at review (CDR) time.

If your case is legitimate, but needs a little boost, considering developing symptoms for illnesses and disorders that are hard to disprove. Back trouble, costochondritis, insomnia, migraines, panic disorder, depressive disorder, agoraphobia, PSTD, trigeminal neuralgia, gastroparesis, to name a few. I am absolutely not suggesting that anyone file a claim for disability who is not truly disabled. I am just saying that I know for a fact that a good percentage of legitimate cases are turned down, so I would not be above suddenly developing a disorder or two that is very hard to disprove. Enough said. Anyone care to add a few ailments to the list or comment on your own (or someone you know) experiences with SSD?  Thanks, everyone.
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#2
You could apply all that to countries like the UK where they are treating people on SS the same,it is getting brutal, lot of people genuinely in bad states of health getting their money stopped,there has been a huge hike in people taking their own lifes due to the bad treatment at the hands of social security and the drs that carry out medical tests for them.
Good luck to anyone having to deal with these lot.
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#3
(04-12-2018, 12:18 PM)G.Elias Wrote: You could apply all that to countries like the UK where they are treating people on SS the same,it is getting brutal, lot of people genuinely in bad states of health getting their money stopped,there has been a huge hike in people taking their own lifes due to the bad treatment at the hands of social security and the drs that carry out medical tests for them.
Good luck to anyone having to deal with these lot.

Thanks, Elias. What you say is so true and it's absolutely criminal. It's outright murder in many cases. I have many friends and relatives who live abroad and they tell me one horror story after another. Most of the SSA docs are no better than hitmen. A disgrace to their profession. A "exam" usually takes under 2 minutes and it's a "touch your toes for me" thing. I know of many stories like this first hand. Like you say, it is getting brutal.  Rafter

(04-12-2018, 01:05 PM)FirePlaces Wrote: Hi Elias, hope you are doing ok.

Rafterman, 70 billion $ cut in savings (cuts?) in 10 years for SSDI.  OMG, I had no idea.  

I just have some random thoughts so please skip dear reader if you are looking for real info.

I worked for 18 years then after my neck fusion, worked a bit more, then moved, then quit working for good.  My limitations (sitting, lifting, using my arms too much, stuff like that) kept me from looking for work.  Then I had DD and I had a reason to stay home.  So that's my backstory.

I decided along time ago to NOT apply for SSDI.  Mostly because I have always read at various boards how difficult the process can be.  I just could not put myself through that.  Primarily because one of my major pain mgt techniques is denial.  When you live with chronic pain, denial is your friend.  Also, I am luckier than most in that if I restrict what I do (to practically nothing) I don't hurt as long as I take my pks.  Restrictions suck btw.

Anyway, I would like to believe that I chose to never apply for SSDI as I did not need the money as much as so many others.  DH makes a good salary and our marriage of over 30 years is solid (or so I believe).  

Not really sure which it is -- fear of the process or lack of true financial need.  Probably a bit of both.

Thanks Rafterman for another great thread.  Some good advice for our board members.

Thanks a lot, Fire. Very nice to see you. I can totally understand why you wouldn't want to get involved in the SSD process. It's degrading and it shouldn't have to be. The SSA has all but absolute power. They can only be sued in federal court and only after an applicant fails at the first application, the reconsideration, the appeal. and in front of the administrative law judge. Not only has it been 3 years by that point, but they are likely to lose at the federal level. To make matters worse, some local offices are drunk with power and go rogue. They start indicting whomever they want, without any just cause. And the national SSA has no power over the local SSA when it comes to the application process or the review process. It's a recipe for disaster and it is a disaster. Makes me kind of glad that I am approaching 60 and will approaching regular SS retirement soon enough.  Thanks again, Fire.  RF
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#4
I have been encouraged to apply for SSD in the past for my CLL and glad I haven't. I was able to work during treatments with minimal time off except for my last treatment (6 months). I always had an FMLA on file every year. I too am within a couple of years to get regular SS at age 62. Waiting any longer would be just plain stupid for me. Hoping all that really need it get favorable decisions.
MoJim
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#5
(04-15-2018, 05:27 PM)MoJim Wrote: I have been encouraged to apply for SSD in the past for my CLL and glad I haven't. I was able to work during treatments with minimal time off except for my last treatment (6 months). I always had an FMLA on file every year. I too am within a couple of years to get regular SS at age 62. Waiting any longer would be just plain stupid for me. Hoping all that really need it get favorable decisions.
MoJim

