How To Get Disability For Someone With Social Anxiety?

[Sky Abelar]

I have a close friend who has had severe social anxiety since childhood. He is now 25, has never worked, and is too nervous to apply for disability. I can see first hand that he sincerely needs it, and would like to give him some advice about the easiest, fastest and most stress free way he could approach this, but no nothing about it. He lives in the U.S., and doesn't have money for a lawyer. Any ideas?

He also has severe depression that alternates with the anxiety. He has been on meds since early childhood, but says that they made him feel worse, and has quit all of them. Clearly he needs some money to live on, and I think a huge part of his depression and anxiety is being broke all the time, and living in fear.

Thanks,
Sky A.

 

[Andy]

Getting a letter and recommendation for disability from a doctor who knows his mental health history would be a huge help but of course doesn't guarantee he will get it. I do not know the process for the US so all I can suggest other than that is just follow the application process.

 

[Sky Abelar]

Thanks, that was what I thought, but apparently his mother tried this before, and even though he was diagnosed for anxiety, depression, terrets, and add, they actually turned him down. They should have appealed and gotten a lawyer, but my friend was too stressed by it all to deal with it. He just gave up. This was about 7 years ago. He's afraid it will happen again. I think they made him actually go before some kind of judge who terrorized him to death.

 

[Daniel E.]

There's usually no need for a lawyer unless he is initially denied and wants to appeal his case. Realistically, he will need documenation from a psychiatrist, whom he should be seeing ASAP and regularly, including taking any appropriate medication like a SSRI like Prozac. Seeing a psychologist regularly would also help his case to show he is doing everything possible regarding treatment.

If he cannot afford to see any mental health professionals, that will only lower his chances even though an "independent" psychologist will be hired to evaluate him. (It sometimes takes money to get money.)

Most people who apply are denied not because of doubts of their diagnosis but because they do not provide enough documentation about their specific inabilities to work, e.g.

https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0424510090

But if a person who is denied has a legitimate case and sticks with the appeals process, eventually they usually win -- though it may take year(s). (This is another reason why it helps to get appropriate treatment since sometimes people will find it easier to get a job than to go through the painful process of applying for SSI. Also, once people get on SSI, they tend to stay unemployed, which generally increases the risk of depression, etc.)

Since he has never worked, he probably will be applying for SSI (rather than SSDI). That he has never worked will help his case (though his relatively young age will not since 50+ year olds have better chances -- generally speaking).

Info on applying:

Understanding Supplemental Security Income (SSI)-- SSI Application Process and Applicants' Rights

 

[Sky Abelar]

He absolutely cannot take meds. For some reason he has a very bad reaction to all of them, and he's been on almost all of them too. He was actually developing ALS type symptoms and went down to 135 lbs, and he's over 6ft. When he quit the meds he physically recovered pretty fast, just not mentally.