Ssi?

[MissKat]

Has anyone else struggled tremendously trying to get SSI benefits?

My neuopsychologist and I both agreed its something I need right now and working is not the best idea atm (not only because of PTSD, but due to numerous other mental health and physical health related reasons). I have been fighting for my rights to SSI for over a year now and have been denied and am now in the appeal process and waiting to hear about when my day in court is. I called once to check the status and get yelled at by the guy on the phone....everyone in my family is telling me to just give up and that I need a job, even my own boyfriend is starting to do this and I feel like shit about it. Just the thought of trying to go back to work makes me anxious and start crying, I haven't ever been able to hold down a job for a variety of reasons, and it's not that I'm being lazy or anything its just that I know I mentally and physically cannot handle that right now, I'm sick and tired of all these people who claim to "support me" knocking me down and unwilling to look at it from my perspective, they think that I'm not "disabled enough" or that I'm just being lazy and it's so frustrating to go at this alone. I'm not giving up until I have SSI benefits. Has anyone else ever delt with these issues or have any advice on how to fix it?

 

[Eagle3]

I'm going through it myself right now. Its really tough, you're right. Like you I have never had good luck with employment, but I still keep trying. Except I'm now at a place where my options are severely limited, and finding work I can actually do is becoming more and more of a challenge. I've applied for SSI while still trying to find work, knowing that I will be denied the first time and will have to appeal. Already have the phone number for free legal aid when that time comes...

<hugs> You aren't alone in this fight, but keep trying...

 

[Crow]

My ex succeeded getting SSI for mental conditions but it took hiring a lawyer on the second appeal. Wished we would have done it on the first appeal as my mental health would be better now.

 

[jc3]

I hope you find the help you need soon. I understand an inability to maintain employment. I tried for years for dozens of employers. After reading a few select books, along with a bunch of introspective work, I began to realize that, like you said, there have been very definitive symptoms of my condition (which is CPTSD) that have made it practically impossible for me to keep a lot of jobs. For one, an immense, deep seeded fear of making mistakes has ALWAYS put me into a position of literally running away in sheer terror. If I even perceived the potential for a mistake then I never stuck around for long. My parents abandoned me in their own ways whenever I made a mistake which developed this flashback response in the hemisphere of my brain that has been permanently stored until I sought cognitive behavioral therapy, traumatic incident reduction and EMDR. The help is out there for you and I hope that you get what you need very soon. Sharing your story here can be helpful. Good luck and God bless.

 

[Justmehere]

Almost all mental health cases are denied at first, and it typically takes 18-24 months to get that first denial - even if they are approved later on. The system is that slow, so try not to get too discouraged about that. Almost all approved mental health disability cases were approved after an appeal hearing.

Do you have an attorney? If not, you should absolutely get one for the appeal. By law, they can not charge you -- they are paid out of backpay directly by the social security of and only if you win. It is very much worth it to get one.

I absolutely would not recommend even trying to go through an appeal without one. Frankly, if someone is able to fully handle the complex and very stressful appeals hearing process, that fact could be used as evidence to deny the appeal.

If/when you look for an attorney, be sure to talk with at least 3 and choose the one you are most comfortable with.

 

[MissKat]

I have callled 10 different attourneys, and only about 5 replied back. unfortunatley, all 5 denied helping me. I'm going to keep looking though.

 

[Justmehere]

That stinks. :( Did they give a reason why they were declining your case?

 

[MissKat]

Most just didnt take pro bono cases or my case didnt meet their normal criteria (which I can understand, but it can be frustrating).

 

[anonymous]

Why stay around people who do not support you? I think this may be a sign that the boyfriend should never be anything more serious (i.e. fiancé or husband), and even better, should be shown the door. He doesn't sound like a "for better or worse" kind of guy, and it's important for those with PTSD to surround themselves with supportive people.

 

[MissKat]

My boyfriend has actually been one of my biggest supporters when it comes to PTSD and mental illness in general, I think its that he's just as frustrated as I am and just doesn't want to see me be more upset by the SSI circumstances, if that makes sense? While he may not fully understand everything he does try to offer emotional support. Idk if we will ever make it to fiance or even married status since both of us are still working on ourselves as people, but I if he was to show more more serious signs of not being supportive or not caring, I'd show him the door.

 

[lymphomamama]

I'm struggling with disability right now. Made an error, got lawyer recommended by T but has been less than useless. Have formally contacted to sever agreement. Has never once returned calls and recently found out Disability has never even been contacted by them! Lesson learned. Undaunted though and continuing on.