Schizophrenia - General Discussion

Jose Ward4 said:Hey everyone. Has anyone here ever gone through a disability evaluation? I’m headed in for mine shortly, so I was wondering if you could share what your experience was like. I’m heading over to the Social Security office near downtown Phoenix because that’s where my dad went back in the day, so they just put me on the list too. Is it actually hard to get approved, and what kind of rights am I looking at once it's settled?

I actually went for my disability assessment in St. Louis just a few weeks ago. I was met by this incredibly cold, indifferent individual who seemed solely interested in checking off boxes on my paperwork rather than actually listening to me talk about my condition.

It seems to me that while securing a high disability rating might be relatively straightforward, those documents don't seem to carry much weight afterward.

And yet... it is still wise to have them, isn't it? One can never truly know when someone might attempt to deny a right you have already established, so having that official determination from the evaluator provides a necessary sense of security.

I honestly can't get over how much people underestimate the sheer scale of certain things. It’s like when you look at a massive skyline in Chicago and think, "Yeah, I get it," but then you actually stand under those skyscrapers and realize just how small you really are. It hits you all at once. There’s this specific feeling of being dwarfed by something much larger than yourself, whether it's a building or a massive corporate entity like Amazon. It stays with you. You can't just shake it off. It’s humbling, really. Truly humbling. kaže:
A few weeks back, I had to head out to St. Louis for a medical evaluation. Honestly? It was such a letdown. I ended up sitting across from this guy who felt completely cold—just totally indifferent to the whole situation. He didn't care about my actual health struggles or what I was going through at all. He just kept staring at his clipboard, demanding paperwork after paperwork. It felt more like an audit than a conversation about my well-being.

I honestly feel like getting a high disability rating during an evaluation is actually pretty easy these days. It seems like you can walk in and walk out with a massive percentage without much of a fight. But then again, if everyone is pulling those kinds of numbers, it makes me wonder if those documents even carry any real weight anymore. Does anyone else feel like the whole system is just losing its teeth?

And here we go again... Honestly, though, it’s always good to have them on hand. You can never truly predict when someone might try to strip away a right you've already earned. It’s one of those things. When you actually have that expert's stamp of approval on paper? That’s your shield. Case closed.

How long did that actually take you? Like, an hour or two? And besides all those questions about health issues, what else were they grilling you on? Also, what kind of benefits are we talking about here if you end up qualifying for disability?

Jose Ward4 said:

I honestly can't get over how much people underestimate the sheer scale of certain things. It’s like when you look at a massive skyline in Chicago and think, "Yeah, I get it," but then you actually stand under those skyscrapers and realize just how small you really are. It hits you all at once. There’s this specific feeling of being dwarfed by something much larger than yourself, whether it's a building or a massive corporate entity like Amazon. It stays with you. You can't just shake it off. It’s humbling, really. Truly humbling. kaže:
A few weeks back, I had to head out to St. Louis for a medical evaluation. Honestly? It was such a letdown. I ended up sitting across from this guy who felt completely cold—just totally indifferent to the whole situation. He didn't care about my actual health struggles or what I was going through at all. He just kept staring at his clipboard, demanding paperwork after paperwork. It felt more like an audit than a conversation about my well-being.

I honestly feel like getting a high disability rating during an evaluation is actually pretty easy these days. It seems like you can walk in and walk out with a massive percentage without much of a fight. But then again, if everyone is pulling those kinds of numbers, it makes me wonder if those documents even carry any real weight anymore. Does anyone else feel like the whole system is just losing its teeth?

And here we go again... Honestly, though, it’s always good to have them on hand. You can never truly predict when someone might try to strip away a right you've already earned. It’s one of those things. When you actually have that expert's stamp of approval on paper? That’s your shield. Case closed.

How long did that actually take you? Like, an hour or two? And besides all those questions about health issues, what else were they grilling you on? Also, what kind of benefits are we talking about here if you end up qualifying for disability?

I am telling you, he wasn't even listening to a word I said; his eyes were glued strictly to those documents. I honestly expected him to be dressed in some sort of clinical white coat or something equally professional to bolster his authority, but instead, he was just wearing some plain, everyday work shirt. Or at least, I had anticipated seeing a formal business suit.

The whole process lasted less than ten minutes—though, truthfully, it probably would have been over in two or three if I had simply kept my mouth shut.

So, here’s how it usually goes down for me. It’s like, one or two minutes tops—mostly because I just sit there in silence with them. I only really start talking when I’m actually feeling inspired by the people around me. With psychiatrists? Yeah, basically nothing.

