disability

[Thundra]

I got the shock of my life this morning.

Me -- who has been healthy and done physical work her whole life,
who has never had more than two weeks of inactivity because of illness or injury,
has been decared legally permanently disabled.

I'm in shock. It has been a tough couple of months, and I am fighting depression, but I really thought I'd be back at some point. I really did.

Now what? I know some people that have faked an injury to get disability, and I actually broke up with someone that used her disability to be lazy and do nothing. I'm like WTF?

What would you do?

[Kimberly]

"What I do now."

Which is to say I certainly feel disabled.

This said, pick up hobbies girl; Do NOT be sedentary, that is what gets the retired folks.

Just go at your own pace and do your own thing be that personal interests or something to help others in someway. School is a nice option to keep the mind always spinning for instance.

But um, yeah. As far as I know I do not qualify as disabled but I do not seem to be able to function so um, ^*shrug* "What I do now."

[Thundra]

Do as my SO has for the last 20 years (who is "permanent partial" disabled)?

Have kids (and irritate myself)?

Well, as anyone that noticed how much time I have been on line [here too], that is not an option for me. I am going to lose my friggin' mind. I am not used to not being involved and doing something productive. Which for me means working and making $$$. It's all that I know. I have worked at least 50 hours a week for most of life. At least one FT, and often one or two PT jobs to stay busy.  This sux.

Posted on: July 24, 2007, 06:10:45 PMNo, I don't know how to relax.

[tinkerbell]

Thundra, what about just living la vida loca?    We only live once or so they say...

tink

P.S.  Phrase "living la vida loca" inspired by Katia in a different thread.

[LynnER]

Id probably go back to school and continue with my band... they cant bust you for haveing a job thats not technicaly a job LoL

[TheBattler]

Thundra,

I would question the call and fight to be re-enstated. Depression can pass and if that is the only issue then get better first and then fight to be re-enstated.

Do the people who care for you know about your TG Issues (I am not sure I do). I am sure you can get better - never give up hope.

Alice

[Elizabeth]

First, there is a huge difference between one's doctor declaring one to be disabled and SSA or your disability insurance provider to agree that one is disabled. Social Security almost always denies benefits the first time one files. It's not as clear cut as people might think. There is no one agency that determines a person is disabled and then it's settled. And if an insurance company or SS says you are not disabled, you are looking at a long and draw out appeal's process.

And even once SS declares that one is in fact disabled, they recheck everything, every 1, 3, or 5 years, depending on how severe they believe one's disability is. There is no such thing as a permanent disability, to Social Security. They re-examine everyone no matter what. Because one's only recourse is to sue, most insurance companies don't pay their disability claims. It's just your doctors against their doctors in court. Recently a bunch of insurance companies settled class action lawsuits involving not paying disability claims.

Livin la vita loca? More like Livin la vita broka. I have returned to college and hope to eventually return to the workforce. It's tough though and I became so ill last semester I had to withdraw from all my classes. I hope it goes better this semester. Anyway, my answer is, I would return to college.

Love always,
Elizabeth

[Thundra]

Thank you all for your kindly advice.

I might apply for reinstatement, except if it can get me away from Mr. Misogyny at work.

Other than the foot injury, I'm ready to go. The depression is from me not used to being on the sidelines for any length of time. I've never had a vacation where I go somewhere and enjoy myself. I haven't a clue how.

I did mis-speak in the earlier post. I have had time off before, but it was due to me drying out, not from an injury or illness per se.

If I was healthy, I could probably find another job within a week or two.

But if I had to survive on 1K per month, it would sure make it hard to move to Cali.   

I am andro, so I don't have many TG type issues. Unfortunately, some of the women I have dated have "certain" TG issues with me. 

Thank you all again.

[Cindi Jones]

I am sort of in this situation.  It is very difficult for me to work.  I'm still running my business, but I am not able to spend as much time at it as I'd like. 

I would very much like to attend more classes at the local college.  I do attend once a week for a music class but the drive is very long and I really can't do it more than once a week.

This last weekend I spent a lot of money internet shopping.  I can't afford to do that very much!

I too have to find "the next big thing" in my life.

Cindi

[Manyfaces]

I've been on Social Security disability for seven years--for the first year I was off work I was on state disability, which is how it works in California.  My claim for SS disability was granted the first time out, I think because I had a therapist who did an astounding job of providing extensive supporting documentation. 

At the time, for me, disability was a godsend, because I really was not able to continue working at my very stressful and demanding full-time job (in the legal field).  After a brief time I got a low-stress part-time job to supplement the disability, because it wasn't really enough to live on by itself. So really I've worked the whole time I've been on disability, but not full-time.  I used the free time to rest, take long walks, bicycle thousands of miles, write (mostly journaling, but I also had a few things published), and really concentrate on therapy and my own healing. 

All that said, being on disability is no walk in the park.  On the material level it really reduces you to being functionally poor, unless you have a lot of material resources accumulated, which I didn't.  There is huge social stigma involved, especially if your disability is not something physically obvious.  I also dealt with feelings of being a lazy useless crud, and just a lot of shame about needing to be on disability.  It took me a long time to come to terms with all of that and just let myself be.

I'm much much better now, and I expect to be back to a real full-time job and off of disability in the next year, hopefully the next few months.  It probably literally saved my life, being able to take that long break for healing and getting myself together.     

If you have a choice not to be on disability, I'd say don't.  But if you really can't continue what you are doing due to some issue of physical or mental health, that's what it's for. 

[RebeccaFog]

Hi,

   I said I'd look for a different job.  As long as I can use my hands and eyes, I'm probably fit for computer/office work.  I'd prefer to go to school, though, but I think just some quiet little job would work for me.

  As far as I can tell, you are very intelligent (thanks to being andro, I'm sure  ), you care deeply about issues and people, you are responsible, and you have energy.  If you had to be on disability, you could probably look around for something to do that would help others.  Maybe volunteer work for some organization until you find where you feel the best and maybe get paid to help people or to work in a place that helps people.
  Or you could get a job for the type of company that you've been working for, but as a manager, or some kind of white collar thing in administration.

  Whatever you decide to do, I'm sure you'll rock at it.

   There is also something to be said for blowing off a year of full time work and recharge your batteries through self exploration.  Think of the future as being both open and belonging to you.


Peace,

Rebis

[Gray Seraph]

Right now being on disability is OK, but it's not without it's limitations, having been on it since last September for my social anxiety.

I barely get enough money to do anything (because I didn't work enough in the past, which isn't fair), even people working minimum wage get more than I do in a month. I need the money to get off of disability, if only the state understood that. I wouldn't even be able to afford to live on my own if I wanted to.

Being on disability makes me feel a bit useless. I can only Imagine how worthless I'd feel if I were declared permanently disabled.

~Marciel