Will I loose my SS Disability? Scared! - Anxiety and Depre...

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Will I loose my SS Disability? Scared!

ribby profile image
23 Replies

I have been on Social Security disability for the past three years. I was awarded three years of disability and will be reevaluated again soon. My disability was given to me for my mental illness, depression, anxiety and also in small part for my back problems. My therapist and other people tell me that I will be approved again and that everyone is approved again and that I shouldn’t worry about it but I absolutely obsess about it. I watch youtube videos with lawyers talking about SSDI reevaluation‘s. I read articles online, I’m collecting all my medical record‘s, I’m printing out the form that they might send me so I can plan ahead. I am not better so I don’t know why I would think I’m going to lose it but I just really think I am going to lose my disability and I need it so badly. I definitely can’t work, but one of my doctors wrote that I wasn’t taking the Right amount of medicine and that I should be taking a certain amount in one of his letters. It was just a miss understanding not negligence on my part. I worry that little things like that could make me not get my disability anymore. I don’t know if I should talk to the doctor about the mistakes he makes in these letters that put me at risk of losing my disability. I live in disability housing as well, so if I lost my disability I would also lose my housing and I would be on the street. I’m so scared! Does anyone have any experience with this?

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23 Replies
Reon profile image
Reon

Hello ribby❤

You must be so stressed right now, I've never had any experience with the SS disability. But I'm sure you'll get some sort of help with it from somebody!

Don't be scared, okay?❤❤❤❤

ribby profile image
ribby in reply toReon

Thank you Reon. I’m just going to have to try to distract myself by watching a movie.

Reon profile image
Reon in reply toribby

Yeah! That's so much better!

Dolphin14 profile image
Dolphin14

Ribby

I just went through this. I did the same thing you did. Research, made myself sick, looked up lawyers etc etc.

Ultimately I was continued on my SSDI. I'm also on it for mental health reasons. Nothing physical. I think the documentation is key. That's what they are looking for I believe. That you are compliant with treatment plan and your symptoms keep you from being " gainfully employed" as they call it.

ribby profile image
ribby in reply toDolphin14

Thanks for the reply. By documentation, do you mean medical records on paper? Did you get the long form SSA 454 or the short form SSA455? I have requested medical records from one of my hospitals but the other hospital charges a lot for records. How many days were you given to send everything in? When I was initially approved I had been in Psychiatric hospitals but I haven’t been since then. I am thinking about doing a DBT Partial program but I have such a hard time sitting in those packed tiny rooms that they have. Maybe I should do it anyway. I hope you can answer my questions. Thank you!!

Dolphin14 profile image
Dolphin14 in reply toribby

Ribby

As far as forms I don't know the formal title of the forms. I had to answer a bunch of questions. Medications what I do during the day, things like that. Then they sent paperwork to my care team.

By documents I mean written things by your care givers that support your reasons for not being able to go back to work.

Social security gets the document they need. At least in my case I didn't go after medical records they did that.

I am in two types of therapy. So I go twice a week. I also see the psychiatrist once a month.

ribby profile image
ribby in reply toDolphin14

Oh, two types of therapy. That’s interesting. I just go to a therapist every two weeks and a Psychopharmacologist once a month. Regarding the letters from doctors: My back pain doctor says that my PCP should do it. He is a jerk. I’m going to try to get letters from my other doctors. Yesterday I typed up an extensive outline of my illnesses, treatments, and the outcomes so my doctors can use it as a reference. I don’t know if they’ll be willing to write letters for me. My heath center has become very busy in the past year and the doctors are too busy. How many days did you have to return the form to Social Security?

Dolphin14 profile image
Dolphin14 in reply toribby

Social security went to the therapist for letters. My medical Dr wasn't included because she defers all mental health decisions to my therapist and psychiatrist. I remember getting s letter from social security that one caregiver didn't send the paperwork in. Come to find out they never got any request. There should be a case manager on the bottom of your letter. Call them every time you get something to say you are working on gathering the information. It's important that you communicate with them.