Thanks, MoJim.  So sorry to hear about your CLL! I hope that you are coping with it okay and that it is of the slower growing variety. Anytime you want to talk about it, send me a PM. I also suffer from a life-threatening illness and sometimes it helps to discuss it. I just wanted to say that some people who are approaching age 62 still opt to file for SSD because it generally pays more than SS retirement and, in most cases, can be ridden until age 65 and then converted into a conventional SS retirement. That is probably why there is a spike in SSD applications in those between the ages of 55-62. That, and the fact that once a person attains the age of 55, they are considered to be of "advanced age", according the SSA. The standard to get approved is lowed.
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#6
Thanks, Rafterman. CLL can be slow or fast growing. I fall in the middle. When originally DX the prognosis was 6-8 yrs life expectancy. At 8 yrs I would live long enough to see my youngest child reach the age of 18. I accepted that, if all my children were adults when I passed. Thanks to seeing, literally, some of the best CLL specialists in the world and the changing landscape in blood disorder field, we celebrated her 23 birthday a couple of days ago. I see my onc next week and I believe I'll be back in the infusion center by the end of the year. I know my CLL well and can feel all the signs and symptoms when it is progressing.

Though looking into SSD might be worthwhile, I wonder how the process would work since I'm officially retired. I'm sure the Union pension plan would have something to say about the additional income. I had planned on collecting SS at age 62, but riding SSD to 65 is appealing. I think when I'm actually back in treatment it will be a subject worth revisiting.
Thanks Again
MoJim
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#7
(04-19-2018, 03:26 PM)MoJim Wrote: Thanks, Rafterman. CLL can be slow or fast growing. I fall in the middle. When originally DX the prognosis was 6-8 yrs life expectancy. At 8 yrs I would live long enough to see my youngest child reach the age of 18. I accepted that, if all my children were adults when I passed. Thanks to seeing, literally, some of the best CLL specialists in the world and the changing landscape in blood disorder field, we celebrated her 23 birthday a couple of days ago. I see my onc next week and I believe I'll be back in the infusion center by the end of the year. I know my CLL well and can feel all the signs and symptoms when it is progressing.

Though looking into SSD might be worthwhile, I wonder how the process would work since I'm officially retired. I'm sure the Union pension plan would have something to say about the additional income. I had planned on collecting SS at age 62, but riding SSD to 65 is appealing. I think when I'm actually back in treatment it will be a subject worth revisiting.
Thanks Again
MoJim

Wow, God bless you, MoJim. That means that you have already lived 13 years when they gave you an 8 year max. You keep fighting it, my friend. I have a somewhat similar story to yours. I was diagnoses with ALS 2 years ago, but have actually had it for over 5 years. I avoided getting it officially diagnosed cause who in hell wants to know they have that disease for certain? I met a specialist from NJ who hooked me up with IV drips of Interferon-A, Digoxin and Copper. It has slowed the progress to a crawl and I actually think my hands have come back a little bit. I am back to typing. Never give up. This disease is supposed was supposed to kill me by last year. I am nearing 60 and people that old do not fare well at all with it.....On your other point, I had a similar situation with a pension when I applied, and was approved for, SSD. I started feeling sick, retired and took my pension, but didn't have a diagnosis yet. When the SSD kicked in, it did affect my pension amount, but I still came out ahead. Let me tell you about it. Theoretically, I should have still been able to receive 100% of my pension payments and 100% of my SSD payments. I paid into both for my entire career. But the law said that one of them had to have an "offset". I could receive 100% of one, but only 60% of the other (the 60% one was "offset" by 40%). So I get 100% of my SSD, along with 60% of my pension. I was getting 100% of my pension, and 0% of my SSD...so I am pretty happy. Your pension provider may actually welcome you going on SSD because it may save them money. The SSA can be bastards, but there are several conditions that are supposed to gain automatic approval. If you may be interested in moving forward, I would ask a lawyer who only handles SSD cases. He would know what really flies and what doesn't, in the real world of SSD. CLL may open the doors you need opened. I know a phenomenal firm out of Philly that have one of the highest winning percentages in the US. I believe that the can represent someone in any state. If you ever decide you want to explore you options, I will hook you up with them, if you like.  Take care for now.  Rafterman
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