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Avatar universal

someone thats gone to a hearing for social security disability

Hi, thank you for reading my post. I Have what they call fetal alcohol syndrome, my mother had me at at 3.3 alchohol level when i was born and my pschy says Im sonstantly in withdrawl, not only that my grand father lolested me and Ive benn beaten all my life by men. so I have ptsd, I have a hard time keeping ajob, I tend to go off on people , Im very up and down in mood swings, I tell people off very easy, then I can be really sweet. I cant explain why I act the way i do. But my doctor says that my brain is bouncing due to chemical embalance from what I suffered as a infant. So I medicated with drugs and alcohol for 20 years. They denied me when I was using and my attorneys told mde to get sober and if I still cant hold a job down then I need to file again. Since Ive been sober , 6 years Ive only gotton worse, Im not self medicating , so Im real emotional , I cant handle things normally that are just commn everyday human life issues. Ive got severe socialized anxiety, I isolate, and panic disorders. To the point my bocy goes numb. My doctor also says ive gopt something known as schitzo-manifestation from all the things that happened in my life , I live in fear that they are still happening so Im always expecting the worse or making things up in my head therfore I cant retain a relationship, with anyone consistantly healthy. I just had a baby at 38 years of age, and my mom has shared custody , cause I could not handle the "whole responsibility of taking care of her" it was just to much for me.Im on seraquil , zoloft , wellbutrin, and trazadone (insomnia) too! Believe me I try... I try to do my best , I seek help everyday, I pray for me to do and be abetter person. Things got really bad and to much for me , I literally had a nervous breakdown 3 weeks ago and checked myself into a hospital , I was suicidal and very depressed. I have attorneys that dont take cases for free if they dont think they will when. with all these conditions does anyone that has anythong similar, have any good news for me. My hearing is november 3rd. Im so scared, Im counting on that money because I cant hold down a job and I dont know how Im going to raise my daughter. Is it really true that the hearing is when most people get approved? and the attorneys up the auntie? any feedback would help , remember Im scared so please if you dont know lease dont write cause I dont want to get more scared. Im also diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. I think thats what I explained above, one minute I can go off on somene for the tiniest thing and the next be the sweetest person and mostmanneable. Im so ashamed that all this is within me. Atleast I can get aid through ssi and not have to fear where my next meal will com for my daguhter if it doesnt come in or approved , I think i will give her to my mother. She desreves a good life. Tahnk you Sondra
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375688 tn?1348459116
Sandy, Collections may indeed still try to collect but don't worry about it there is nothing they can do to collect from your SSD benifits You said your attorneys took your case for free. Well I don't believe that is exactly what they meant. The law states that attorneys get paid a percentage up to a certain maximum amount based on benefits your due up to the date you get approved. They are not allowed to charge any more and if they fail to get you approved they get nothing so they have a lot of incentive to work to get you approved. They also have a lot of incentive to get your case postponed until their payment percentage is near or at the maximum amount. I suppose its possible for an attorney to charge you nothing even if the win but I find that highly unlikely.

From what you have said I do think you are just getting more anxious because the hearing date is getting closer. I'd trust your attorney knows what he is doing and try not to get all worked up over it. It sounds like you have a very good case and you will get an approval. So try to relax and enjoy being a good mother to you baby.

PS. My disability was granted on my depression not my cancer. In fact I went to work after my first cancer and believe I could have worked after my second had I not become so depressed.