I do talk therapy and I do emdr/IFS therapy. You can google those for more info. It's hard to explain them.

Sounds like you are doing all the right things. It's s stressful time. I tried to keep my mind off it when I could but I was truly so nervous. I also need the $ for my rent so I was panicked.

As long as you keep in touch with the person on the form I don't think they will pressure you for s date on return of letters. But try and get it done as fast as you can so you can have closure to this

ribby profile image
ribby in reply toDolphin14

Oh and I have a friend who has been on SSDI for a very long time and used to be a lawyer. He told me that all SS cares about for recertification is what medication you take. If you take serious meds, he says they will approve you. I don’t know if it’s true.

Dolphin14 profile image
Dolphin14 in reply toribby

I was told by my therapist that my meds did play s big part. Because I'm on so many and they are still making changes. I have focus issues etc.

Dolphin14 profile image
Dolphin14

I don't know how your insurance coverage is but could you do one on one dbt with a therapist as opposed to group?

ribby profile image
ribby in reply toDolphin14

I don’t know. That’s a good question. I’ll ask her.

Dolphin14 profile image
Dolphin14 in reply toribby

Can you tell me the difference in the forms? Mayb I can give you more info?

ribby profile image
ribby in reply toDolphin14

Well I just learned tonight online that there are two different forms you can get. The SSA-455-OCR-SM is the short form and if you get that one it means that they are not expecting that you have gotten better. The SSA-454-BK is the long form and that means that they want documentation and that they anticipate that you may have gotten better. I read this on a website written by a lawyer.

Dolphin14 profile image
Dolphin14

I wish I could just say you will be ok. I just don't know how they base their decisions.

ribby profile image
ribby in reply toDolphin14

Thank you. I will just have to keep doing my best to get better as I have all along. When I called social security a few months ago to ask them what is the process for someone who’s being reevaluated they told me that three years which I was approved for ends in April which was last month but they said that I might not be evaluated for another year or two there’s no telling and that I should just check my mail to make sure that I get you know get a letter from them at some point and respond.

ribby profile image
ribby

Thank you. I will just have to keep doing my best to get better as I have all along. When I called social security a few months ago to ask them what is the process for someone who’s being reevaluated they told me that three years which I was approved for ends in April which was last month but they said that I might not be evaluated for another year or two there’s no telling and that I should just check my mail to make sure that I get you know get a letter from them at some point and respond.

Dolphin14 profile image
Dolphin14 in reply toribby

I got s short form. So my team must have written letters supporting the fact I'm not ready to work. I waited about 3 months for the answer

Dolphin14 profile image
Dolphin14 in reply toDolphin14

In order to keep myself from getting sick over it for the long haul, I had to just accept the fact that it could go either way. It was all in my documentation along the way. I would be happy to answer any more questions as you go through the process. I'm new to the site so I'm not comfort opening up private messaging. I'm sure this post may help other people going through this.

ribby profile image
ribby in reply toDolphin14

Thank you for your help. It has made me feel a little better tonight.

ribby profile image
ribby in reply toDolphin14

Oh thats such a long time to wait. I don’t want to sound like what I’m about to say is something to be taken lightly, but if I’m not approved I will have no choice but to end it. I’ve already used up all of the help I can get from friends and family as far as staying at their homes as I waited two years to be approved for disability and two years to get into the disability low income housing I live in. If I don’t get approved for disability then I have to leave my apartment that I can afford at 426$ a month. I will be homeless and I can’t work. I can barely take a shower once a week. Oh!

Dolphin14 profile image
Dolphin14

Ribby

I understand how hard it is. Please don't think about hurting yourself you can always appeal it.

So keep in mind I got the short form. So apparently they were Assuming I was well enough to return and I was not. So, that's s good thing. Definitely respond quickly to all their contact.

I pray this works out in your favor

ribby profile image
ribby

Thank you so much.

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