1.3 Million Got Disability for ‘Mood Disorders’

1.3 Million Got Disability for ‘Mood Disorders’

That comes to about 15% of the total Social Security disability cases !!!

Sound like a money conspiracy to me.

How can this many people actually be "certified" as That "moody" ??

(CNSNews.com) - The Social Security Administration released its annual statistical report on federal disability insurance last month, revealing that at the end of 2011 there was a then-record of 8,575,544 workers collecting federal disability benefits and among them were 1,304,851 doing so because they suffered from “mood disorders.”

The incidence of “mood disorders” among disability beneficiaries was not proportionately distributed among the states and territories, according to the official SSA statistics. Some locations had much higher percentages of disability beneficiaries diagnosed with mood disorders than other locations...........

1.3 Million Got Disability for ‘Mood Disorders’

Hey man they are trying to create a helpless society so they can more easily pull the rug out and cause chaos and panic. They're happy to give disability out now since it keeps you feeding from the hand of the govt.

reply to post by xuenchen


A mood disorder could be rather legitimate, say a psychotic breakdown, which actually would disable you to work. Of course some are frivolous, a lot aren't. I guess you would prefer them to be in a state ran hospital or on the streets?

Psychotic major depression (PMD), or simply psychotic depression, is the term for a major depressive episode, in particular of melancholic nature, wherein the patient experiences psychotic symptoms such as delusions or, less commonly, hallucinations. These are most commonly mood-congruent (content coincident with depressive themes).[12]

Bipolar disorder (BD), a mood disorder formerly known as "manic depression" and described by alternating periods of mania and depression (and in some cases rapid cycling, mixed states, and psychotic symptoms). Subtypes include:

Catatonic depression is a rare and severe form of major depression involving disturbances of motor behavior and other symptoms. Here, the person is mute and almost stuporose, and either is immobile or exhibits purposeless or even bizarre movements. Catatonic symptoms can also occur in schizophrenia or a manic episode, or can be due to neuroleptic malignant syndrome.[13]

According to a substantial amount of epidemiology studies conducted, women are twice as likely to develop certain mood disorders, such as major depression. Although there is an equal number of men and women diagnosed with bipolar II disorder, women have a slightly higher frequency of the disorder.

en.wikipedia.org...

IMO, the real mental sickness is when people expect things for free, yet they do not want to work for free.

reply to post by RELDDIR


It's not really for free because you had to have worked in order to receive it, and then there is a work program within it, if you are able.

Just imagine you're in a car wreck one day, and become severely disabled. Or if you develop schizophrenia and start hearing voices, seeing hallucinations that are not there.

People are entitled to the safety nets they paid into, that is the whole point of them.

To qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you must first have worked in jobs covered by Social Security. Then you must have a medical condition that meets Social Security's definition of disability. In general, we pay monthly cash benefits to people who are unable to work for a year or more because of a disability.

Benefits usually continue until you are able to work again on a regular basis. There are also a number of special rules, called "work incentives," that provide continued benefits and health care coverage to help you make the transition back to work.

www.ssa.gov...

The OP is of the "wealthy-coddlers" crowd who thinks that welfare, benefits, or any government assistance should only go to the SUPER-wealthy. How DARE a disabled person (whom cannot earn a living any more) get some help!! HOW DARE!!!

I work 60 hours EVERY WEEK and although I dont have much free time to have a life I am HAPPY that a portion of the taxes I pay out of it goes to help the disabled to allow them to still have a roof over their head and food for them and their children when they are unable to work!! The SUPER-wealthy and folks like the OP think that is "UNFAIR". They wish to live in a society where folks are thrown out into the street with their children starving so that they, the SUPER-wealthy, dont ever have to pay their FAIR SHARE (percentage-wise) in taxes. HECK, I TAKE THAT BACK, they dont want to pay ANY TAXES!!!!!!!! They wish for the lower classes to only pay taxes!!!!!!

The FACTS are that the CONservative extremist Righties are only angry about spending when it comes to it benefiting the unfortunate and anyone other then THEM. They are looking for EVERY WAY OUT of paying their FAIR SHARE (percentage-wise) in taxes and will HAPPILY take the food and roof away from a disabled person, poor person and even a disabled veteran!!!

Sad, and soul-less isnt it?

Originally posted by RealSpoke
reply to post by RELDDIR

 

It's not really for free because you had to have worked in order to receive it, and then there is a work program within it, if you are able.

Just imagine you're in a car wreck one day, and become severely disabled. Or if you develop schizophrenia and start hearing voices, seeing hallucinations that are not there.

People are entitled to the safety nets they paid into, that is the whole point of them.

To qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you must first have worked in jobs covered by Social Security. Then you must have a medical condition that meets Social Security's definition of disability. In general, we pay monthly cash benefits to people who are unable to work for a year or more because of a disability.

