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Posts Tagged ‘Social Security’

Sacroiliitis and Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits

Friday, December 3rd, 2010
(1) sacrum, (2) ilium, (3) ischium, (4) pubis,...
Image via Wikipedia

Sacroiliitis is an inflammation of either one or both of your sacroiliac joints that connect your lower spine to your pelvis.  Sacroiliitis occurs when your sacroiliac joint between the sacrum, or base or your spine, and ilium, or pelvic bone, becomes inflamed or infected.

Your sacroiliac joints (SI joints) have a limited range of motion when compared with other major joints in your body, such as your elbow or knee. With sacroiliitis, even the slightest movements of your spine can be extremely uncomfortable or even painful.

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction is another condition of the sacroiliac joint. It differs from sacroiliitis in that its origin is a disruption in the normal movement of the joint (too much or too little movement in the joint).

Sacroiliitis is a rheumatic disease. This means that it involves pain and inflammation in your joints or muscles.

Many of these rheumatic diseases are not limited to inflammation of your joints. They extend to other organs of your body, such as your lungs, kidneys, blood vessels, heart, skin, eyes and your nervous system.

There are several different things that can cause sacroiliitis. Some of these causes are:

  • Spondyloarthropathies, which include ankylosing spondylitis, arthritis that is associated with psoriasis and others
  • Pregnancy can also cause sacroiliitis because the pelvis has to stretch to enable childbirth
  • Heavy lifting, if your muscles are not properly prepared or you lift incorrectly
  • Infection of your sacroiliac joint that can be caused by bacteria in your food
  • Osteoarthritis of your spine
  • A sudden impact or traumatic injury like a fall or car accident.

There are several ways that you may be affected by sacroiliitis. These include:

  • Inflammation in one or both of your eyes
  • Psoriasis, which is an inflammation of your skin
  • Pain that affects your shoulders and hips
  • Diarrhea that is bloody
  • Stiffness and pain in your lower back, buttocks or thighs, especially when you have been sitting for long periods of time or when you get up in the morning
  • A low-grade fever that appears quickly
  • Pain that gets worse when you walk.

Sacroiliitis may be the reason that you or a loved one is unable to work. It may be the cause of your disability.

If this is so, you may need assistance. You may need financial help.

Have you or your loved one applied for Social Security disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by sacroiliitis? Were you or your loved one denied?

You or your loved one may appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you do, consider this.

You may need a disability lawyer like the one at Social Security Home to represent you in this process. This is true because people who are represented by a disability attorney are approved more often than those people without a lawyer.

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Encephalopathy and Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits

Thursday, November 18th, 2010

Your brain is the center of your nervous system. Your brain monitors and regulates your body’s actions and reactions.

Encephalopathy is a term that means brain damage, malfunction or disease. It is used in reference to any disease that alters your brain structure or function. Encephalopathy is marked by an altered mental state that can also involve physical manifestations like poor coordination of the movements of your limb.

Encephalopathy is a very broad term that is often preceded by different terms that describe the special conditions, cause or reason for the malfunction of your brain. In fact, there are over 150 terms that precede or modify encephalopathy in the field of medicine.

Some types of encephalopathy are acute (short term). Other forms of encephalopathy are chronic (long lasting).

Due to the broad nature of encephalopathy there is no statistical information on it as such. Encephalopathy can develop at any age to anyone of any race or gender.

There are several different things that may cause encephalopathy. These include:

§  A lack of blood flow or oxygen to your brain

§  Mitochondrial or metabolic dysfunction

§  Chronic progressive trauma

§  A brain tumor

§  Poor nutrition

§  Increased pressure in your skull

§  Exposure to toxic elements like drugs, paints, solvents, industrial chemicals, certain metals and radiation

§  An infectious agent, such as virus, bacteria or prion (protein).

