Applying for SSI in the united states

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My diagnosis are as folllowing
Autism
ADD
Anxiety Undefined
Major Depressive Recurring
Records dating to 2007-2012
Age:22

I do not like nor want to take this route but it has been 2 years since i worked and the unemployment office said my work was too long ago for me to recieve unemployment.
Anyways...I am tired of begging for money from people basically like a homeless person, I do have my parents roof over my head but everything today is twice as much....soda is twice as much, gas is twice as much. My mom is worried I may ruin my life by applying for this but my parents are generally against anything I aspire to do. So...for those who have actually gone through the wringer have any advice? is it worth it? does it affect getting jobs in the future?

I should probably apply for SSI, I don't think getting a job is really going to work at least not for a while, as things have gotten noticably worse a bit too quickly for me to adjust to. But first I have to seek out professional diagnoses for issues I have, I have had things confirmed by therapists and counselers but I don't really have an official diagnoses.
But as far as I know I have:
AS/Autism
Major Depression
Anxiety
PTSD

But yeah I've tried once already and got denied which I guess is not uncommon, so then you're supposed to appeal it...and probably should expect to be denied again, but yeah I guess its a rather difficult long process from what I understand. I didn't appeal it because I thought it would be too much stress as I was in college at the time, though I probably should have been focusing on that and not college.

I am currently on SSDI, but not for AS. Its a bunch of hoops for you to jump through. can take from 6 months to 2 years to get the approval but you will get a lump sum payment once you are approved back to the date when SSA determines you disability began. probably sometime after the end of your last job.

You won't ruin your life etc. in fact you will open up opportunities for additional support such as Vocational Rehab services that will help you get a job, including paying for schooling, job placement, counseling etc.. You will also qualify for medicare. either immediately or 24 months after being on disability.

I would say go for it....

You can go to the SSA website and do the initial application online I believe..

And its not mooching or freeloading like welfare (able people too lazy to make the effort to work)
I am currently in the process of establishing my own business with the help of VR. I don't do well working for other people.. I can't tolerate working for stupid people!

FYI, SSDI is Social Security Disability Income. It is for people who have worked and paid into the system and then something happened to make it where they can no longer do the job or similar jobs that they were doing before. how much you get is based on your past income.. you will have to see which best fits you and when you get an initial SSA appointment the counselor will assist you with that. also the larger community you live in the slower the process just due to client volume

thanks for the encouragement, I was thinking/hoping it might open up some job opportunities I didn't have previously.

I have already signed up and have a phone interview on the 8th.....then I do not know what is to follow. Kind of nervous about the interview...
I submitted a request for my records to be sent to the ssi people through my insurance so that I dont have to pay for the paperwork which I was told could be 100's of pages long and add up to be quite costly. (Perfect for the government...they love paperwork)

Any advice on speeding up the process?

Do you have insurance sweetleaf?

I'm applying for SSI too after my doctor' appointment. I talked to someone else and she said it took her 3 rejections and one year. I have more issues than her (no offense) so I feel good about that. She actually got it for just AS too. AS is the least of my problems.

I'm happy to see so much positivity in this thread about SSI, I googled it days ago and all I found were other aspies discussing a fellow (sailormoonred1 of youtube fame) who has OBVIOUS mental disabilities and they were saying how horrible, scummy it was either. It was actually my mother's idea, I'm 25 now. I've tried stuff as well and it has always ended very badly.

I definitely want to go to school too once/if I get it..though I am very worried about interacting with others but I'll save that for another topic. I'm happy to see there's school funding and other stuff. I felt pretty depressed about the idea of SSI for awhile, even considering my problems (I don't share every single little thing on this forum) but I feel better reading this.

I live in a small hick town, though we might be moving to a college town later this year or next. Do you think the first would get it reasonably faster?



If it makes you feel better they almost always deny it to see if you really want/need it. My father, who has physical issues, suffered the same problem and finally got his. He had been a teacher all his (working) life prior to an accident.


I don't see how disability could ruin your life. Let's say you do get over your issues and maybe find a career. Is some employer going to look and say "Hmmm I see you were on SSI. GET OUTTA MY OFFICE SCUM!! !". In fact I think people would see your history of disability and be thrilled you wanted to work. I'm going for SSI but I am depressed for 1 or 2 reasons about it, but yeah..everything is so expensive now and its really impossible to get a job even if you're a normal person. I'm not trying to support leeching off the government, but if you have serious issues why should you wallow in depression and hate yourself? An ex-friend of mine preached bootstraps, which I did and only hurt myself more.

With SSI you will get the medical care you need, (some) money and be better off than you were before. People are just super paranoid about this stuff because of Chrischan.

Last edited by NeueZiel on 06 May 2012, 12:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Hey, if it wasn't for my parents 'mooching' due to not having a lot of money.....and signing me and my siblings up for free and reduced lunches at school and getting food stamps...I probably would have been more screwed up than I am due to mal-nutrition or something. So mooching or not I am glad I got to eat as a child. And being 'able' does not garantee one a job let alone a job that pays them enough.

Also its true one has to have worked for a significant amount of time for SSDI, but not SSI.....so if someones disability started say when they were a child and has prevented them from working a significant amount of time they would have to apply for disability.

Other then that I agree and the OP should apply.

