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Thinking Of Filing For Disability For Cptsd

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GhostedGirl

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I've had a diagnosis from a doctor for many years... but I've never really considered disability as an option. But after reading the SSA guidelines, I seem to meet all the criteria (which feels pretty awful, really)

I can't drive a car, I can't go out at night, I avoid public transportation because I'm afraid of men. When I'm at work I'm extremely paranoid about my boss and male co-workers, I'm consumed by the fears that I'm terrible at my job and I'll be fired soon. I end up taking "sick days" because I need more breaks, which makes me feel like a total failure.

All of this anxiety is exhausting and I have spells of extreme fatigue where I sleep for hours during the day. My memory is shot and I'm always messing things up. Sometimes I just feel like I'm really not cut out for this world.

But I always thought PTSD disability claims were for veterans. I'm afraid my claim would get laughed out of court, just another loser trying to leech off the system.

Would I have a chance? Would it be expensive? Would I lose custody of my daughter? Ugh, so many questions. :(
 
@GhostedGirl To answer your questions....yes you can be granted SSDI if you meet the medical criterion for the Listings under Mental Health. This is dependent upon your medical records. You can also be granted under the medical vocational provision which means your illness prevents you from working at a job that takes into account your education and training. Most of the time, if the medical listing doesn't rise to the full criteria, the vocational requirement is sufficient.

Is it expensive? No. You apply from your local Social Security Office and file out the forms listing your treatment, how it affects your daily living, and previous work. You don't need an attorney at this stage. Social Security will send that to your local State Determination office who will send you to an exam, generally with a Psychologist that contracts with the State. You will either be denied or granted.

If denied, the next step is the appeal. This step is normal. At this point, get an attorney certified by Social Security to handle SSDI claims. They will not ask for money upfront. If they lose, they don't get paid. If they win the appeal, they get 25% of your back pay award or $6,000 whichever is less. This part may take a long time depending on your State's backlog.

Will you lose custody of your daughter? No. SSDI is simply getting your Social Security early from working because you can't work due to illness or disability. When you turn 66 or 67 or whenever your normal age occurs, the payment remains the same, it's just now called Social Security. I didn't ask your age but SSDI is also dependent if you have enough work credits. If your income is to low, they will also check if your eligible for SSI.

This is a quick overview. My sufferer received a fully favorable decision on appeal. It took 4 years. If you have more questions, I'll answer what I know from our experience.

Take care.
 
PTSD is not a veteran illness, it affects people regardless of their occupation. Veterans can file claims with the VA if their PTSD is service connected. They can also file for SSDI if they cannot work due to their illness.

You are not a loser and you're not leeching off the system. You have an illness and if it rises to the level that keeps you from working, then you deserve the benefit. No one will laugh at you. The system is not adversarial.

Here is a thread I contributed to that may answer more of your questions Need Help In What To Expect In Disability Court
 
@GhostedGirl To answer your questions....yes you can be granted SSDI if you meet t...
This is great information, thank you.

I'm currently 31 and very low income. I don't think I've ever made over 20k in a year in my whole life. I've had some college, but I never finished due to my panic attacks. Does that mean my assistance would be quite low? I don't need to lead a fancy life, I just need to cover my bills ever month.
 
@GhostedGirl To be eligible for SSDI you need work credits. Simply put, you needed to have worked a minimum number of years based on your age to be eligible. I'm not positive and the statutes may have changed but in your case you would have had to work at least 5 years. Might be less if you're on the cutoff because the age is in brackets. No worries, social Security will tell you that right away. The income doesn't matter.

SSI is not income based for the purpose of SSDI. Applying for SSDI by definition means your illness prevents you from working. SSI is based on your assets....how much you have in the bank. If you are unemployed and don't have any cash, there is a cutoff....couple thousand dollars if I remember right, then you would also qualify for SSI. They will ask you if you want to apply automatically when you apply for SSDI.

Your assistance is based on a formula. You can request your Social Security record, it's a 2 page sheet that will tell you what you would get if disabled. You can do that today.

Bottom line is that if you have medical records documenting your illness and your illness prevents you from doing any work that you are trained or educated to do....then I would apply immediately. The clock starts and the backpay award begins the day Social Security receives your completed request online.

My sufferer did not receive SSI because we are married and I have assets
 
I actually had to double-check the original post to see if I had written it myself. Wow! That's never happened to me on this forum!

I feel the same way. I am able to work, but I am sick 90% of the time. We're talking headache, dizzy, nausea, fatigue, can barely get through the day and walk to my car sick, often with a fever.

My doctor says my job (teacher) is not a good fit for my diagnoses, which I think I have at least three: chronic PTSD, common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) and Lupus. On top of that, I was also born with scoleosis, missing essential bones and connections in my spine.

The way I see it, I have four disabilities, but for some reason, I press on. I got my Master's degree without any counseling or meds, just "normal" emotional and financial help or support from my spouse at home. Nothing out of the normal there. I am just lucky I have a good husband, I guess.