The signs and symptoms of encephalopathy depend on its severity and type. Some of the indications are:

§  Subtle personality changes

§  Lethargy

§  Loss of the ability to speak or swallow

§  Progressive loss of cognitive ability

§  Inability to concentrate

§  Progressive loss of consciousness

§  Muscle weakness and atrophy

§  Progressive loss of memory

§  Seizures

§  Dementia

§  Involuntary twitching of a muscle or group of muscles (myoclonus)

§  Rapid, involuntary eye movement (nystagmus)

§  Tremor.

You or a loved one may have or have had encephalopathy. This disorder and/or complications that have resulted from or the underlying condition that caused it may be the reason why you or your loved one is disabled.

If this is your situation, you may need assistance. You may need financial help.

You or your loved one may be intending to apply for the financial assistance that you need from the Social Security Administration by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits because of the disability caused by encephalopathy and/or complications that have resulted from or the underlying condition that caused it. You or your loved one may have already taken this step and been denied by the Social Security Administration.

If you or your loved one has decided to reapply or appeal the denial, here is an important fact that you need to remember. The fact is that people who have a disability lawyer in their corner like the one you will find at Social Security Home are approved more often than people who are not represented by a disability attorney.

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Ehrlichosis and Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010
The tick Amblyomma americanum (Lone Star tick)
Image via Wikipedia

Ehrlichosis is the general name that is used to describe several bacterial diseases. Ehrlichosis is an infection that kills white blood cells in your body.

Ehrlichosis is a bacterial illness that is transmitted by ticks. It occurs most frequently in the spring and summer. This is when ticks are active, and you are most often likely to be outdoors.

Fortunately, ehrlichosis is rare. The annual average reported incidence in the United States is about 0.7 cases per million population. However, ehrlichosis is not a reportable disease; so, many cases go unreported.

Ehrlichosis occurs most often in the states of Texas and California and the northeast and southeast regions of the United States. Some cases occur in the north central states that are west of the Great Lakes.

The signs and symptoms caused by ehrlichosis are flu-like in nature. They usually occur within 5 to 14 days after you are bitten by an infected tick and fed on by the tick for 24 hours or longer. Some of these signs and symptoms are:

§  Cough

§  Flat red rash (maculopapular rash)

§  Petechial rash (fine pinhead-sized areas of bleeding in your skin)

§  Nausea

§  Joint pain

§  Mild fever

§  Confusion

§  Vomiting

§  Headache

§  Diarrhea

§  Muscles aches

§  Chills

§  Malaise (general sick feeling).

The signs and symptoms in some people are so mild that their body is able to fight off the infection without having to see a doctor. However, in other cases, if left untreated, ehrlichosis can be serious enough so that you have to be hospitalized.

Most of the time, the Lone Star tick is the one who transmits this disease. However, it is possible for ehrlichosis to be transmitted in other ways. These are:

§  From mother to unborn child

§  Contact with an infected, slaughtered animal

§  Through blood transfusions.

You or a loved one may have had ehrlichosis. While ehrlichosis would not normally qualify you to receive Social Security disability benefits, you or your loved one may have had complications that resulted from this disease and/or other disabling conditions along with it that have caused you to be disabled.

You may need help if this is your situation. You may need financial assistance.

You or your loved one may be planning on applying for the financial assistance that you need from the Social Security Administration by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits because of the disability caused by complications that resulted from ehrlichosis and/or other disabling conditions along with this disease. Have you or your loved one already applied and been denied by the Social Security Administration?

If you or your loved one is thinking about reapplying or appealing the denial, here is an important fact that you need to think about. People who have a disability lawyer working for them like the one you will find at socialsecurityhome.com are approved more often than people who are not represented by a disability attorney.

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Hollywood? Really? Yes, and the answers lead to other questions about SSDI–what about paperwork costs?

Monday, November 15th, 2010

[Editor's note: This is a follow-up to Colorado ‘medi-pot’ issue splits SSDI from SSI; New Jersey voters nix mixing jobless, disability funds.]

By Mike Hinshaw

Beneath an eye-jangling, alarmist headline–Disabled Workers of the World Unite!–follows a Nov. 3 article from Hollywood Today that sheds light on a problem discussed very little outside its own industry. Probably more people are aware of health problems faced by professional athletes who played in eras before the current era of huge contracts and bonuses.