No, I got a nice chunk of college loan debt though

Can someone explain to me how the schooling works though? Like I really, really want to write, do English, maybe art, in terms of school help would they only help me if it was stuff like say, a tradeskill?

Yeah we'll see I mean I would like to figure something out....I just can hardly seem to function right now so a bit of help would be nice. Though I don't know if I'll end up with much of a career or anything, can't really even imagine anything like that right now. Also I don't see it as leeching off the government, but I wont get into that rant as I don't want to derail this thread. And yeah I am actually paranoid due to a lot of past experiances with the 'system' wether in public school, dealing with cops the one time and such so I do have some reason to feel that way.

But yeah SSI should not ruin ones life from my understanding you can get a job and they would just decrease your payments depending on how much you make at the job.

I only mention "leech" because the internet and my ex-circle of friends used it. They think unless you are drooling on everything and born without limbs that its your responsibility to take a shovel and start digging. I've felt lots of guilt and question myself a lot, I think "is this laziness maybe?". I tell my mom these thoughts, she's a nurse, and been with me since I was a little pot sticker in her belly. I attack myself, especially in the past I would say "IM NOT s**t, IM JUST A LAZY PIECE OF TRASH" and she told me that laziness is almost always a symptom of something else. I don't approve of people abusing the system but I'm sure to many I am. I use to talk to my friend about my emotional problems but he's on the internet, he's never seen me break down. He wasn't there when I was in the navy and freaked out. He expected me to get over it s**t. You don't get over being borderline, schizo, severely paranoid, scared to go outside. He is SO normal and perfect yet enjoy geeky hobbies. He is so lucky but he lacks any empathy. He is pure hard luck and that drove me away from him as my depression got worst.

I use to think of careers too, back when I was at my most unhappy. It led me to trying different stuff I just couldn't do but I decided I just want to write and be an artist. Maybe one day I will get over my crippling social fear (its VERY VERY bad now and hurts, I literally crave going outside but can't) and become an art or english teacher.

I'm also screwed because I'm 25 and I've 1 legit job...some volunteer work and thats it. I've applied to stuff in the past but my exfriends who work, work, work can't get anything now..so its a lost cause. I KNOW something is wrong with me since I was a kid. I talk and talk and talk now to people I didn't say anything to (mainly my mom) and they ask me why I didn't speak up sooner. I was forcing myself to suffer because it was the "right" thing..but life isn't that simple.

Yeah that makes sense, I have a hard time with feeling really bad about myself....and like I'm just some worthless burden. So thinking about applying for SSI as leeching does not exactly help with that. I mean its not like I havn't tried, but I know people see it that way...and sometimes I internalize things peo'ple say and can't quit thinking about it and then I start wondering if they were right and feeling even worse.

I knew there was something wrong with me as a kid as well, though I thought the constant anxiety I suffered was 'normal' and that other people just dealt with it better so I needed to try harder to ignore it or whatever. But yeah I knew something was wrong as half the time I never understood what I was doing 'wrong.' But yeah I imagine one can't just get over the disorders you mentioned.....my biggest concern right now is ptsd and a few of my friends got to see me freak out. Some people just don't seem to understand that with mental disorders just because you can't see it from the outside doesn't mean it doesn't exist or that it can't really screw things up.

As someone, who in a way, understands what you mean..I think you should keep pushing for SSI. That way you'll have some money and can get some help like the poster mentioned. Stop thinking about how worthless you are and think of ways to make your life more enjoyable. Even if it seems impossible and you know you cant accomplish goals you use to dream of. Try something.

f**k your friends if they don't get you or your ptsd, blow up at them and make them hate you if it makes you feel better. You know why? I've learned in the past couple of days that real friends and people who care really do love you when they see you at your worst. I was best friends with someone for over 10 years, he was one of the ONLY human beings I talked to ever every day..but you know what? When my s**t got the worst he thought it was a joke and I'm done with him. Being lonely is painful but sometimes its our only choice versus worrying about what other thinks and judge. Screw other people, you're you.

If you truly are alone and no one loves you and understands write, make poetry, teach yourself to draw. Write and vent your feelings about how worthless THOSE people are. They have everything you don't have, they are afflicted with your feelings and pain, they should be sympathetic. Screw them if they aren't. Its better to be alone, as painful as it is, than to be with people you can't be honest with.

Its tough and I'm really not a good guy for advice, I'm sorry.

Like I said, I know a chick, lots of problems, smart girl, makes music. She got SSI for aspergers. You clearly have a lot more wrong with you than just aspergers. You owe it to yourself to get this SSI and get help.

Hey, worst case scenario you still feel like s**t but you'll have some money. Won't make you rich but it'll be something

But hey that is alright you're not perfect at advice, and I do tend to agree with most of what you said...but yeah I think I should apply.

I have SSI though my granfather calls it welfare I have been on it since I was 18.

There really is no way to speed up the process, SSA will move your case to the office that serves your area if you move....
you can apply to your state's Department of Vocational Rehabilitation without being on SSI. The will request medical records, probably send you to their own docs for assessment etc. They have a pretty extensive array of services they provide. I have several friends that are VR counselors so I have a pretty good idea what they do. but again its a slow process so just apply and get the process going.

Do they really provide money assistance for school or does it vary? I know I'm going to have to wait for awhile but I'd like to know more about that.