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Question: Can i qualify for ssi after 10 years of anxiety, panic attacks, agoraphobia & depression (since i was 14)?

(Posted by: J on 2010-07-08 18:08:59)

I am 24 now. When I was 14 (year 2000) I was admitted to a mental institution for suicide attempts/ feelings, severe depression, anxiety & panic attacks. I could not finish high school due to this. Since then I have been treated off and on for the same things, as well as agoraphobia and PTSD (from childhood abuse). I still have the constant general anxiety and panic attacks, some agoraphobia, and the depression and suicidal feelings are intermittent. I am currently being treatment, but I do not have records of 10 years of constant treatment (only here and there), though I have also been on many medications. IMPORTANT: I have only worked 4 days in my entire life, I am not sure how this affects my eligibility for SSI. I quit one job after 3 days and the other after 1 day due to panic attacks. I don't feel I am capable of working because I can't even leave my house or go to town without my boyfriend, who has been supporting me financially the past 8 years. I can not drive and do not have a driver's license. When I am outside my home I spontaneously panic and feel like I must escape and get back to my home, and I have physical pain and symptoms caused by this panic. I just wanted someone with experience to give me their honest opinion about my chances and if I should pursue it even to the judge/ lawyer stage if I am denied. Thank you. Also would like to add that in addition to documented psychological treatment and diagnoses I have ER records of self- mutilation and panic attacks. @Kate. Thank you for all your advice. I have seen and am currently seeing a therapist in addition to a psychiatrist, sorry if I didn't make that clear.

Posted by: MeAgain on 2010-07-08, 18:24:20

You really do in to be in treatment now. You have to show SS that you are actively seeking treatment and that it is not helping. You can apply at any time but, without seeking treatment at the time then, they really don't have anyone to talk to about your condition at this time. I'm an agoraphobic also, I know how difficult this is. It's something that you have to do for yourself.

Posted by: Destiny on 2010-07-08, 18:12:23

I'm really sorry about your conditions, but most people applying for SS only get it when they reach age of retirement or are dead (in which case, their SS money goes to their family). I can't be sure, though. Look it up on their website.

Posted by: ckngbbbls on 2010-07-08, 18:13:58

The only person who can answer your questions is the Social Security office. Apply for SSI and see what happens. SSI is NOT dependent on whether you ever worked or not. Disability is. Your medical records are immaterial as Social Security office does their own evaluation and will send you to their own doctors for a check up. They will ask permission to look at what medical records that do exist for you but will still do independent exam. You can apply on line or call your local Social Security office and talk with someone there and they can direct you to who and what you need to do. EDIT: SSI is Supplemental Security Income and is for those who are ill but have not worked enough to qualify for Disability payments or for children with deceased parents.

Posted by: nmnf_43 on 2010-07-08, 18:16:05

You'd probably have a case. The Americans with Disabilities Act recognizes all mental disorders as disabilities and if they decide that your condition is a barrier to employment (which it clearly has been), they will at least consider you for receiving benefits. They have to thoroughly review your case though.

Posted by: aggiemom2000 on 2010-07-08, 18:18:50

You have to have a Psychiatrist evaluate you in the process of getting SSI. Thus, if you make an appointment with your local Social Security office, they will arrange an evaluation for you with a psychiatrist. I have had friends who did get SSI due to agoraphobia and anxiety. You have a chance to win compensation, but it will not be a lot of money per month.

Posted by: Kate on 2010-07-08, 18:38:04

In order of appearance: 1. "I do not have records of 10 years of constant treatment. " If you have been seen by a doctor, then you do. Your medical records never disappear, trust me on that one. It's like Jumanji - you can lock your medical records in a box, chain weights to it, and throw it into a river and your insurance company will STILL find them. When you apply for SSDI, your records will be there. 2. I am not entirely sure how having so little work experience will help or hurt you. It does show that you at least tried to work, but it doesn't show that you tried very hard because your entire working experience is less than a week. On paper that doesn't look like much effort was put into it. Have you attempted therapy for your anxiety and depression? Nowhere in this post did you discuss ever having seen a therapist. Therapy is a much more valuable tool in treating anxiety and panic than medication, from my experience. Medications can be helpful and important, but obviously for you they are not working. The reason is that so much of your anxiety has become such a mental and behavioral habit, for the past ten years. That is a lot of learning that no amount of medication is going to be able to help undo. There is a really fantastic form of therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT. It is extremely effective at treating anxiety disorders including panic disorder. The therapy works by addressing your anxious thoughts (thoughts like, "I'm going to have a panic attack and it's going to be awful and I will feel like I'm dying and my anxiety is so bad oh my God... etc. ") and how those translate into your anxious behaviors (having the actual panic attack, avoiding situations that make you anxious, not working at a job, staying at home, etc.) By learning how to change your thoughts (cognitive restructuring) and taking steps to alter your behavior (forcing yourself into anxiety-provoking situations and coping with them) you defeat your anxiety. Right now your panic attacks are kicking your a**, plain and simple, and you're letting them. I'm saying this from experience - I've been there, done that. I started having panic attacks when I was 5 years old, and did not seek therapy until I was 19. That means 14 years of panic attacks, which turned into agoraphobia. I quit my job, stopped going to school, moved back in with my mom (I moved out briefly, but the anxiety was too intense), and just generally stopped having any sort of a life. I became suicidal, because I could not stand to live like this anymore, and no medication seemed to help. My psychiatrist finally recommended that I see a therapist who does CBT, and it has completely turned my life around. Since engaging in CBT I have been able to go back to school, hold a job, move out on my own, hang out with friends and family, and just generally live my life again. I got back the life I never really even had before, and it's amazing. You may think that your anxiety is "too bad " for therapy, that therapy "won't work " for you... you're wrong. Statistically speaking, you are wrong, because the statistical odds of the therapy not working at all for you are very, very low. This therapy is proven over and over to be highly effective in treating anxiety, ALL forms of anxiety, even the most severe panic attacks. Instead of pursuing SSDI, I would strongly encourage you to try therapy first. Wouldn't you rather work hard in therapy and get your life, than rot in your house getting disability checks? I know I would. Good luck.