David Robb writes:

It’s hard enough being disabled in Hollywood. A veteran TV writer, crippled by a major stroke, can’t get his fingers to type out a simple sentence. A well-known director, suffering from Alzheimer’s, is relegated to watching his old movies on TV, not recognizing any of the once-familiar faces.  A former stuntwoman, crippled by arthritis, can barely make it to the kitchen without the aid of a walker.

Making matters worse, each is being robbed of a portion of their hard-earned residuals — and few people even know about it; fewer still even care. Disabled actors, stunt performers, writers and directors who are receiving Social Security Disability insurance [SSDI] are entitled to a tax break that very few of them are receiving. In fact, most of their accountants don’t even seem to know it exists.

An overlooked exemption

Robb says the tax break comes in the form of an exemption that applies to disabled workers who are entitled to SSDI benefits do not have to pay taxes on Social Security or Medicare for earnings “if the worker did not perform any service for employer during period for which payment is made.” He cites the supporting document as “page 32 of the Internal Revenue Service’s ‘Employer’s Tax Guide’ (Circular E) – Rule 15.”  The .pdf file itself is not hard to find, but you can’t do an easy internal search on the wording; you have to find page 32, then scroll to the seventh row of the table on that page.

Now, conceivably, this could apply to other-than-Hollywood types–for instance, authors or others who receive royalties or other employment-related earnings in years other than the original years worked. But, from Hollywood Today’s perspective, it specifically applies to actors, stunt personnel, and so forth who get receive residuals in years following those when the original work was performed.
In any given year, the effect on residuals from a specific project (movie or TV show) may not add up to much.

Residuals can add up through the years

He gives the example of “former stuntwoman Jeannie Coulter, who has been receiving Social Security Disability insurance for nearly 25 years, and she told me that on the very day we spoke, she received a $150 residuals check from NBC/Universal that had $9.30 deducted for Social Security tax and $2.17 deducted for Medicare tax. That’s $11.47 that was deducted from a single residuals check that shouldn’t have been withheld.”

And as Robb points out, this potentially affects a huge number of folks, including actors, writers, stunt performers, directors, and so on. He says hundreds, but when you think all the movies, all the TV shows–maybe even radio shows–and all the people who are entitled to their residuals, well, I’m no industry expert but it seems no stretch to say that thousands of former bit players and even aging former stars might be getting shortchanged in their twilight years.

Here’s how residuals–and the tax benefit–can add up, cumulatively, continuing with the example of merely one, top-tier stuntwoman:

Coulter, who was once one of Hollywood’s top stuntwomen, worked on hundreds of TV shows, including numerous episodes of “Charlie’s Angels.” And every time one of her shows is re-run on TV, she gets a residuals check. And every time she gets a residuals check, she’s improperly docked for Social Security and Medicare taxes.

Last year, $211 was deducted from her residuals checks for Social Security and $49 for Medicare. In 2008, $251 was deducted for Social Security and $58 for Medicare. In 2007, $362 was deducted for Social Security and $85 for Medicare. That’s over $1,000 in taxes that she paid but wasn’t supposed to over the last three years – and this has been going on for the last 25 years. For Jeannie alone, the overpayment of taxes in the last 25 years comes to more than $8,000.

It may seem frivolous, but who knows exactly how big the problem is? For instance, let’s postulate only 50 former show-biz people getting shorted eight grand each. That’s $400,000 they might use to band together and help each other. It’s certainly worth some authority looking into.

Now, on to another topic.

The high costs of paperwork

This is something that affects almost anybody with a legal situation, but perhaps most affects those with a disability claim.

Namely: paperwork and keeping records.

From an October post at The Injury Board’s “BlogNetwork”, we see this: “One expense that is encountered in nearly every Social Security Disability claim (“SSDI”) is the cost of getting, copying and then filing medical records to support the case. The charges seem to vary widely from medical provider to medical care provider even if the claimants have the same spine, back or brain injury or other disabling medical condition. The question we get from clients and their families is, ‘How much doctors can charge for medical records in disability claims ?’