Honestly, I don't even bother if they aren't listening anyway. But hey, whatever, nobody listens to me [except maybe some agents and agencies monitoring the web, I guess.] 🙂

Carol Barrett2 said:So, here’s how it usually goes down for me. It’s like, one or two minutes tops—mostly because I just sit there in silence with them. I only really start talking when I’m actually feeling inspired by the people around me. With psychiatrists? Yeah, basically nothing.

Honestly, I don't even bother if they aren't listening anyway. But hey, whatever, nobody listens to me [except maybe some agents and agencies monitoring the web, I guess.] 🙂

If one were seeking to maximize the likelihood of securing a higher disability rating, would it not be highly advantageous to attend the evaluation accompanied by an immediate family member? It is truly essential to have a mother, a father, or perhaps an adult brother or sister by one's side during such a critical process.

I have recently learned that even those who consider themselves highly skilled can sometimes act quite unkindly toward individuals who are deafblind. Is it perhaps because they lack the fundamental tools to communicate effectively with them? It is a heartbreaking reality, especially considering there are nearly 400 such individuals living right here in America.

Look, I’m not even from there. In my neck of the woods—back in the States—it’s basically an uphill battle trying to get disability benefits based on some medical craziness. Getting social security? Forget about it. It’s not quite impossible, per se, but it’s close enough.

Hardly anyone actually manages to pull off getting disability or welfare. Usually, it’s only people who have been causing trouble or those lucky enough to be inheriting some kind of family pension or whatever else.

And honestly, that goes for both of them.

We wouldn't even need to rely on pensions or social safety nets if things were different. Technology has advanced to such an incredible degree that, if it weren't for the relentless grip of human greed, wouldn't it be entirely possible for any single person to work just three or four hours a day to cover their basic needs? Perhaps five hours would suffice for those seeking a bit more comfort, while those with families might reasonably work six or seven.

But alas, we must continue to drive up oil prices and make life increasingly difficult for the struggling masses.

Nicole Barrett76 said:We wouldn't even need to rely on pensions or social safety nets if things were different. Technology has advanced to such an incredible degree that, if it weren't for the relentless grip of human greed, wouldn't it be entirely possible for any single person to work just three or four hours a day to cover their basic needs? Perhaps five hours would suffice for those seeking a bit more comfort, while those with families might reasonably work six or seven.

But alas, we must continue to drive up oil prices and make life increasingly difficult for the struggling masses.

That's a very real possibility, but let's face it—it’s just not how people are wired. Human nature isn't built around chasing social justice; it's built around the relentless pursuit of amassing more wealth than the next guy...

darksurfer4 said:That's a very real possibility, but let's face it—it’s just not how people are wired. Human nature isn't built around chasing social justice; it's built around the relentless pursuit of amassing more wealth than the next guy...

If we were actually living under a fascist regime, we would have been wiped out in a heartbeat. Those old fairytales about communism never truly took root anyway, but under this brand of cutthroat capitalism we're dealing with now, we're just being phased out slowly. Unless you happen to be lucky enough to rely on some kind of family pension—ideally something like a veteran's benefit, which a colleague was mentioning a few posts up earlier—you're basically on your own.

I mean, finding a job is hard enough as it is—let alone actually landing one where they don't just work you into the ground and pay you peanuts.
It’s even worse if you're dealing with a medical diagnosis, especially when you throw a lack of education into the mix.

That’s why I made that post. Right now, I’ve got nothing—not even any government assistance to fall back on.

Honestly, that’s probably why my health has totally tanked, both physically and mentally. Everything just feels like it's falling apart. And it's not just me—it's hitting my whole family too.

I honestly thought about inheriting my parents' Social Security benefits, but looking at the math, it doesn't really make sense anymore. I’m pulling in nearly as much as those two combined anyway. Back then, pensions were set at $0.90, but I've been digging through the legal fine print, and apparently, if you have any decent income, you aren't eligible for anything. People always try to find loopholes, of course, but there's a massive catch: even if I managed to qualify for disability, the second I decide to start my own business or go freelance down the road, they just yank everything away. It’s infuriating. If only we were like Norway—man, things would be different over there. They basically hand out $500 regardless of whether you're working or not. But we're definitely not living that life. Honestly, I doubt I'll ever see a dime from this, and I've heard how impossible the bureaucracy can be, but I guess I'll look into it. I've got nothing to lose, right? Happy Easter btw.