Take care,
Tom
Helpful - 0
585414 tn?1288941302
  Yes I would agree with what your lawyer said given what I have noted from hearings. The judge would need a letter as regards this. If the issue comes up then the lawyer would be able to explain it. Also any time there is a specific legal concern a judge will always ask for proof of it. If things have worsened even temporarily and you went to the hospital it would be essential to have their records. If you cannot obtain them on your own the lawyer could help you. I would think you would have a good chance of recieving a favorable decision but it also should be noted if a person is denied there are further levels of appeal and at each stage the chances of approval increase. As regarding the hearing itself its essential to answer any questions the judge would ask honestly as is required but also explain specifically how what occurs on an everyday basis (the questions a judge asks are very specific] would prevent you from working. You can discuss all this further with your lawyer.
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Avatar universal
Hello there, thank you for reading...Well you seem like the perfect person to get advice from, there saying I also have scitzo-manifestation, borderline personality and socialized anxiety and sever panick disorder. Same stuff Im sure you have dealt with cant concentreate , think things are happening when there not. Depressed then happy , back and forth. Racing mind cant think, cant sit , cant stand myself, just a mess. Im on seraquil, zoloft, ambilify ,clonapin and all in very high doses. Just put myself in hospital 3 weeks ago , because stuff was getting way to hard for me , I couldnt handle anything, I had a nervous breakdown so my psycologist suggested to in and get away from it all. I was actually borderling suicidal. anyway, I have a daughter just had her 11 months ago, new to me , 1st child. My mother takes care of her, about 50/50 she does alot for me because I cant handle alot on my plate at once. And I certainly dont want my daughter turining out like me. So I guess my question is, I got charged with a undesignated felony by going into a hospital to get prescription drugs under a ficticious name because they banned my name from hospital, got caught and as long as I finished probation and did my community service and didnt get into any trouble or violate my probation for 2 years it would go to a misdemeanor. Well, my exhusband dies that same year I got caught , he od'd on morphine and he was only 29 on my couch. That was it, I got sober, this was in 2007. So i have been sober for almost 5 years and ive tried to work , to be exact , 32 jobs in 2 years time frame and i would quit within the first week, due to one or multiple symtoms. It was almost as if after the drugs were out of my system , I was worse with my symtoms, more fear, more anxiety, more of racing mind, etc.....So now I really cant work and have not gotton better, just worse even with medication.....attorneys took my case for free. I got denied the first time and then on the reconsideration , but everyone is telling me that , the hearing is when usually the people that get denied , finally get awarded. My attorneys also tell me they would of not took my case if they didnt hink i would win .... What do you think? They tell me to write a letter about my charge and the debt I owe. Ive been told they cannot touch or deny me my social unless its child support,federal owings and student loans cause that is to federal and the actual debt says from maricpoa county probation. So were dealing with owing the state here.They want the letter so they know if the judge asks about it , they will be prepared to defend it and /or explain i could not pay it off due to the fact Im disabled and they will more than likeley , if it comes up take it out of my back pay. Which is fine with me. So with all that being said what do you think?  Do you think Im worring because ive only got 2 months till my hearing and Im goign to come up with every reason to fear losing .....and its just me.. or do you think it will interfere with getting approved? thank you for your time and advice, I see your page and threads you seem to be a real nice person that likes to help , awesome!!!!! Thank you Sandy
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hey I just read your the one that told me that about child support and federal info. You did state one thing in there that scared me ....I got charged with an undesignated felony , meaning back in 07, the one Im talking about now. Meaning once i complete ,community service and dont get a=in any trouble during the probation period they put me on it would go down to a misdemeanor. Well, guess what I did all that, and I got a letter stating it was let down to a misdemeanor. But I still owe money, I paid 30 dollars a month while I was on probation, then it went to there collections and starting accrewing a 14 percent interest and then all the sudden its over 2000 dollars. so at one point in was an undesgnated felony closer to a misdemeanor than a felony. So what do you think. My lawyers are saying  Iwill still get franted the money but they will take it out of my back pay. Which is totally fine with me. But its Maricopa county state. Not federal? Does that ring a bell, how can they touch money thats owed to a state, when you and a couple of other people have said only if its federal such as a student loan or child support> please write back Thank you Sondra
