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Sunday, August 02, 2009 schizophrenic asks

Q: if diagnosed with schizophrenia am i eligible for disability benefits?

i've been diagnosed with schizophrenia,do you think i will get approved for disability?

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Answers (2)
Christina Bruni, Health Guide
8/ 3/09 8:48am

Hello,

 

In order to qualify for government disability benefits your illness must prevent you from working and be a total disability.  There can be no question of the person being able to work at some point in the immediate future.  So someone with schizophrenia who cannot work at all and ihas a disability according to the government can submit the application for SSD and SSI.  For more information, log on to their website, www.socialsecurity.gov

By the way, I collected disability checks for three years before I found my first full-time job with health benefits.  You may also be eligible for Medicare and Medicaid if the governmet considers you to have a disability.

 

If the government SSA office denies you, you can request a fair hearing to state your case as to why you think you're eligible for benefits.  If this happens, you may want to get a lawyer to represent you.

 

Regards,

Christina

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8/ 5/09 3:12am
It is a dilemma. It is very hard for a person that has problems relating well to other people to be able hold a job. I knew another person with sz and he was just so full of thoughts and suspicions etc., there was no way that he could ever get along in a job setting. On the other hand, that is likely something on the order of what he needs. I tried to help him a bit but it was just so hard to coexist with a person like that because of all of the suggestions or accusation that he would come out with. The tension was just so thick. Instead of having his mind on a job task, he would likely be concerned with so many things that he didn't need to be concerned with but it was many years, something like thirty years, that he had not worked and that was something like thirty years ago. He said that he would try to pray and try to go to church but apparently even those things he was not able to do so well. It is just totally debilitating. It is such a shock that a person with good arms and legs is unable to work like that and there is almost nothing anyone can do to help. Reply
10/ 4/09 1:42am

please i need help!!

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Christina Bruni, Health Guide
10/ 4/09 11:18am

David,

 

Please explain your short one sentence reply.

 

Are you the person who posted the question about how to collect disability benefits?  If so, you may need to have an advocate help you with the process of applying, going before the fair hearing, and in general providing support to you as you deal with this issue.  Your local NAMI affiliate in the U.S. might have a person who can help you.  Call (800) 950-NAMI (6264) to find out the name and number of the affiliate in your city or town if you live in the US.  Then call, and explain and see if they have a person who could be your advocate.

 

Regards,

Chris

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By schizophrenic— Last Modified: 10/26/11, First Published: 08/02/09