No one is saying you’re crazy but it may help your Social Security case
Now, before you lose your mind and think that I am implying that you need to put that you’re CRAZY on your application for disability benefits, I AM NOT!!!!! LOL
When you apply for Disability benefits, it is important that you be honest and truthful about all of your medical conditions that affect that your ability to work.
In this situation, I’m talking to those people who are too proud to admit that they have other issues going on in their medical life that keep them from being able to work. In some instances, when people are applying for Social Security Disability benefits, they are applying based on one condition that they CLEARLY feel is the sole reason that is keeping them from working.
However, most people don’t realize that when Social Security Administration is evaluating whether you are disabled or not, they are looking at the combination of all of the person’s impairments and not just one. However, you have to be careful about a few things:
1) Mention impairments that impact your ability to work
Listen, when you apply for Social Security, don’t take the ‘kitchen sink’ approach. Don’t use this as the opportunity to talk about everything that bother you. The important thing is to focus on those conditions that effect your ability to work.
2) If you are depressed, don’t be ashamed to tell them
For some odd reason, people get embarrassed to admit that they have talked to a doctor about being depressed or that they are being treated for depression. More importantly, people have this fear that they may be viewed differently if people were to find out. Remember, if your depression or anxiety or other mental health problems affect your ability to work, Social Security needs to know about it. These things can actually help your case.
3) If you’ve gotten treatment, let them know
If you went to a therapist or a counselor or a psychiatrist, let Social Security know about it. If you are having additional problems that require you to get treatment, don’t be SHY. Let SSA know so they can determine if it impacts your case.
4) No one will know the reason you get disability except YOU!!
Your disability determination is NOT public record. Your family and friends can’t call the Social Security Administration and find why you’re on disability. That information is private to you and your case. Don’t let it frustrate you. It is private for a reason.
5) They will consider it if you say it.
Remember, SSA is going to investigate information that is provided to them about your case. Don’t HIDE information that may be helpful. Take a hard look at your conditions because it’s better to be upfront now than to make them try and figure out what’s wrong with you.
The important thing to remember is that Social Security has a big responsibility in evaluating all of your conditions as it relates to your ability to work. Don’t be shy about sharing the information because it can go along way to help your case.
Anthony Reeves
http://www.reevesfirm.com
Dedicated to representing the Disabled and the Discriminated
Happy Anniversary
Greetings, Ladies and Gentlemen.
I want to thank you for your support and assistance with joining me as a guest or providing me with my guests for my shows. As always, I’m grateful and I am available to provide any assistance whenever you need it. I want to give a special thanks to those who have read my post on my BLAWG, “The LegalBEAT”, and I hope I have provided some meaningful and product insight for you.
This coming October 2009 is an exciting time for me. Effective October 1, 2009, my law firm will celebrate its TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY. In addition, October 2009 will constitute my TWO AND A HALF YEAR anniversary of “IN THE KNOW with Tony Reeves”. And FINALLY, my BLAWG “THE LegalBEAT” will celebrate over THREE YEARS of postings! To celebrate these great milestones, I am RE-vamping, RE-packaging, and RE-PRESENTING my firm, my blogs, and my shows starting October 7, 2009! As always, I am reaching out to you because YOUR contributions are the main reasons that I have been successful.
As I prepare my schedule for the upcoming Fall, I want to be the first to extend to you the opportunity to return as a guest on my show in order to share with me some of your great updates. Feel free to provide me with any new music you have. Also, now is the time to give me the chance showcase some of your fabulous colleagues. Please don’t be shy about letting me know WHO YOU think the WORLD NEEDS to KNOW ABOUT and I will make sure that the world is “IN THE KNOW”. And finally, please let me know if my postings have been helpful. I want to make sure I’m giving some meaningful contributions.
Again, thanks for your time and your contributions. Of course, I know that know that technology can be a beast sometimes so I want to make sure you have the ability to contact me. If you have any difficulty with this e-mail, I can, also, be reached ‘anthony@reevesfirm.com’.
Welcome to my anniversary celebration and I look forward to growing with you.
Sincerely,
Anthony
Watch out for your loved ones and make sure they don’t hurt themselves
Only a few weeks have passed since the death of the icon, Michael Jackson, and, as I had previously posted before, more and more legal lessons are coming to the front based on the tragedy of his life and the unexpected heart felt loss due to his death.
Alot of talk and speculation has centered around the administering of a drug, propofol, that was allegedly provided to Michael in order to help him with his insomnia.
For those of you who don’t know, Propofol is a drug that reduces anxiety and tension, and promotes relaxation and sleep or loss of consciousness. See Propofol, http://www.drugs.com/propofol.html. Propofol provides loss of awareness for short diagnostic tests and surgical procedures, sleep at the beginning of surgery, and supplements other types of general anesthetics. See id. Propofol is for injection into a vein. See id. It is given by trained anesthesia professionals in a controlled environment. See id.