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
First of all, thank you for reading my post. I see your a two time cancer survivor. I mean truley the lord is with you. Going forward, I dont have any physical issues, you know, anything physically wrong with me. Its all mental so thats probably why you didnt have to go. But of course who am I to say why? Anyway my attorneys are telling me that I have nothing to worry about it. Write them a letter explaing the charge just in case I it comes up... We dont even knwo that but here Ive been waiting 4 years and that scares me so Im pronably making a big ordeal over hopefully nothing. So they say write a letter and they will prepare to defend my defense in reguards to this debt. And said that no judge can denie monies owed, such as feeral disability, only if it is child support or federal debt. But I sitll here this but with my fear disorder Im still scared . As to what you read do you think even without the debt I have a good chance at getting approved . With everything thats wrong with me? Thank you Sondra
Helpful - 0
585414 tn?1288941302
For complete information on Social Security go to the website ssa.gov which is their official website. It also has the criteria for each disability or condition as well as all the listed regulations. You need to call this information.o the attention of your doctor. What your lawyer would be doing is seeing if you meet a listing for any of the criteria but they need to work with your doctor in this regard. I do have some knowledge in this area from the past. If you have any questions you could pm me.
Helpful - 0
375688 tn?1348459116
My attorney handle every thing and I didn't even have be at the hearing. What is your attorney telling you?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Yes, I do seek ongoing therapy... You know thats the kicker question? what could I do as far as any type of job....Heres where the problem lies. I have racing thoughts, I have to pretty much sedate myself for them to stop. Im on alot of medication, therefore , Im tired all the time. Due to my borderline personality disorder, I can again, be the sweetest person, I always mean well, but if something of the smallest goes wrong, I blow up, and I want to just run and hide from the situation. Or my confrontation with others is very scary. Ive been arrested 12 times for disorderly conduct. They all happened when someone did something to me to **** me off and I could not stop myself from getting out of there face, Im not physically violent, Im verbally abusive to people that dont know me and can do the smallest thing and I just blow. I wish I could control it. Although since my daughter, I think of her and Ive gotton alot better for the sake , she needs her mother. And Im trying to be the best role model there is.If im around anyone, ANYONE that I dont know really well, I think there talking about me. I always think Im doing something wrong. Theres where the manifestation comes in, I manifest people talk about me when there not. I get severe panick attacks, where I cant breathe, much less concentrate, and it could be over the thought of missing my daughter that sets them off. My mother again, had me at a 3.3 alcohol level, new research shows that with that much alochol in my system throughout the WHOLE pregnancy, the doctors say Im forever in a "fetal alcohol withdrawl" meaning Im always withdrawling, so my body is always (or mind) , is looking for something to make me feel better. Thats why I did drugs for 20 years .Im on subutex now , its for chronic relapsers, the addicts and alcoholics that just cant keep sober. It tricks my mind and my dopamines into making me fill more stable minded. it acts as a filler, instead of a real drug or real alcohol, subutex is a pill with numerous components that some genious came up with that fills the empty part of the brain that normally the alcohol or drug would. It fills in that area of my brain so I dont go out there and sabatoge my life with drugs or alcohol. They call it a lifer. Im a lifer. I was so heavily addicted to drugs that they do not see my brain functioning contently and staying sober. A chemical imbalance if you will. It cost 300 dollars a month to stay on this drug, which tells you how bad I dont want to go back to drugs. It take one to two pills a day and I dont crave any drugs or alochol. But the subutex makes you severly tired. With all that and what Ive told you about my anxiety and racing thoughts, theres just nothing out there for me to do. I could probably work for a week but something would happen, theres just to much risk involved to committing to a working life. Believe me hon, I would love to work and be a productive citiizen, I mean what am I going to tell my daughter? Its really sad. But the fact is , I need this money monthly to support me and my daughter.  Sorry if I went off the subject, I just dont want you to think of me as a freeloader. I would work if I could, I did try . I went through 32 jobs within 2 years. I just cant concentrate or get along or follow directions for a lengthy period. What do you do, Im guessing a nurse , what kind of nurse? WB
Helpful - 0
480448 tn?1426948538
Siorry I couldn't be of more help with the SSI process, you sure know a lot more about it than I do...LOL!  I hope someone will come along with more info for you, although you sound pretty prepared for the hearing.  I hope it goes in your favor.