Now, that, is an excellent question.

And that’s where we continue, next time. Please stay tuned.

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Of gamers and shooters: Prisoners with SSA benefits lose them after 30 continuous days, must reapply upon release

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

A case from Connecticut reminds us why it’s never a good idea to try to game the system.

A short piece posted Oct. 26 at NorwichBulletin.com say, “A New London man faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine after pleading guilty Tuesday to charges he fraudulently received Social Security disability payments, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

Forty-four year-old Mario Torres-Ortiz entered a guilty plea to a charge of making a materially false statement to an agency or department of the United States. Court records indicated the man began receiving Social Security Disability payments 1993.

But in May 2009, “he submitted a form to the Social Security Administration stating he had not worked since 2000. Investigators later found he had worked from May 2007 through May 2009. During those months, Torres-Ortiz obtained $19,585 in disability benefits to which he was not entitled, authorities said.”

Shooter hopes to retain benefits

In the department of bizarre, a Maryland man convicted of shooting a woman in her face has gone back to seeking a modification of his already lightened sentence because if he’s in lockup too long, he’ll lose his Social Security Disability benefits.

To add another twist? The man’s name is John Alvin Lucky.

But he wasn’t lucky in the ruling on his motion. According to an Oct. 25 article in The Herald Mail, District Judge Dana Moylan Wright, who handed out his original sentence in June, denied the motion saying, “You got as light a sentence as I could stomach.”

According to the article, the case began in August 2009, when Hagerstown police responded to a report of gunfire at an apartment. There they found 18-year-old Stephanie Renee Dews, who had been shot in the face.

He ‘fumbled with the pistol’

“Lucky told police he ‘fumbled with the pistol’ and it went off, the [probable cause]  statement said. However, [Assistant State’s Attorney Leon] Debes said that Dews later told investigators that Lucky was loading and unloading the semiautomatic pistol, pointing it at her and pulling the trigger.

“Although the shooting was not intentional, Debes said Lucky ‘wanted to scare Ms. Dews.’ ”

Suspended sentence

In February, Lucky pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment, “but withdrew the plea the same day, re-entering a guilty plea to the same charge in April, according to court records.” Released on an appeal bond after his sentencing hearing in June, Lucky had another change of mind, withdrew the appeal, and got sentenced to five years in prison for reckless endangerment, with four years suspended and sent to the Washington County Detention Center for 90 days, to be followed with nine months’ home detention.

Prisoners lose benefits after 30 days–state has ‘no sympathy’

According to his attorney, Lucky’s motion requested a sentence modification–such as serving on weekends–before serving 30 days continuously. That the threshhold at which the SSDI benefits are threatened. Once lost, the benefits must be re-applied for.

“Debes also noted that the Social Security Administration pamphlet, ‘What Prisoners Need to Know,’ states that prisoners can get benefits reinstated the month after the month they are released.

” ‘The state does not have any sympathy for Mr. Lucky,’ Debes said. Dews lost her home, car and could not pay her medical bills, he said.”

The SSA pamphlet

Following is a related excerpt from that SSA pamphlet:

What happens to my benefits when I am in prison?

If you are receiving Social Security, your benefits will be suspended if you are admitted for more than 30 continuous days to a jail or prison because you were convicted of a criminal offense. Your benefits can be reinstated starting with the month following the month you are released.

Although you cannot receive monthly Social Security benefits while you are confined, benefits to your spouse or children will continue as long as they remain eligible.

If you are receiving SSI, your payments are suspended while you are in prison. Your payments can be reinstated in the month you are released. However, if your confinement lasts for 12 consecutive months or longer, your eligibility for SSI benefits will terminate and you must file a new application for benefits.

Can I get my benefits started when I am ready to be released?

