Third Appeal. Advice?
With my second appeal, I wrote a letter that I turned in by hand to my local disability office begging for help because of how bad my SI has gotten especially with working. My mental health has made my entire life hell. Working always ends in a mental breakdown and me being fired/quitting. My therapist, psychiatrist, former EMDR therapist, and former vocational counselor wrote letters heavily in my favor. They were shocked when Disability of course denied me and told me to try working again lol.
I’m going to brutally honest. I’m very close to snapping. Multiple times a day I fantasize about going into the local office and sh’ing in front of them since they won’t believe how bad my mental health is. I’d rather not do this. But with my mental health declining I tend to get more and more impulsive. My determination to not break 10 years without SH has been holding me off from SH. Surprise, mental health issues make it difficult to operate rationally.
I have a diagnosis for PTSD, major depression, anxiety. My therapist, who is autistic, strongly believes I have ASD. I had an assessment three years ago done by an intern who gave me the PTSD assessment but not ASD (my therapist reviewed it agrees that I have PTSD but also noticed a lot of inconsistencies in this persons report).
I’m looking to get another assessment for ASD. I believe this should help my chances? I started my third appeal but am thinking of waiting to submit until I have an appt or finished paperwork? Also. If anyone knows of people who will do an adult assessment and take Virginia medicaid please let me know. I literally don’t have the money or income for a payment plan.
I also spent all my savings while not working during my second appeal. Unfortunately I don’t have rich family to help, but I also don’t qualify for SNAP and relief programs because I live with my roommate and my partner. So I HAVE to work to pay bills and it is actually killing me. I work 10 hrs a week walking dogs. You’d think it’d be good for my mental health right? Well it’s not. Every day is hell. I’m so tired of it. It’s been a month. I can barely find the motivation or appetite to eat one meal a day and have already lost 10lbs. The sensory aspect is one of the worst parts of this job and… well, every job I had. Lowkey I was hoping the exercise and lack of socialization would make it doable for me but now on top of being overwhelmed, miserable, and broke, I’m too exhausted for anything else. Had to drop EMDR therapy because I’m survival mode again. Yay.
Ao another question. Would working 10/hr a week at 15/hr in VA mess up my chances? Because I literally don’t have any other choice unless I want to become homeless. I won’t even be able to make rent this month lol. At this point Im looking at ways to work under the table even if it includes SW. im running out of opinions. I have nothing in savings, $400 in my account, and I own a 2015 Subaru (hand me down) that I thought of selling but if I sell it idk if i’ll ever be able to get a decent car again.
What will it take? Will I have to end up in the psych ward again before they believe me? Will a lawyer really help that much? I’m afraid I could use every dollar. Thank you for reading all of this. Any advice is appreciated. I’m attaching the reasoning for denial. Funny enough, the vocational service (which I am no longer a client of) that urged me to apply to disability in the first place never submitted the paperwork for the appeal. Not that they care at all.