Agoraphobia & Social Anxiety Support Group
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder, often precipitated by the fear of having a panic attack in a setting from which there is no easy means of escape. As a result, sufferers of agoraphobia may avoid public and/or unfamiliar places. In severe cases, the sufferer may become confined to their home, experiencing difficulty traveling from this "safe place."
Hello. I am hoping someone can offer advice on how I should proceed.
My condition is panic disorder with agoraphobia and depression. ADHD might also be in there but docs not sure if it is due to the anxiety.
I would like to apply for social security disability benefits. But being agoraphobic its a difficult challenge for me.
My therapist assigned this physc social worker to me who has no clue what being agoraphobic is. She is new and is supposed to help me with some challenges in my life, but its not working.
I was told told by her, that getting disability is a challenge. I would need to hire a lawyer, go there in person to apply and then go to court to fight for these benefits.
How can she not understand that this is not possible for me to do. I cant even go to the grocery store with panic and fear.
Is there any way for me to get disability benefits without having to leave the house and engage with a lot of people?
My condition is panic disorder with agoraphobia and depression. ADHD might also be in there but docs not sure if it is due to the anxiety.
I would like to apply for social security disability benefits. But being agoraphobic its a difficult challenge for me.
My therapist assigned this physc social worker to me who has no clue what being agoraphobic is. She is new and is supposed to help me with some challenges in my life, but its not working.
I was told told by her, that getting disability is a challenge. I would need to hire a lawyer, go there in person to apply and then go to court to fight for these benefits.
How can she not understand that this is not possible for me to do. I cant even go to the grocery store with panic and fear.
Is there any way for me to get disability benefits without having to leave the house and engage with a lot of people?
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On Saturday, while I was at yard sales with my best friend, my lawn guy texted me that he did my lawn. This costs me $70 every two weeks or so. I don't have great grass so sometimes, he skips. Anyway, I paid him on CashApp when I got home. On Sunday morning, he texted me again, to say goodbye because he was moving. My little thinking cap went on and I thought about how I am healthier...
And yes, it IS challenging and they more often than not DO turn people down the first time and quite often the second and sometimes even the third time, too. (Think of the millions they save by doing so. They know it's stressful and that many people will just give up and go away.)
I tried myself, the first time.
I was rejected.
Then I went with ALLSUP.
You can check them out at ALLSUP.com .
They have a 97% success rate, I assume because they only take cases they are pretty certain they can win.
They were wonderful!!!!
I have phone phobia, so even calling them was horrible for me, LOL!!!
But they were so polite and helpful and made everything fairly easy to understand and best of all, as far as *I* was concerned, they told me that if SS contacted me or sent me anything, I didn't even have to talk to them. I should just refer them to my lawyers -- ALLSUP. I never had to have direct contact with SS again.
And I never had to see anyone from ALLSUP, either. It was just via the phone.
There was some stuff that ALLSUP sent me through the mail or Emailed me that I had to fill out about how my disability affects my day to day living, etc., and then send back to them, but I didn't have to go anywhere.
And ALLSUP told me I would probably be turned down at the second level, too, and I was. But I prevailed at the third. (They have the stats on their website, as to what percentage of people make it or don't at the various stages.)
They charge about 25% of the backpay you get when you're finally approved (or did at the time, anyway) but there's a cap on how much they can take and I was more than happy to pay what it was. They held my hand all through the process, which I really needed.
If I were you, I would call them up and sound them out before you even start the process. Like I say, I tried on my own first. If there's a way for you to start without having to go there, they probably know what it is. You don't have to commit to them just for hearing what they have to offer.
I don't think you SHOULD have to 'hire' a lawyer.
Almost all Disability lawyers work on contingency. They get a portion of what you get with the first check which will be all the money you accrue from when you first apply for Disability to when you actually get the check. When I got mine, it was 10 months worth of payments. Some people drag through the system for a couple of years before they get theirs. Others only wait a few months!
Good luck!!! It's not fun, but it will be so worth it, in the end!!!