Does SSA always require psychiatric exams?

[Redginger]

For those in the US who have gone through trying to get disability from SSA, do they always require you to go for the WAIS test and the Woodcock-Johnson tests of Achievement? Upon the first application my husband was denied benefits. Now we are in the appeal process. They have directed him to go to have these exams on the 25th of Aug. How long do these exams take? I'm concerned for his comfort, and doubting that they will let me accompany him. For anyone else who has gone through this experience, do you mind sharing what it was like for you, or any tips for us?

[beehive23]

am on ssdi , no psych exam recquired.....hang tough

[Redginger in reply to beehive23]

Thank you for your reply and encouragement. I do wonder why some are approved and some aren’t.

[Kwinholt]

Redginger, I’m in California and my first time applying for SSDI , I was denied. I appealed and also hired an attorney and yes I was required to do a psych evaluation. When I walked into the appointment the first thing I asked the psychologist was if she was educated in Parkinson, and she said no. I asked then how can you evaluate me? It was about a 2 hour appointment. Problem solving , cognitive testing, current news , math ect.It’s all about the scores. I left feeling defeated but I did get approved for SSDI. Not sure why some of us have to go through that and some of us don’t. Stay tough, good luck. Karen

[Redginger in reply to Kwinholt]

Thank you, Karen, for your reply. Thanks for sharing your experience and the encouragement you give.

[pdpatient in reply to Kwinholt]

Let me guess, Karen. You passed the test with flying colors right?

You were supposed to “fail” this one time for their benefit LoL.

RKM

[Kwinholt in reply to pdpatient]

Pd, I left there feeling very defeated, so I guess I did “fail” because I was approved SSDI last November. It was a demeaning experience. K

[pdpatient in reply to Kwinholt]

Karen, I feel like that every single day. This disease is relentless. I have to summon up all the courage, hope and stubbornness to generate the will to fight and keep going despite all the obstacles. Every day is a mountain to climb.

Wasn’t it you that climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro?

RKM

[Kwinholt in reply to pdpatient]

Pd, I totally understand. Yes this disease is relentless and we all struggle. I am a big advocate for exercise and I am/was an ultra runner and it has been difficult to continue. And no , it wasn’t me that climbed Kilimanjaro. Keep moving forward. Karen

[pdpatient in reply to Kwinholt]

Thanks for your encouraging words as always. I was wrong. It was Nan Little who climbed Kilimanjaro. For some reason the metaphor stuck but the nature didn’t. Oh well, chalked it up to Parkinson’s:).

If you are curious, here’s the link to her book as well as a few other curated ones from Parkinson’s EU.

RKM

[beehive23 in reply to Kwinholt]

alot depends on what kind of state yo live in. hang tough.

[janers]

My understanding is that it is a standard procedure to have a psych eval for disability. It is also standard practice I was told to be rejected and then need to appeal to receive disability. The psychologist explained to me it was to rule out depression as a cause for the disability. I guess if they think it is depression they will just put you on antidepressants and send you to work! It was a short evaluation, not more than 20 to 30 minutes for me.

[Redginger in reply to janers]

It is my understanding that most people are rejected initially. I believe it is also standard procedure for them to require cognitive testing as part of the decision making process. However, I have heard from quite a few sources not the least of which was the lawyer himself that if an individual is suffering with depression or has ever been treated for depression it is much much easier to get approved for disability income. Thank you for replying to my question And sharing your experience.

[Erniediaz1018]

Yes I was denied after the psych test hired an attorney it took 2 years (very stressful). Detailed medical records is what will make your case. Neurologist and primary care doctor filled out a functional form for me (I forget what it’s called exactly. But hang in there the approval will come.

[Redginger in reply to Erniediaz1018]

Thank you for replying and trying to give us some tips. Were you denied disability after the psych testing at the initial application level? We have an appointment to see the new neurologist on August 2. Where do you think the doctors got the form that you speak of?

[Erniediaz1018 in reply to Redginger]

Yes I was. Print these and take it to your doctors appointment, tell him right when you arrive you need it for Soc security and you’ll be pleasantly surprised like i was that doctors know all about these forms. Offer to come back and pick it up when he says he’s done with it. These forms are gold so don’t depend on post service . Here’s the link representmyself.com/resourc... the way get medical records of every time you visited the doctor and go to your local Soc security office and submit those records in person, they will make copies and give you a receipt. Keep your copies safe because they are notorious for losing them.

[Erniediaz1018 in reply to Redginger]

That link didn’t work try this instead, google this (rfc form for parkinson's pdf) and print these forms

[Redginger in reply to Erniediaz1018]

Thank you so much Ernie for your help. Do you have any idea if they denied you because your cognitive testing didn’t turn out the way they thought it should be disability, or was it just that they were going to deny you anyway because it was the initial application? We took the form you suggested to the neurologist today and she was glad to fill it out and give us a copy as well as the original blank copy before we left. Interesting, she used to work for disability. Incidentally, she found Active mono through my husband’s blood work among other things. No wonder he’s been completely exhausted for many months. Should we take that form to the psychologist psychiatrist or whoever is going to administer those cognitive tests also? Or just take one to the primary care doctor? God bless you! Ruth

[Erniediaz1018 in reply to Redginger]

They denied me cause I was 48 yrs old is what I’m guessing. Take the form to your primary also plus show him the neurologists filled form just so there’s no contradictions tell him you need both. Not the psych he doesn’t need one cause he works for them. What they are trying to do is prove that he has a mental illness which can be treated with drugs and is therefore able to do some type of work. I’m so happy for you to have a helpful neurologist.

[JAS9]

I had a very different experience, but I'll share it in case it helps to figure out what's going on here. For the first 6 years after my PD diagnoses, I had bad reactions to Sinemet or any other C/L medicine, as well as several other meds my neurologists tried on me. (I had 5 neurologists in 6 years). So, of course I showed up for my exam completely unmedicated. I had no medicine that I could take. The doctor who was there asked me some questions, which I tried to answer. He had me walk about 20 feet (I'm sure I probably nearly fell over several times). I think he had me try to write something.

Then, he said something like: "Slurred speech, loss of motor control... Don't worry, I'll take care of this."

That was it. I think it took less than a month to approve it.

Shortly after that, I went to yet another neurologist who prescribed Rytary. Finally, something worked for me that didn't make me feel like I was going to die. But I've often thought about what happened at that interview and have wondered: if I were to show up at another interview, but on Rytary, would they approve me so quickly? I don't think so.

I'm not telling anyone to go to their interview unmedicated, but if I had to go again I would at least make sure that they knew that the symptoms they were seeing were while I was medicated. I was pretty much a zombie back then, so I don't remember much. Did they tell me to come unmedicated or medicated? I simply don't remember.

[Redginger in reply to JAS9]

I really appreciate your taking the time to share all this about your experience. I do think it is helpful. Perhaps they didn’t mention to you one way or another, to come medicated or not; don’t think it has been mentioned to us at all. Glad you got approved.

[Erniediaz1018 in reply to JAS9]

Good testimony to work of because my neurologist wrote on the RFC that the medicine was unpredictable because sometimes it just didn’t cross the blood brain barrier which I know had the biggest impact on their decision.