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I've always been of the belief that your upward trajectory in life is equally weighted by efforts and willpower as it is to general skills you get at birth. I was granted disability eleven years ago as my health suddenly imploded between my two college programs. I adjusted my perspectives in order to continue my education in a adjoining field. I have held onto the idea that by some random act of chance I could at least marginally improve myself in the future. The pipe dream being entering the workforce full time again. This year as I am up for CDR once again (roughly my third, they never come on time) I expected much the same cycle of wanting to improve and then karmic interference. I tend to self soothe by reassuring myself of hard facts and that the logic processes will still be the same so I will continue on as usual, at bare minimum. This year however, months after my CDR cleared no problem I am thrown during a particularly bad week at my household into not only my near-yearly emergency room crisis, but also by getting an appointment for financial review. General google consensus is to just take it as a bureaucratic time waster, but they are asking for very specific documents which are not relevant to my life. (VA/Burial/ ect.) So I was trying to decompress by talking to my sister and mentioned that I am not coded for SSI status under the condition I applied myself under. When I was trying to find where I had footnoted it, I instead dropped into the large files and came to a horrifying discovery. I am notated as being severely cognitive impaired and incapable of likely handling finances. The oversight doctor said this would most likely have been due to stroke (Affected IQ: 70). I had never scrolled across this end page before and beleived I was only a 10.6 of the 300's code. Needless to say my ego is beyond bruised. My family has been complaining for so long about changes I have made for my own comfort that they do not like. I thought I was just mellowing out and being more honest in how I am willing to spend my time/energy. Now I am smacking straight into a pillar, that for over ten years people have let me believe a lie. I did finish my Bachelorette and Masters degree during my first few years on disability. I thought I still might have a way to finish any sort of ascent in my lifetime goals. But now here sits the truth, that person was not possible and will likely never be possible. I will never leave poverty, I will never earn equal to my partner and I will always be looked at by a failure by those who should be peers, because I cannot heal this brain injury. Normally, I would take this news as celebration that my responsibilities to perform for others sakes are nulled by this knowledge. I could be liberated by it, but the people in my life don't work that way. So now that I have reached my ceiling I guess I am looking for lateral moves. There must be someway to broaden my scope again by breaking down walls around me, even if the ceiling height will always be fixed? Why is the SSI program so cruel that we aren't allowed to make better for ourselves without utter horrendous fear placed upon our person.

I am 22 y/o and have filed for SSI twice. The first time I got denied I didn't appeal within 60 days so I had to apply all over again. Now I am going through to extensive appeal process and no lawyer seems to want to help me. They claim since I am young, I almost need to have schizophrenia or an autistic/spectrum disorder to be able to actually be approved and get benefits otherwise it is going to be very hard to get SSI. Now here are some of the facts of my case. I was fired from my job last November due to "no call, no show" because I was in a bipolar depressive episode where I literally didn't leave my room but maybe 5x to make a microwave meal and shower once. This episode lasted a little bit shy of 2 weeks. So for my 3 no call, no shows I was terminated from my job at University. I asked if they would accept a physician's note explaining my circumstances but the manager actually refused documentation, saying "No it's not necessary, I don't need that". She also said that I should have called and at least have told her what was going on so she knew I couldn't come in, but let's be real guys, doing that during a severe bipolar depressive episode is like writing a PhD dissertation in less than a day. So I applied for unemployment and get a denial letter saying I am denied benefits of $50/week because they contacted my former employer and was told I was terminated for misconduct. So that was the end of that. I had applied for SSI last year around August I would say and was denied 1st time. Re-applied December and got denial letter again, this time on Feb. 8th stating "your conditions are not severe enough for you not to work. You are capable of substantial gainful activity". Yet on my listed disabilities I listed epilepsy (reoccurring grand-mal seizures), bipolar disorder NOS, insomnia NOS, ADHD, generalized anxiety disorder, panic attacks, manic episodes, social anxiety disorder, delayed sleep phase syndrome, and listed all the medications I was on and how some of them has side effects that were impairing themselves. Has anyone here who is young actually gotten approved for SSI benefits? If so, how many times did it take for you to finally get approved and did you use a lawyer to help you through the process? Also, if you don't mind, what conditions/disabilities did you report to them that you believed qualified you for SSI or SSDI? I can't apply for SSDI because I don't have enough work credits so I can only apply for SSI. This whole process kinda sucks and is difficult especially for people with disabilities. So frustrating.

