I might have to take a medical exam for social security disability?!


Question:

I might have to take a medical exam for social security disability?

I have been denied ssdi twice, and have decided go through an attorney, many of whom say I will need a medical exam. I am 37 and have been dealing with neurological disorders since 5. I have never applied for assistance, just delt with it. what should I expect? how can an exam show OCD,OCP,PTSS, & ADHD? I take 300mg effexor XL, 50 mg ritilin, and 200mg lamectal. will they do a full work up, blood urine,respritory,etc....? or is it just a quick once over? I have a class A California license, I don't want to be sited with use of controlled substances!


Answers:

Being accepted for SSDI is not a matter of having various medical conditions but rather how those conditions prevent you from working or from being employable. Therefore it is important to note HOW the symptoms from those illnesses have impacted upon your work. Examples such as: "I need to check and recheck the addresses on the envelopes so much that I can't get the mail out on time," or " I rush through my work so fast that I make a lot of errors which if not caught can cost my company money. Besides the fact that someone else has to take time away from their duties just to check up on me." "Certain people scare me and I can't wait on them."

It is important to know the essential functions of the positions that you have held and show how your illness has made it hard or even sometimes impossible to do your job. How many times have you been fired, or had to quit because you couldn"t handle the dutiesor pressures of your job.? How do your disabilities hinder you from finding a job?

A medical exam may include a psychological evaluation which would probably include taking a or some pencil and paper tests that look at your personality and maybe intelligence. It will also include a clinical interview.

Another medical exam may be from a psychiatrist who will perform a clinical interview and maybe recommend a "full work up" as you say. In either event, it will be important to point out how your disabilities interfere with or prevent you from being employed.

There is another area that the application process covers which is self-care. How do you take care of yourself, structure your day, can you get up in the morning or get adequate sleep. How many other medical conditions do you have that are either stress related or made worse by stress? How much do you depend upon other people to help you do these common things? The list can go on and on.

Social Security has a webpage and a section deals with what is looked at in determining who is disabled. It is more comprehensive than I can be in this note.

Regarding your driver's license, if you ever have to go through drug testing, all you have to do is list ALL of the medications that you are taking and identify the doctor who prescribes them. You may need to take the prescription bottles along with you, I am not sure. You note that I said ALL of your medications - that includes over the counter meds and especially decongestants or the other meds used in treating colds and such. They stay in your system for a long time and will show up in drug testing. Also, some of the other psychotrophic medications will create a "false positive" so it is neccessary to list all of them.

You don't say who is prescribing your medication or how it is being monitored. I would recommend seeing a pyschiatrist or at least a Certified Nurse Practioner or Physcian's Assistant who are trained in psychiatric treatment and have access to supervision from a psychiatrist. You have a complicated set of medical conditions which may not be adequatelly treated by a general doctor. If you are seeing a counselor, it would be good to get their input as well - especially as how your employment or employability has been impacted upon by your disabilities.

It may be to your advantage to apply for a program called (at least in this State) Vocational Rehabilitiation. It is a nation wide program, sometimes administered by Job Services or the Dept of Labor whose primary goal is to help individuals obtain or maintain appropriate employment.

As for my sources, well I know these things personally and professionally. I hope some of it is helpful for you. Take care.




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