I mean, obviously, Norway has all that oil money, so they can afford to throw cash around if they want to.

Anyway, I’m jumping in to say congrats to whoever is celebrating.

I’m certainly no expert when it comes to the specifics of everyone's income—that’s a bit outside my wheelhouse—but I absolutely wanted to jump in and join the chorus of warm wishes for Easter!🙂

It’s tough navigating life with that diagnosis; I have nothing but respect for anyone who manages to pull it off. :-)

Rebecca Rivera3 said:It’s tough navigating life with that diagnosis; I have nothing but respect for anyone who manages to pull it off. :-)

I truly believe that anyone can make it 😉 if they have the genuine drive to do so. Sure, dealing with those specific hurdles adds a layer of difficulty—but hey, even for people without those challenges, life isn't always easy.

I’ve been diagnosed with residual schizophrenia at a state hospital in Chicago—though I’m convinced the diagnosis is wrong, which is honestly just frustrating. The psychologist who tested me made this whole distinction between positive and negative symptoms; she claims I have the negative ones. But so what if I’m withdrawn? I’m certainly not the only one. Does being introverted automatically make me some kind of severe psychiatric case? I mean, I have definitely dealt with my fair share of struggles in life—but I don't think they have anything to do with schizophrenia.

Jason Kim6 said:I’ve been diagnosed with residual schizophrenia at a state hospital in Chicago—though I’m convinced the diagnosis is wrong, which is honestly just frustrating. The psychologist who tested me made this whole distinction between positive and negative symptoms; she claims I have the negative ones. But so what if I’m withdrawn? I’m certainly not the only one. Does being introverted automatically make me some kind of severe psychiatric case? I mean, I have definitely dealt with my fair share of struggles in life—but I don't think they have anything to do with schizophrenia.

Personally, I’m quite an introvert myself and I don't see any issue with that—though, of course, staying social is important since we are social creatures by nature!

Angela Stewart6 said:Personally, I’m quite an introvert myself and I don't see any issue with that—though, of course, staying social is important since we are social creatures by nature!

I completely agree—I actually love being around people. It’s a shame I’m so withdrawn, which I guess stems from how my parents basically traumatized me when I was little. If it were up to me, I’d be meeting new people and having deep conversations every single day. I really don't see how I could have schizophrenia. A lady next door—who happens to be a friend's mom and a nurse, so she actually knows a bit about psychiatry—told me that I'm not mentally ill, but that there are other things going on with me. She wouldn't quite specify what those issues were, though.
btw—I used to have this fear of castration—which I've realized now comes from my parents being incredibly strict and neurotizing me about masturbation when I was a kid—but honestly, even that isn't a symptom of schizophrenia. hmmm

Jason Kim6 said:I completely agree—I actually love being around people. It’s a shame I’m so withdrawn, which I guess stems from how my parents basically traumatized me when I was little. If it were up to me, I’d be meeting new people and having deep conversations every single day. I really don't see how I could have schizophrenia. A lady next door—who happens to be a friend's mom and a nurse, so she actually knows a bit about psychiatry—told me that I'm not mentally ill, but that there are other things going on with me. She wouldn't quite specify what those issues were, though.
btw—I used to have this fear of castration—which I've realized now comes from my parents being incredibly strict and neurotizing me about masturbation when I was a kid—but honestly, even that isn't a symptom of schizophrenia. hmmm

Well, we all have our own baggage to carry. Maybe they were just even more traumatized than you were, which actually made them better parents than their own folks were 🤔. Everything happens for a reason, I suppose. Personally, I find talking too much to be pretty exhausting, but I try my best regardless. On another note, this is actually the first time I've ever heard of that specific diagnosis—though, strangely enough, it almost sounds easier to treat than some of the others??

Jason Kim6 said:I completely agree—I actually love being around people. It’s a shame I’m so withdrawn, which I guess stems from how my parents basically traumatized me when I was little. If it were up to me, I’d be meeting new people and having deep conversations every single day. I really don't see how I could have schizophrenia. A lady next door—who happens to be a friend's mom and a nurse, so she actually knows a bit about psychiatry—told me that I'm not mentally ill, but that there are other things going on with me. She wouldn't quite specify what those issues were, though.
btw—I used to have this fear of castration—which I've realized now comes from my parents being incredibly strict and neurotizing me about masturbation when I was a kid—but honestly, even that isn't a symptom of schizophrenia. hmmm

If people actually took the time to think a little deeper, Big Pharma wouldn't even have a business model left.