Just to play the devil's advocate here...what makes it more hard for you to work?  Physical issues, or interaction with people?  Have you perhaps tried a low-key office job?  Or, to work from home?  It's hard enough to find a job that we mesh well with, but you have so many other challenges to make it worse.  Just trying to see if maybe there was SOMETHING you could try?

I wish you the best...and hope you are seeking out therapy to help you deal with all of the pain you've suffered at the hands of others.  Despite that...I think you're doing pretty well.  
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Avatar universal
thank you, I wasnt expecting to get kudos for what Ive done through my life. I guess Im a little hard I myself, they start telling you to quit blaming other people for the way you are after 25-30 yers of age. So I dont look at it other than it was the cards i was dealt with. Si I appreciate that. GOsh yes, my daughter changed my life, I lookk at her as a mini-me and she WILL NOT , go thru the same **** I did. It just wont happen. I honestly know why my mom is so helpful, not only does she love my daughter , but my pscyh also agrees that she is making up for what she did not do for me. HMmmm makes sense huh? Anyway Just to let you know hon, Ive already been denied 4 years ago when I first ap-plied when I got sober.(well 2 years after) cause everyone was telling me if I get off the drugs, I can hold a job down) so I treied for 2 years)  i went thru 32 jobs, none of them lasted 2 weeks in fact only 2 lasted 2 weeks the rest 1 day, 3 days a week, one lasted 45 minutes lol, I started crying cause i was working at petsmart and couldnt hold myself together to watch the cats caged up. Anyway, I applied got deni9ed, and then got lawyers that specialize in helping people get disability.Then they go thru what u call a reconsideration, and was denied (they say that 87 percent of peole get denied up till the hearing). thats what Ive read and heard. Ive heard that your best chance to win is when you see a judge and he sees you and asks you questions and my attorneys say the are going to call me in oct to start prepping me for the hearing. So if anyone else is reading , did they hear this as well? With all you have read my, my pschy phd. says there is no way in   gods green earth i could hold down a job right now or for see the next year ,me working. Nursegirl6672 you were great, but Im looking for someone that has actually gone through the appeals process to the hearing for mental illness??? ANYBODY OUT THERE? I know peole that have goton it but they say they lied and said they heard voices and all this crazy stuff. My manifestation is real, Im going through a divorce cause all I do is accuse my husband of being a cheater and a drunk and I dont trust him round my daughter. not that he would molest her , like my grandpa did to me, but Im afraid my husband will ruin my daughters life because hes not that healthy. hes a good provider but , I dont like his drinking. and his temper. But I have actually seen phone calls on his phone from other woman and then there not here and of accused him of delting them and then the phone bill will come in and they were never there, so I actually create situation that are not true. Ive drove him crazy, he hasnt cheated well he didnt , he probably does now cause I really put him through hell , blaming him everyday of having an affair. Now he knows more about my condition and wants to work on things, but Im afraid I will never get better , I just dont trust men. after everything men have done to me all my life.Its really truley sad. Because my daughter is the victim. I wont keep her out of his life , I just watn my money so I can buy a house and she can go visit dad whenever she wants too. thats another thing my dad left me and my mom when I was a tender 10 years of age because he was a lazy drunk and didnt want to work and met a rich woman and he left me. He wont have anything to do with me and we were best friends up till that age. God why did all this stuff happen. My daughter has to deal with her mother , now, being post tramatic, and I cant be there for her like I want. Also my psch is being supenoed as a clinical doctoral witness) meaning they will put him on stand and deliver his diagnosis about me in medical tems, so the judge can see there is now way I can work. cause I heard thats all the judge is looking for , if there is anything I can do to make money. I cant work by myself cause of my manifestating and my not being able to concentreate or follow directions because I have a very short attention spam due to my mind always racing. and I cant work with ohters because when Im around alot , a few , a couple people , I think there talking about me and I feel worthless and want to run. thats what my doctor call socialized anxiety disorder. Thank you again for reading.
Helpful - 0
480448 tn?1426948538
Sondra, welcome!

I'm so sorry for all you have been through!  No one deserves that kind of hellish life!  The one thing I would like to say is that you seem to have a great head on your shoulders after having endured all that you did!  You want to do right by your daughter and put her first, despite all that you deal with.  You should be VERY proud of that!  As for worrying about giving your daughter to your Mom, get through the SSI process first before even starting to think about other things.  It sounds like your Mom is poretty helpful, could she just help you out with your daughter while you wait for the SSI decision?

I don't know first hand about the SSI process, but I do know that typically, if you have proof and statements from the docs who have treated and diagnosed you, you should be okay.  Whether or not you need to hire a lawyer?  I know there are hotlines and legal aid numbers you should be able to call for a free consultation.  I would start there.  I think if your doctors are willing to provide you with any documentation of your conditions, that's probably sufficient.  I DO know that if you are denied SSI, there is an appeals process.  If you decide to go it without an attorney and happen to be denied, you could always get a lawyer involved on the appeal.

I wish you the very best of luck...please post an update when you can!!
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