I'm going to see a lawyer tomorrow about disability, and I'm terrified. I don't know what to expect and my anxiety is through the roof. I keep feeling like they are going to laugh at me and think I'm not sick enough. I've had nightmares about it all week, and I keep obsessively thinking about it. Has anyone else gone through this? What was the meeting like? Any info or support is welcome.

So yesterday, I did some semi sort of like deep thinking into myself. I actually went and googled, "why do I always manage to unintentionally offend people?" And the first result had to do with Aspergers. I've not ever thought I had Aspergers, and I'm not going to self diagnose myself with something because it's....not a good idea. Reading more of the symptoms, however & how it affects relationships, etc I was wondering if I might have it. I plan on going to my doctor and requesting a test as well, just in case. I've never had anyone say they thought I might have it, none of the multiple doctors I've seen have suggested it. My question, though is. Does having Aspergers affect my SSI amount? I can't get SSDI because I've not earned enough work credits, and I understand SSI is also based off income. Basically, does having another illness diagnosed to my other list of illnesses going to make any kind of difference to my SSI amount? I'm assuming not, but I thought I would ask. Maybe someone with Aspergers can answer this?? Or someone who just got diagnosed with a new illness while on SSI. I've not been on my SSI too terribly long, almost a year now maybe and I'm most of the way to understanding it all but,

Does anybody know how many classes one can take in college and still be on disability? I know I need to ask someone in government to be sure, but I was hoping to get an idea before hand. I have an irrational fear of talking to anyone official or even trying to read their website.

Hi, I'm 32 and I've been on Disability benefits for about 3-4 years. I'm obese, about 100 lbs over my healthy weight, and I struggle to lose the weight. Lately, my dad has been criticizing me a lot over being obese and he makes it seems like it's something I choose. I'm on SSI disability and I don't work or go to school like most people my age, and I spend 99% of my time being sedentary, so what does he expect??? It seems to me that gaining weight would be a natural side effect of being on SSI Disability benefits for a few years, because many people on these Benefits are sedentary for the most part. My dad tells me it's my choice to be obese, and I could control it if I wanted to, and I feel like he blames me for my obesity. Because I don't work or go to school or do anything, I spend 99% of my time: sleeping, being bored, watching tv, coloring in an adult coloring book, reading, going online/surfing the web, eating, and playing video games. I do try to exercise every day (or every other day), but I'm not a fan of exercising. I don't know what he expects from me- in my mind, with my sedentary lifestyle, of course I'm going to feel bad about my situation and get fat and have a lot of trouble losing and keeping off the weight. I don't do anything all day (work) like most people my age do. Also, my mother and him do not want me to try to work, because I have had volunteer jobs recently and those didn't work out for me. In fact, with one volunteer job, I felt bad afterwards and I would just think "screw it" and emotionally eat. But in my mind, if I had a normal job that I liked and I was somewhat active during the day, I would think I would naturally lose weight, just by being a little active during the day (but I could be wrong about this). Anyways, I'm just venting, because my parents control my life, and I can't do what I want to do in life, and because of my sedentary lifestyle (due in large part to being on SSI Disability Benefits for 3-4 years) I am being criticized and blamed by my father for being obese and hurting my physical health. My parents are overprotective of me, and they don't let me make my own choices in life, because they say that I make bad choices. A part of me wishes they would let me live life as I want to and make my own mistakes, and if I end up homeless, then I'm ok with it.

I applied for SSI last week, and even hired a lawyer to represent me. Well, just today I spoke with the lawyer and explained to him my confusing situation, he hadn't received my file yet. Here is what makes my case complicated: 1.) I work 2 hours, one day a week 2.) I work with Vocational Rehab and am at the stage of finding part-time employment that suits my disabilities (just quit another part time job I got for myself without VR help that made my disabilities worse). I asked the lawyer if this is going to be a problem and he responds with: "If you can work, then work you will be making a lot more than what SSI has." The thing is, he wasn't dissing my case (that he hasn't seen) he just brought up something very truthful. It confuses me that he said getting an approval on someone my age is very hard without have a hearing. He said this can be expected to take 2 years. Therefore I am going to continue with VR because this is an AMAZING opportunity. They have paid for my schooling and everything. The agency that VR assigned to help with job placement is going to hold my hand through the employment process and make sure I get accommodations, etc. Basically the employer will know I am disabled. My question is, should I drop the whole SSI thing or just follow through with the case regardless of the fact that I may be working? I think with the new med I am on I could survive, especially the type of job VR assigned agency is going to find me.