Rare cases of self-administration of DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion by health care professionals have been reported, including some fatalities. See Diprivan (Propofol) Drug Information: Side Effects and Drug Interactions, http://www.rxlist.com/diprivan-drug.htm. DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion should be managed to prevent the risk of diversion, including restriction of access and accounting procedures as appropriate to the clinical setting. See id.
Now, this post isn’t a clinical diagnosis or a discussion of the medical implications behind the decisions to administer this substance. The real question are “Should this have been given to Michael at HOME as opposed to a traditional clinical setting like a hospital” AND “Did MICHAEL appreciate that this substance is so dangerous that it NEEDS to be administered in a clinical setting?”
As the facts of this situation start to come out, once again, Michael is teaching us more and more things since his death. I, again, say that I am in no way, shape or form passing judgment but just stop for a second and think about this thought. If Michael KNEW that this substance was serious and hired a medical staff to, among other things, administer this substance to him at home as opposed to traditional setting, what does that say about Michael? Again, I say, before you lose your mind and burn me to the ground, follow this thought process.
If you’ve dealt with someone who has had an addiction to a legal or illegal substance, at some point, the individual may be unconsciously or consciously trying to do whatever they can to get that substance (even if they don’t need or shouldn’t need it). This behavior is referred to as “Drug Seeking” behavior and it is a powerful behavior. Even though the person may not know that the substances they are obtaining is not good for them or if they stop appreciating the significance and severity of the substance, the person may still take all measures to obtain this substance.
Once a person finds themself in this position, you have to be careful because they may lack the ability to truly appreciate the fact that they may be harming themselves.
That’s when YOU as a loved one may need to step in to intervene. At this point, if the person is taking action that is causing them to harm themselves, you may have to decide if you need to take aggressive legal action to protect them from themselves. You can only pray with them or plead with them or threaten them so much.
What am I saying? Can you sue them to stop? No, that’s not what I mean. You may have to look to intervention like counseling, friends, family, and the community. You may have to participate in group therapy. In the worse case scenario, you may have to look possibly having them involuntarily admitted to a medical facility (in florida, it’s called the BAKER ACT). Almost every state has some type of provision which allows individuals to contact law enforcement and have someone involuntarily admitted for an evaluation to ascertain their status.
I’m not saying it is easy. NO ONE wants to put their loved ones in a mental facility. It’s not fun and it is a crushing blow to the ego of the individual you are doing it.
However, tough times may call for tough measures. Try everything you can. Group intervention. Church intervention. Family / loved ones. Anything you can but remember, if you truly love someone, you may have to take whatever steps necessary to SAVE them from themselves.
Life (and the bills) don’t stop just because you can’t work
One of the hardest things to tell my clients is to “hold on”. It’s really hard. It’s tough because most people are forced to have to evaluate how they are going to survive while waiting for their case to be resolved.
Unfortunately, it’s not an easy situation. Usually there is no magical fund or nest egg or any extra government program that will provide you the resources to pay your bills or keep the lights on while you wait.
Here are some tips that you may want to think about (Even if you don’t want to explore them):
1) 3Fs, part 1 & 2!! Family and Friends! Almost any form of charity starts with your personal resources. Most people are proud and don’t want to feel like they are looking for a hand out. However, in this economy, if you are in a position where you are waiting for your case to be resolved, I would advise you to look seriously at your family and friends for help during these times.
2) 3Fs, part 3! Faith! You would be surprised by the number of resources your church has. Most people don’t realize that the church is usually the focal point for a variety of different charities which may be able to help you.
3) Social Services. Almost every city, county or state has some form of social services which can assist you with your situation. The best part is that Social Services is a gateway to a variety of other services that may be available to you.
4) Community services. Don’t sleep on the non profit organizations. In this time of need, they are a crucial point of support and guidance. These organizations typically have connections to both private and government entities which may help you.
It is really tough to have to deal with these situations but it is tougher when you don’t have money in a banking account that can help you. Don’t be afraid to reach out to these resources. They can help you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Please don’t wait to go to the doctor
One of the things that thoroughly amazes me is the number of persons who wait a significant length of time to pass before receiving any type of treatment for their injury or illness. Now, don’t get me wrong. I totally understand that some people just don’t have the money to get the treatment that they need. However, there are some people who have the insurance and the ability to get treatment but will not do so for what ever reason.
Unfortunately, the down side is that the longer you wait to get treatment, the worse your condition may become. In addition, some programs that rely on medical records may not be sympathetic about relating back. When I say “Relate Back”, what I mean is making the assumption that a medical condition has existed longer than the medical records indicate. For instance, if you hurt your back in January but you didn’t seek treatment until December, you may have a hard time demonstrating that your back problems resulted from your injury in January.
Now, I’m not saying that you can’t relate back. I”m just saying that it becomes difficult to demonstrate a causal link between an injury or illness if you allow a long period of time to pass before you start seeking treatment.
Just remember, if you have an illness or injury that needs treatment, don’t wait. The sooner you get it evaluated, the better you will feel. In addition, the more helpful it may be to your case.