If your Social Security or SSI benefits were suspended because you were in prison, you can request that they be started. You will need to contact Social Security and provide a copy of your release documents before we can take action on your request.

Example: George was receiving Social Security disability benefits. He was convicted and confined to prison on May 15, 2007, and his benefits were suspended effective with May 2007.
On October 10, 2009, George was released and his benefits were reinstated effective with November 2009. Since Social Security benefits are paid in the month following the month for which they are due, George will receive his November benefit in December.

Example: Sam was receiving SSI disability benefits and was confined to prison on June 7, 2009. He was released on September 7, 2009. His SSI can be reinstated as of September 7. Sam will be eligible for a partial payment for September and full benefits for October.

If you were not receiving either Social Security or SSI benefits before you went to prison or your SSI benefits were terminated, you will need to file a new application for benefits if you think you may be eligible. You should contact Social Security for more information about filing a claim for benefits. You will need to provide proof of your release from prison, in addition to a new application and other documents.

NOTE: We cannot start your benefits until you are actually released. And we must have your official release documents from the jail or prison where you were confined. Please remember to bring your release forms when you visit your local Social Security office. This will help us get your benefits started more quickly.

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Beyond twists of fate and bureaucratic blunders, leukemia victim’s spirit shines on with gift for others in similar need

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Some current headlines reinforce the need for legal counsel and improved legislation for those needing help with disabilities–and against those who game the system. In this three-part installment, the first case we’ll look at is reminiscent of that of Heather Russell, which we covered here, a glaring example of the glacial response of the bureaucracy and the unnecessary pain it inflicts on patients when they most need help.

From one extreme to another

Diana Smith’s case adds a twist, in that one agency’s apparent quest to be helpful apparently negated another agency’s ability to help the victim of a rare leukemia.  However, well before those agencies got involved, she already was riding out a whipsaw of events.

The Sunrise, Florida woman, survived by three-year-old son, Cameron,  was pregnant with another child when she was diagnosed in July 2009. Her doctors advised terminating the pregnancy because of the chemo she would need to battle the leukemia. Cameron’s father–Smith’s fiance, Eddie Velez–stepped up ready to sell a valuable comic-book collection to go toward treatment costs, reports an Aug. 16 article in the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Theft

In August, the comic books were stolen from Velez’s home in Ohio. In March, Smith told the paper that the thief had yet to be apprehended.

Told she needed a bone marrow transplant, according to an Aug. 20 account of a CBS affiliate, Smith was able to raise more than $100,000 with community help and maybe a Facebook campaign (we couldn’t find the Facebook page),  to get in line for the operation. Former Miami Dolphins player Kim Bokamper and other celebrities also participated.

Son gets benefits

Also in March, in what must have seemed like a stroke of good luck, “Smith was contacted by the Social Security Administration and was informed that her three year-old son was entitled to receive Social Security disability payments. Even though she didn’t ask for it, she signed the form and received her son’s first check.”

Medicaid withdrawn

But the luck didn’t hold–even though the SSA seemed to be trying to help, the new benefits put her at odds with Medicaid: “In April, Medicaid canceled her universal health care policy because her income level had risen with her son’s payments – making her ineligible for the insurance program.”

Well, at this point, we all see this coming–given the Medicaid withdrawal, the hospital also stood down:

“Jackson Memorial Hospital then informed Smith that they couldn’t go forward with the transplant because the risk was too high. The universal policy from Medicaid would help shield the hospital from liability in this kind of case; without it they are subject to liability issues.

“Even though Smith offered to cancel her son’s disability benefits, she was told it’s too late.”

Legislators intercede

To break the inter-agency logjam, U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D- Miramar, and state Sen. Dave Aronberg, D- Greenacres, had to intervene, and somehow they got the Medicaid coverage reinstated. So the bone marrow transplant was performed in May, and Smith was able to visit her son at home on Mother’s Day. “She was ordered to spend forty five days in the hospital followed by three months of bed rest,” says the CBS affiliate.

She died in August–perhaps a victim of the delayed medical procedure. Most likely, we’ll never know.

