Seizure Mom

15 year old girl applies for disability review.  This means that she was already receiving disability from a previous application, and she would like to continue receiving disability benefits based on her continued allegations that she is disabled.

She states she cannot function normally because she has seizures.
Mother agrees.

I request records for this girl.

The doctor's records state that she is having seizures once every six months and she's doing quite well.  He states this on more than one occasion.  In order to continue to receive disability benefits, she needs to have seizures at least once a month during the day.  At this point, she would no longer receive disability benefits.

Except...

Her school records indicate that she needs a helper, a paraprofessional, in her classes because of "intellectual disabilities".

Because of this one statement, I am now required to investigate her mental status.  I send the case off to one of our doctors and ask what he would like to do.  He says we need to order an exam in order to have a record of any intellectual disabilities.

I order a mental exam.

Then the mother calls, very frustrated and angry, saying that her daughter should receive disability benefits because she has seizures.  I am not allowed to tell her that her daughter isn't going to receive benefits anymore because, according to the law, I'm not allowed to make that decision, therefore I'm not allowed to tell anyone that is the decision.  However, despite what the law says, I know she will not be receiving benefits because of her seizures.  If she is going to continue receiving benefits, it will need to be because of another reason.  I tell the mother that I am not a doctor, nor am I the person who will ultimately make the decision whether her daughter continues to receive disability benefits or not.  What I know is that a doctor has requested a mental status exam, and unless she can give me some kind of evidence to take to the doctor, the exam is needed.

The mother then tells me that her daughter has no mental issue, has no intellectual disabilities, has no emotional issues, and the only reason why she has a paraprofessional with her is because of her seizures, which "happen all the time, every day".  Then she asks if this is enough to make the mental exam not necessary.  I tell her the best I can do is make note of what she has said and send it back to the doctor.  The mother then starts to speak angrily at me, telling me that I don't know what it's like to deal with a daughter who has seizures all the time every day, and it's very draining and frustrating to have to deal with the likes of me.  I try to tell her I understand, but she doesn't want to hear it.

What I know, as I'm being verbally battered by this lady, is that she has just made her position worse.  Her daughter doesn't have the medical records saying that she has seizures all the time, and that's what's important to Social Security.  You can't just call up Social Security and say, "my daughter has seizures all the time, check please!"  They need proof from a doctor.  And the proof from that doctor is that this girl is fine.  So her best hope to continue to receive benefits is to go to the mental exam and be super depressed or retarded.  And with her mother saying she's neither of those things, I've got no more reasons to say she should continue to receive benefits.

And I know all of this while she's getting more and more angry with me.  And I continue to tell her that I'm doing what I can for her, but at this point, the best that I can do for them is not rush this case through the system, because the quicker I rush the case, the quicker mother is going to find out Social Security isn't going to send you checks anymore.

And I think about all of that and become mildly concerned about why people don't listen to me fully, with open ears and hearts, when I tell them this is what is in your best interests for a positive outcome on your case.

And then I think about my recent interactions with lawyers.
And therapists, for myself and my wife.
And I realize that those people are impediments in my mind.
Stumbling blocks of egos I must traverse and climb around in order to protect and help my family.
They don't have ideas that help.
They do more damage than good.
They are not worthy of listening to.
And they proved that over and over and over.
And I think this mother has probably lived through that prior to getting me on the phone.
"This jerkoff isn't worth listening to," she thinks to herself about her interactions with me.

And I can't say that I blame her.

People are fucking shitty.