Benefits usually continue until you are able to work again on a regular basis. There are also a number of special rules, called "work incentives," that provide continued benefits and health care coverage to help you make the transition back to work.

www.ssa.gov...

RealSpoke, that's really cherry picking portions of the SSA website. The basic premise is that you need a certain number of "credits", (typically 40), which you earn up to 4 a year by earning at least $4,520. That would equal out to about 10 years of working. OK, I can support that. You've been a productive member of society. However, as in any government program, there are exceptions and loopholes to allow those who haven't reached those limits to still collect disability benefits,

The number of work credits needed for disability benefits depends on your age when you become disabled. Generally you need 40 credits, 20 of which were earned in the last 10 years ending with the year you become disabled. However, younger workers may qualify with fewer credits. The rules are as follows: Before age 24--You may qualify if you have 6 credits earned in the 3-year period ending when your disability starts. Age 24 to 31--You may qualify if you have credit for working half the time between age 21 and the time you become disabled. For example, if you become disabled at age 27, you would need credit for 3 years of work (12 credits) out of the past 6 years (between ages 21 and 27). Age 31 or older--In general, you need to have the number of work credits shown in the chart below. Unless you are blind, you must have earned at least 20 of the credits in the 10 years immediately before you became disabled. Born after 1929, Became Disabled At Age Number of Credits You Need 31 through 42 20 44 22 46 24 48 26 50 28 52 30 54 32 56 34 58 36 60 38 62 or older 40

ssa.gov

Let's also look at what the SSA considers "disabled". It looks like a very strict definition. 1.3 million people qualify under this definition, especially the part about not being able adjusting to other work?

The definition of disability under Social Security is different than other programs. Social Security pays only for total disability. No benefits are payable for partial disability or for short-term disability. "Disability" under Social Security is based on your inability to work. We consider you disabled under Social Security rules if: You cannot do work that you did before; We decide that you cannot adjust to other work because of your medical condition(s); and Your disability has lasted or is expected to last for at least one year or to result in death. This is a strict definition of disability. Social Security program rules assume that working families have access to other resources to provide support during periods of short-term disabilities, including workers' compensation, insurance, savings and investments.

Let's not also forget about the numerous law firms that advertise on shows like Jerry Springer that will fight for your right to collect disability benefits if you've been denied. I would imagine that the majority of their clients do not meet the minimum credit requirements.

While I fully support those who are legitimately disabled and are properly using the benefits available to them, there is far too much room for abuse and waste.

There are two forms of benefits, SSD ( Social Security Disability ) and SSI ( Supplemental Security Income ) - both of which have different standards for qualification, different benefits, and different conditions for approval. Google will help to illustrate the differences - as they are too vast to try and explain here. Over simplified: SSD is the disability that you work to get credits to recieve, SSI is something that all people, even working people, may qualify for in certain situations.

To address mental illness. I have a lot of first hand knowledge and experience here. I'm a patient but I've also volunteered at mental health facilities for a number of years and have done classes, with local law enforcement, to better help them understand the mentally ill. Some mentally ill people are highly functional, others are not. There is a great propensity in our society for people to say "It's all in their heads" or "They just need to shut up and man up" or any number of other things. The truth is that many people with psychiatric issues are disabled and cannot work. They simply cannot function in society. It's not laziness. It's not opportunism, It's fact. While I am sure that there are some people who fake it and get a check, I honestly think they're fairly uncommon, and here's why.

What people who haven't seen these things first hand do not realize is that getting Social Security is a very difficult and lengthy process. 97% of people who apply are denied. Then 97% more are denied on their first appeal. Almost nobody is approved before the third step of the application/appeal process and this can take 1 to 3 years.

How many fakes have that kind of stamina? To go for 1 to 3 years without income? If they are that committed to faking? How can we possibly deter them?

Also, terminology is a double edged sword. "Mood disorder" has a very casual ring to it. I, personally, am drawn to that label far more than I am to "mentally ill" or "crazy". "Mood disorder" has a nice, passive, non judgmental ring to it. Unfortunately if a person is actually very ill with mental health issues? "Mood disorder" just doesn't cover it. It's too minimal. If a person is so afraid that they lock themselves in their own home for years, or they hear voices, or they have severe and profound depression or compulsions? These things don't match the PC label of "mood disorder". These things are, rightly, psychosis and are very debilitating and serious conditions.

A parting thought. If the people with a Neo-Conservative mindset have their way and they manage to eliminate what are rashly called "crazy checks", leaving these 1.3 million people without income... then those 1.3 million people are going to end up back in society and struggling to get by. Have you watched the news in the past decade? Do you really want 1.3 million mentally ill people all going into desperation at once?

Food for thought.

~Heff

can't help but wonder, how many of them are returning vets????

really it isn't that surprising. the drugs they are using to treat these conditions seem to be pretty big business, and profit makers if they are labeling 6 year olds as depressed and medicating them!