But after I got my first job, I have increasingly had more issues with all my health problems, more allergies to foods, etc. I lost 35 pounds without trying due to un-diagnosed wheat allergy, which took years for me to discover. I had unhelpful doctors in my old town.

I also worry that I will continue to grow more ill and actually take more years off my lifespan if I continue working full time when I spend so much time ill and working through it.

I also do not know what to do to help my family financially.
 
I actually had to double-check the original post to see if I had written it myself. Wow! That's never happe...

I'm so sorry you've had to deal with all that! Yes, we seem to be in similar boats. I've pressed on for years, jumping from job to job- hoping that the next one will be low stress enough or a "good fit". But sometimes the anxiety comes from just knowing I have to leave the house. I'm constantly paranoid about my boss and feel very uneasy in the workplace. I've tried really hard to make it so I can work from home, but I've never been able to make enough money to support myself.

I've spent the last 24 hours deeply depersonalized and all I can think is, "Thank God it's the weekend!" <:(
 
GG, you said "But I always thought PTSD disability claims were for veterans. I'm afraid my claim would get laughed out of court, just another loser trying to leech off the system". That is why you want your doctor and lawyer to help. And other than the court, no one needs to know ANYTHING about your issues. It's none of their business.
 
I wish I had answers for you, and for myself. I go through a process of questioning also. I asked my Dr. today if I should be working from home online. It was his idea in the past. But on further examination, he felt today that I would be too isolated. If I am able to handle it, he feels that I am getting more out of daily social interaction.

When I look at my life, I am grateful for having a job, and for graduating from college twice without accommodations for my PTSD, even though it was so hard and I nearly gave up and I dropped out several times. I made it, and I needed help, but not a lot of help.

I think there is a joy in being able to work, to help others in my work once in a long while, and to help my family. I may never reach any American Dream levels of success, but I'm a hard worker and I try very hard to do my best. This has helped me to heal my PTSD as much as I have in that at least I know who I am, what I can do, and that the people who hurt me could not take that away from me.

I'm always going to have PTSD and the resulting health issues to contend with the rest of my life, and my life is never going to feel like a normal or healthy one like one who had a better start in life. But I do think with work, anyone can be able to do something with the hand that was dealt. It may not last for a long time, but I want to savor what I did accomplish, even if it's no big deal.

Anthony tried working and needed to work from home and created this forum, which helps so many people. I think we all have something good to offer the world. Don't forget to find your good.
 
I've had a diagnosis from a doctor for many years... but I've never really considered disability as...
Would you have a possibility of working for yourself, having an independent career? I will always strive for that, the workplaces out there are hell, full of abusive people.

There are days when I just don't even want to look or talk to people because they are simply horrible people. They attempt to give examples: well there are tons of other people that act like that too, so you better get used to it.

WRONG: instead of such people getting their own shit together they show others with the exact same problems that also don't want to fix their problems and make others suffer for it.

Crappy people just have one excuse after the other and it makes me more and more ill every single day......

It sounds like you have a case to go on disability, worth a try for you....
 
Would you have a possibility of working for yourself, having an independent career? I will alway...

I actually do work fo myself in a small way. I have a YouTube channel that gets me a small amount of money each month. And I'm an artist, so every so often someone will send me a request to have something designed. I've tried in the past to work from home, but I've never been able to make enough money for cover my bills. In a good month, I may make $500.

Self-employment can also be very stressful in it's own right. I don't have to be around people, but it also means that money every month is sporadic. But I still prefer it to working for someone else.
 
UPDATE:

I spoke with an attorney, she told me I may have a case. But that I really need to get a medical doctor on board who will say I can't work. I'm meeting with a new doctor next week.

Last week I ended up in the ER for the first time in my life, I had some sort of horrible back seizing thing happen. They think it's caused by stress. They advised me to see a Dr. sooner, so I made an appointment with a Nurse Practioner. The whole visit was awful. She said she didn't know what was wrong with me physical in a way that sounded like she thought I made it up or was exaggerating. Basically, because she couldn't find anything PHYSICALLY wrong with me, that meant that it was "all in my head" and therefore not important.

I explained my horrible financial situation, and how it was making me panic and fatigue easily. She basically just pitied me for a while (which was awful.) Then she sent in a mental health coordinator WHO. WAS. WRETCHED.

I seriously can't believe this woman works in mental health. I explained that I'm about to lose my house and get me utilities shut off, that I'm failing at work and could lose my job, that I'm scared of being homeless because I don't have parents.

She told me that I was framing the situation negatively and that I should try to focus on positive things.

OH MY GOD. Positive things? Sure, focus on the positive when I have $30 in the bank and about $400 in bills coming due. Great strategy.

Not only this, she told me there were no services that could help me, and that disability would probably never work for me. That I'll probably end up losing my house anyway.

Jesus, I hate this hospital. It's the only one that my crummy insurance will cover, but I think they see a lot of homeless people and junkies. So the moment they hear you're having mental problems they just sweep you under the rug.

What a mess. I hate it here. I have a desperate feeling that I want to go home, and I can't. Because I don't have anywhere else to go.
 
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