Leftover funds

But the story doesn’t end there.

In the end, she added her own loving spin to the harsh twists she had faced. As it turns it, the fundraiser brought in about $90,000 more than what her procedure cost. She had it set up such that nobody “involved in Smith’s fundraising effort has access to the unused donations, according to Jason Hare, patient program coordinator for the Bone Marrow Foundation,” says the Sun Sentinel.

“The leftover money, held by the New York-based Bone Marrow Foundation, will go toward fulfilling Smith’s wish: to help another Broward County resident whose life may depend on a similar operation.

” ‘I know it was really hard for me to collect the money, so I want to help someone else,’ Smith told the Sun Sentinel in March. ‘If it wasn’t for my friends and people donating, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.’ ”

[Next: Part Two discusses revelations that a suspected serial killer has been receiving disability payments from the city of Los Angeles for 19 years. Read it here.]

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Social Security: scary truths, or hoary scare tactics?

Saturday, July 31st, 2010

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) has taken some heat over supposed comments about raising the age for Social Security in order to fund the war. A quick search shows the Dems and GOP may be playing tit for tat (although Boehner did introduce legislation that would have hacked VA funding–but the three proposals were withdrawn at the last minute).

One thing is certain, though: in the national debate about the soundness of Social Security, confusion reigns.  It’s important to understand the arguments and get accurate information because although each program has separate funding, the general Social Security retirement benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are all administered by the Social Security Administration. In fact, some of the confusion over retirement benefits may have come about due to a recent discouraging report about SSDI from the Congressional Budget Office (more in Part 2).

Dividing the debate into two camps, we have on one end of the spectrum the Sky-is-Falling group, who maintain Social Security is doomed without drastic intervention; the other side we might label as the Hogwash group, who maintain not only is the general Social Security fund in good shape but also that Sky Fallers are blowing things out of proportion in an attempt to scare people into accepting fewer benefits.

This is from poughkeepsiejournal.com (July 27), an example of the Falling Sky position:

“A recent congressional report paints a bleak picture, indeed. It says Social Security could run out of money in about 17 years, as the program now pays out more money in benefits than it collects in payroll taxes. It faces a staggering $5.3 trillion shortfall over the next 75 years, unless changes are made. No wonder a recent USA Today/Gallup Poll showed that public confidence in the system is waning.

“The solvency of Social Security affects everyone. The program, the main source of income for millions of retirees, is financed by a 6.2 percent payroll tax on wages below $106,800. The tax is paid by workers and matched by employers. Currently, 53 million Americans get Social Security benefits averaging $1,067 a month.”

The Hogwashers say that’s baloney, designed to get you riled up then despondent enough to accept less–eventually. For instance, here’s an edited version of the  Top Five Social Security Myths from MoveOn.org (read there for the full text, including footnotes and citations):

Myth: Social Security is going broke.

Reality: There is no Social Security crisis. By 2023, Social Security will have a $4.3 trillion surplus (yes, trillion with a ‘T’). It can pay out all scheduled benefits for the next quarter-century with no changes whatsoever.1 After 2037, it’ll still be able to pay out 75% of scheduled benefits–and again, that’s without any changes. The program started preparing for the Baby Boomers retirement decades ago.2 Anyone who insists Social Security is broke probably wants to break it themselves.

Myth: We have to raise the retirement age because people are living longer.

Reality: This is a red-herring to trick you into agreeing to benefit cuts. Retirees are living about the same amount of time as they were in the 1930s. The reason average life expectancy is higher is mostly because many fewer people die as children than did 70 years ago.3 What’s more, what gains there have been are distributed very unevenly–since 1972, life expectancy increased by 6.5 years for workers in the top half of the income brackets, but by less than 2 years for those in the bottom half.4 But those intent on cutting Social Security love this argument because raising the retirement age is the same as an across-the-board benefit cut.

Myth: The Social Security Trust Fund has been raided and is full of IOUs.