I may be wrong, but I kind of think that these medications work by altering the way the brain operates, so well, can't wait till the whole economic system collaspes and we have all these people not able to get the drugs that are keeping their brains operating in this natural state.....
think we have a problem with people going off the deep end now and shooting up public places, it may be just the beginning!!!

what makes me sick is that I tried to get on disability when my foot went...was denied. the pain I feel everyday at work drives me nuts and as a result I have a tendancy to drive everyone else nuts!! maybe I should try again, under a different pretense..... I am nuts!! the pain in my body is making me nuts, but still, I am nuts, now give me my disability so I can be saner!!!

na, ain't worth it, the gov't is starting to notice that it is beyond broke and well, I got a feeling that they are gonna have to drastically cut the support....and I don't want to go around shooting up kids at the local mc donalds, or anywhere else....

I blame Obama's failing economy for this sudden uptick in the numbers who are suffering from "mood disorders" High unemployment numbers and a dismal future can wreak havoc on the brain. Coupled with the daily stress of struggling for your everyday needs and you've got the perfect storm.

Yes, I said I blame Obama's Economy!! 3 1/2 years and no change..... and an economic forecast that doe not get better under his leadership. In fact it would point to a second recession.

reply to post by Hefficide


You hit it right on Heff. And to add to all that, it is near impossible to even win after numerous tries without legal representation. At least myself and anyone I have ever known to go through the process got denial after denial until securing a lawyer, which seems to be rigged as well in my opinion.

reply to post by jibeho


Funny... I got my "mood disorders" - all seven of 'em... under Ronald Reagans watch.

And from what I've seen first hand in support groups specifically for depression and anxiety - the overwhelming majority of new faces are veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.

~Heff

Reply to post by xuenchen

Ok 15 percent of people who are recieving social security disability payments have a mental health disorder. I think that percentage is actually really pretty low considering how many people in the country report having mental heath issues. But im sure these people have to jump through as many hoops (if not more) as someone with a physical ailment. Its easier to prove you cant work because you had a stroke and half of your body isnt functional than it is to prove your brain is dysfunctional.


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reply to post by Hefficide


I've heard alot about how the va is dismissing the vets complaints as nothing and basically failing on their promises to the vets. not only when it comes to the medical issues, but other benefits such as the money for higher education that they've promised.
they are coming home, sick, both mentally and physically, and they are being denied at every corner.
if the increase in disability claims is because they are having to resort to it because the va is just copping out on their obligations, well the republicans should really be a little ashemed of themselves. they were the ones so gun hoe about the wars after all. still are!!
ya, shortchange the vets that are coming home maimed and dysfuctional, we need the money for the next war!!!

reply to post by dawnstar


What you say is exactly right. But there is an even more disturbing aspect. The VA might tell these folks that they are fine - and refuse to treat them. But in doing so the preclude the vets from receiving free or low cost treatment elsewhere. Local mental health clinics are forced to turn them away because they already have access to care through the VA.

This puts the vets in a catch-22 they can't get out of.

It's horrible to see, it really is. Proud people going off to fight for America, only to come back here and find that they've fallen through the cracks.

It's a shame is what it is.

Thanks Dawnstar!

~Heff

reply to post by Hefficide


that "support the troops" bit that we hear all so often is just a neat little slogan, often used in an attempt to silence the ones questioning the wars..... obviously it stops as soon as the troops come home.
my son was in the navy, he started school, got through one semester, and well....now he has a nice debt..seems that the courses he took wasn't covered, and no one thought to tell him that fact till after the fact. that and they crap they pulled on him before he got out of the navy, well, let's just say that if they decided to start a draft, I'd liquidate everything I own and get my sons out of the country!!!
this gov't don't deserve my kids, or anyone else's for that matter.
instead of preaching morality to us, they should do a quick check of their own morality, got a feeling they will find they have none!

I have a friend who is collecting 100% disability for bi-polar and he isn't even 30 yet. He is healthy and certainly capable of working. Another friend of mine had an almost fatal head injury when he was twelve and has many long term issues like a poor short term memory, loss of coordination, trouble concentrating, ect.. and can not find a job much less keep one because of his disability but he keeps being rejected for disability because he cannot prove his disability.

The system is certainly broken when able body people can collect free money and people who clearly have a disability get rejected.

Reply to post by jrod

If your friend is bi-polar how is he healthy?


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Every American that gets disability is one less American in the unemployed ranks. Just some shady goings on of the current administration to try to get unemployment to look better than it is and to keep people dependent on the government.

Here in the hood they have a radio station that tells people how to get on disability and how to act. I can't count the times I've seen people walk out into the street and hit the side of a car and act like the car hit them. My neighbor is a cop and he says to just keep driving they will get up and wait for someone else to scam