When Dandelion found out her doctor didn’t support her disability application, she had to make a tough decision. Dandelion was kind enough to share her story to help others.
DANDELION’S DOCTOR DOESN’T SUPPORT HER
I worked for 20 years as a teacher for young people with disabilities. I loved my job, and did not want to leave, but my mental health symptoms became worse and worse after my parents died. Eventually it was so severe, I could not get out of bed, and was missing meals, not bathing and barely functioning.
I had been trying different medications for years and nothing improved my symptoms. I had been switched on and off more than ten different medications, and several had made me feel suicidal.
I had been seeing my psychiatrist for seven years and she knew how bad things were, but when I told her I was applying for disability she said, “Disability is really hard to get. I don’t think you will get approved.” She told me working would be good for me, and she was going to find new medications and get me back to work. I left her office and never returned. It was the best decision I have ever made in my life.
MY NEW DOCTOR
I visited several psychologists and psychiatrists and got referrals before I found one who specialized in my condition and really seemed to understand and support me. My new doctor was helpful from the very first day I went to visit.
He took excellent notes with details about all my symptoms and functional impairments. When I requested copies of my notes, he told his front desk staff to let me have copies. I brought him an RFC form and he sat with me during the appointment and talked through each of the questions. At every doctor’s visit, we talked about what symptoms and problems I was having that week and he wrote this in my chart.
After several more medication switches, he found one that helped stabilized a few of my symptoms a small amount, but I was still unable to work or function or leave the house most days.
I got approved for disability, and I have passed every medical review and have never had a problem. My symptoms are still very severe, but at least I have steady income, health insurance, and I am not homeless. I thank God I walked out on that first doctor.
CAUTIONARY TALE
Sadly, I have a friend who made a different choice. She told her doctor she was applying for disability, but her doctor told her working would be good for her, and disability would make her too depressed.
Later the doctor wrote in her file that he believed she should try working and that would be therapeutic. My friend kept seeing that doctor, and every time she went there was a new medical record created that stays permanently in her file, so her file just kept getting worse and worse.
My friend’s disability application has been denied for three years, her lawyer dropped her case, she had to sell her house, and she will be homeless in a few months.
The doctor was wrong. She is too sick to work.
THANKS FOR READING
🌷 This page is part of the free online guide: The Sleepy Girl Guide to Social Security Disability
🌷 Learn more about this topic here: Does My Doctor Support My Disability Application?
🌷 And here: What To Do If Your Doctor Does Not Support Your Disability Application
🌷 Art on this page by Robin Mead and Elizabeth D’Angelo.
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How to Get On 
I am going through this same scenerio. And is the exact reason why I searched for sites like yours
My primary Dr. has already made it known to me that the entire Medical facility is not allowed to help patients with any disability forms or any statements for or against you. And this is our main medical center in my town. So, the only other Dr. that I see on a regular basis would be my Pain Management Dr. He has filled out some of the forms my employer has requested, Reasonable Accommodation, ect… However, this latest form, C95 Physician’s Review, was a different story.
He answered all the questions,except #7c, so the form was denied by the State disabled workers program. I had to resubmit it to him asking if he would please answer 7c.
I explained how important this answer was going to be for me. As the question is as follows,
“In your opinion, is the patient permanently & totally disabled for employment?” His answer was UNCERTAIN..ughhg
What kind of answer is this, I thought to myself.
I just Sat down and cried after reading his answer.
I’m currently still waiting to see if it will once again be “denied” or not. Either way, I’m not sure what/where I am to do now that I know where he stands when it comes right down to it.
Any suggestions you can give me as to what my next steps should be? If your own doctors aren’t allowed to or dont want to get involved, what are you supposed to do?
Going back to either one of my Doctor’s to ” have a talk with” regarding my case, is not an option for me at this point. Any other suggestions regarding this scenario I’ve found my self in?
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So sorry to hear this.
I have not seen any disability programs that require permanently disabled (except maybe student loan discharges)… this seems like a very high bar to me?
Maybe you could look up the guidelines for P&T for your state program. I know for dept of ed, they define “Permanent” as being disabled for at least five years, and they define “totally” as unable to work full time. Some doctors are way more willing to sign off on a definition like that.
For doc that can’t fill out forms, if they are truly not allowed, they are still allowed to put their medical opinion in their office visit notes. You could bring a list of questions/information you’d like included in your records and talk about it while your doctor is typing office notes. Doctor doesn’t have to declare you disabled, but it can include specific observations about your functioning and limitations which can be very helpful.
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Doctor are the gatekeepers……….
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In my situation it’s not my doctor it’s the staff that refuse to let my paper be fill out by the doctor the secretary advise that they would not fill them out. Although thelawyer asked for my primary doctor opinion.
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It’s very common for staff people at doctors offices to say this. If you can try setting up an appointment and speaking directly to your doctor sometimes they will work with you. Hope this helps. https://howtogeton.wordpress.com/2017/01/23/how-to-get-your-doctor-to-fill-out-paperwork-when-your-doctor-wont-fill-out-paperwork/
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