Reality: Not even close to true. The Social Security Trust Fund isn’t full of IOUs, it’s full of U.S. Treasury Bonds. And those bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.7 The reason Social Security holds only treasury bonds is the same reason many Americans do: The federal government has never missed a single interest payment on its debts.

Myth: Benefit cuts are the only way to fix Social Security.

Reality: Social Security doesn’t need to be fixed. But if we want to strengthen it, here’s a better way: Make the rich pay their fair share. If the very rich paid taxes on all of their income, Social Security would be sustainable for decades to come.5 Right now, high earners only pay Social Security taxes on the first $106,000 of their income.6

Myth: Social Security adds to the deficit

Reality: It’s not just wrong — it’s impossible! By law, Social Security funds are separate from the budget, and it must pay its own way. That means that Social Security can’t add one penny to the deficit.1

Perhaps there is a mid-position, though. A July 30 “Your Money” column in The New York Times takes the stance that even though the long-terms threats will have to be dealt with, Social Security in the near-term is in good shape. The column takes a look at worst-case scenarios for a test-case couple and makes suggestions about increased savings. We’ll examine that and the very real problem facing SSDI in Part 2.

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Personality Disorder and Receiving Social Security Disability

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Personality disorder is a broad term that is used to refer to a type of mental illness where the way that you comprehend situations, relate to others and the ways in which you think are dysfunctional. As you might imagine, there are many different, specific kinds of personality disorders.

A personality disorder involves a rigid and potentially self-denigrating or self-destructive way of behaving and thinking regardless of what the situation is. This results in hampering your ability to carry out routine functions at school, social situations or work. Or, it brings about distress in your life.

You may or may not be conscious of the fact that you have a personality disorder. This is because the way that you think and act may seem natural to you. You may think that others are to blame for your circumstances.

Nearly 15% of adults in the United States have some kind of personality disorder. This means that over 30 million Americans have some type of personality disorder.

Researchers believe that personality disorders are caused by a combination of environmental and genetic influences in your life. Some research seems to indicate that a person may inherit a genetic vulnerability to having a personality disorder and that your life environment may be the trigger for developing it.

There are some risk factors that may increase your likelihood of having a personality disorder. These include:

  • Being diagnosed with childhood conduct disorder
  • Being a victim of physical, sexual or verbal abuse during your childhood
  • Losing your parents because of divorce or death during your childhood
  • Having a family history of mental illness or personality disorders
  • Having had a chaotic or unstable family life during your childhood.

Because there are so many different types of personality disorders, there are many different signs and symptoms that relate to each one. However, there are some general signs that may indicate that a personality disorder is present. These include:

  • Mistrust and suspicion of others
  • Poor impulse control
  • Social isolation
  • Substance or alcohol abuse
  • Mood swings that occur frequently
  • The need for instant gratification
  • Relationships that are stormy
  • Outbursts of anger
  • Having a problem making friends.

You or a loved one may have personality disorder. This disorder and/or complications resulting from or other conditions along with it may be why you or your loved one is disabled and cannot work.

Have you or your loved one applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by personality disorder and/or complications resulting from or other conditions along with it? Were you or your loved one denied?

If you appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration, consider this. People who are represented by a disability lawyer like the one at socialsecurityhome.com are approved more often than those without an attorney.

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Dysphagia and Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

Swallowing is an involved process. There are 50 pairs of muscles and several nerves involved in moving food from your mouth to your stomach. Swallowing takes place in three stages. First, your tongue moves the food around in your mouth so that you can chew it. Chewing is what gets food ready to swallow. Chewing also helps mix the food with saliva. Saliva is what moistens and softens your food so that swallowing is easier to do. It is during this first stage of swallowing that your tongue gathers the prepared food. This makes the food ready for swallowing.

The second stage of swallowing starts when your tongue pushes your food to the back of the mouth. This triggers a swallowing reflex that passes your food through the pharynx (the canal that connects your mouth with your esophagus). During this second stage of swallowing, your larynx (voice box) closes tightly and breathing stops to prevent food and liquid from entering your lungs.

