How do u survive isolation?

I think isolation is the worst thing for my mental health. But I can’t find a way around it. I have no car or income, I was denied SSI or SSDI based on having been in college and not worked into the system enough to be awarded SSI. They basically pretend that I dont have schizophrenia when I attempt to appeal or claim anything for it. Last time I was denied they didnt do a medical review. I dont know how to pull strings or work the system, but having no income directly relates to the fact i cant leave the house and Im very limited in social interaction.

3 Likes

Is there an employment agency that can help you get a job? Else, can you get a disability lawyer to appeal again?

2 Likes

I keep trying to bring this up to my dad but he is too busy. He doesn’t think I can handle the jobs around here. I dont know of any employment agencies for people with disabilties. The local ones offer jobs in factories and warehouses. I cant physically meet up with the demands at warehouses and the noise makes me hallucinate. I have never held a full time job so I think this is why my dad thinks I should focus on just taking one class and trying something around human services–I am better with people and Im socially adaptable. That may also be why I was denied SSI, the people in the hearing–the judge was nicer than the other person who assesses jobs you could do. But the judge still denied an appeal or review so he wasn’t that nice.

So I think my next option would be to try another disability lawyer. I think human services jobs are difficult. I dont know how to use a cash register, but I would like training its just hard to find and work out without any vehicle of my own to use.

1 Like

Hire a disability attorney
This will help you

2 Likes

I wish I could help, but I tend to thrive in isolation. I even have a remote working position as an insurance broker that suits me well. The massive lockdowns in the spring of 2020 were just amazing to me. I’ve never seen society more … civilized.

2 Likes

I think I should work on acceptance more. Accepting my situation, my limits, and not trying to fix something that can’t be fixed. It’s more that I am insecure about the future, I obsess on situations where everything could fall apart. I’m fine the way things are. I just need to practice mental health, exercise more, and focus on staying true to my values.

Last night I did some watercolor painting and that really improved my mood. I think I would love to share artwork and eventually list it for the love of sharing the art and other people having it…I might not make an income, it would be more of a hobby…but I can do this.

For christmas I got an artwork set from my dad. I honestly think it was the best present he ever got me. I got my dad a book by Ken Follett because I got him Pillars of the Earth and he loved the book…

My birthday is coming up in 10 days. I am looking forward to seeing my brother and spending time with fam. and a couple friends.

4 Likes

Are you keeping a recovery journal? I started at the recommendation of a friend in AA because he was seeing improvment in me that I was not. It turned out that I was actually starting to do better over time, but didn’t realize it because the change was so incremental. Having a record of where I was to compare where I was at now really helped motivate me to keep going.

Something to try that may help?

1 Like

ooh good idea haha. that was also one of my goals for the new years was to start journaling again…

smart people do that. Da Vinci carried around a journal. have this little book Im going to start jotting down thoughts or little notes/records of observations.

It really helped me. I make a point of keeping on with it. I store mine on Google Drive now. It basically lists how I’m feeling, what I feel is still a problem that I want to work on, and how I’m doing with certain benchmark tasks. (I time myself reading page of text or do some math problems and score myself).

1 Like

@anon57496651 Try to find work you can handle that is safe from covid to build up your work credits. Make sure your SZ is well documented by your doctors. Maybe when you are ready to apply again you will have a stronger case. I had 20 years of work history and 15 years of SZ documented and got approved for SSDI in 3 mos without a hearing.

Maybe work with your pDoc or therapist to figure out what you are able to do for work. Either way, from what I know, medical documentation is really important. Then work history. But if you don’t have work history and your medical records show how disabled you are, you can still get approved.

A good attorney helps too.

1 Like

If you hire a disability attorney, you don’t have to pay up front. If you are awarded disability, they take a small percentage of your back pay. Most attorneys I know of take the case after you’ve been out of work a year so they can get paid. Honestly, it’s the best way to get disability

2 Likes

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.