The third stage of swallowing starts when food enters your esophagus. Your esophagus is the canal that carries food and liquid to your stomach.

Dysphagia is the medical term that is used for when you have difficulty swallowing. It can be a sign or symptom of different medical conditions, or dysphagia can refer to a condition in its own right.

The term is derived from the Greek dys, which means disordered or bad and phago, which means eat. Dysphagia is a sensation that suggests that there is difficulty in the passage of solids or liquids from your mouth to your stomach.

The signs and symptoms of dysphagia may come and go. They can be severe or mild, or they can get worse with the passage of time. Possible signs and symptoms include:

  • Choking, coughing or gagging when you swallow
  • Having pain when you swallow
  • Losing weight because you do not get enough liquid or food
  • Having difficulty getting liquids or food to go down on the first try
  • Having liquids or food come back up through your mouth, nose or throat after you swallow
  • Having pressure or pain in your chest
  • Having heartburn
  • Feeling like liquids or food is stuck somewhere in your chest or throat.

You or a loved one may have dysphagia. This disorder and/or complications resulting from or other conditions along with it may be the reason why you are disabled and in need of financial help.

You or your loved one may have applied for the financial assistance that you need from the Social Security Administration by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits because of the disability caused by dysphagia and/or complications resulting from or other conditions along with it. Were you or your loved one denied by the Social Security Administration?

If you or your loved one reapplies or appeals the denial, think carefully about this important fact. People who are represented by a disability attorney like the one you will find here are approved more often than people who do not have a disability lawyer standing with them.

Please do not delay. Contact us today and we will put you in touch with a tough advocate who can help you get the benefits you deserve.

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Osteomalacia and Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits

Friday, July 2nd, 2010
Osteoblasts actively synthesizing osteoid.
Image via Wikipedia

Osteomalacia has to do with a softening of your bones. In fact, osteomalacia means “soft bones”.

Osteoid is the bone protein matrix, composed primarily of type 1 collagen. When there is insufficient mineral or osteoblast dysfunction, the osteoid does not mineralize properly, and it accumulates.

When the newly formed bone of the growth plate does not mineralize, the growth plate becomes thick, wide and irregular. This results in the clinical diagnosis of rickets and is seen only in children because adults no longer have growth plates. When the remodeled bone does not mineralize, osteomalacia occurs, and this happens in all ages. Most of the hereditary causes of osteomalacia appear during childhood and cause rickets.

Soft bones are more likely to bow and fracture than are harder, healthy bones. In osteomalacia your bone tends to break down faster than it can re-form.

Osteomalacia is not the same as osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is another bone disorder that can also lead to bone fractures. Osteomalacia results from a defect in your bone-building process. Osteoporosis comes as a result of a weakening of previously constructed bone.

You may not experience any effects with osteomalacia in the early stages of this disorder, although signs and symptoms could be visible on X-ray pictures or other diagnostic tests. As your osteomalacia progresses, you may experience muscle weakness and bone pain.

Muscle weakness can take the form of stiffness or weakness in your arms and legs, discomfort while moving and decreased muscle tone. Osteomalacia may cause you to walk with a waddling motion.

You may also experience bone pain, especially in your pelvis, lower spine, feet and legs. The pain you have with osteomalacia is usually aching and dull and gets worse during physical activity. You might notice that it produces severe pain if you gently press on a bone like your shin bone, for example.

You may have osteomalacia. Osteomalacia and/or other conditions along with or resulting from it may be the cause of your disability and being unable to work.

Do you need help because of your disability? Do you need financial help?

Have you applied for financial assistance from the Social Security Administration by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits because of the disability caused by osteomalacia and/or related conditions? Were you denied?

You may be thinking about appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration. If this is what you decide to do, here is something that you need to think about.

You may need a disability lawyer like the one you will find at Social Security Home to advise you in what can prove to be a long and trying procedure. The reason why this is true is because people who are helped and represented by a dependable disability attorney are approved more often than those who do not have a lawyer.

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