Hi...
pardon my gibberish- it's very late here and I haven't slept. In lots of pain, stressed, and parents have stopped talking to me- honestly don't know why. And since this has happened, I've lost all my friends, so I'm totally alone. The only thing keeping me going through all this pain is the hope that I can get SS figured out and at least get one huge worry off my chest.

So my question is, what do I need to do to find the correct info as to where to start... Should I get a lawyer? I don't exactly see eye-to-eye with my doc and so Idk how accurate his records are. Also, I need this to be done fast, as I live on my own and get no help from my parents. I'm pretty afraid of the whole process to be honest, and in a perfect world, would love nothing more than some "hand-holding" through this process... As horribly painful as CRPS is, the emotional and mental issues that tag along seem to be almost as bad. (in my experience anyway)

Anyhow, thanks everybody- you've all been lifesavers from the start (about a year now- time flies even when you're NOT having fun I guess!).

It's your choice if you want a lawyer or not. They are good for making sure the paper work is in the best possible order, but it is not that hard to do it on your own, but you need to be thourgh. you also want to make sure your doc. is on board, because they will request their documents as well. The bad part is it takes 4-6 months, sometimes longer.

4-6 months if things go REALLLY well for you. You CAN NOT expect to get a quick approval. It might happen. But you need to try and plan for the worst case scenario. You're young, and hopefully have very few bills. Reduce everything that isn't essential. Be ruthless with your budget. You might need to apply for food stamps, use public transportation, find roommates, apply for Medicaid, and so on. Refer to the Catch 22 stickie in the SSD section. Do you have any other relatives that would take you in?

Attorney's only get paid out of backpay, and many won't even take your case until after reconsideration has been denied. There are also non profit advocacy groups, and non-attorney SSDI advocates as well.

You need to gave your doc/s support of your application!!!

If you're not seeing a therapist, I'd highly recommend you do so. Dealing with a severe disability is incredibly stressful all by itself. Add in your isolation from family and friends, and it's oh so much harder!

I think people like to blame us for our disabilities, because if we have control over our health, then healthy people can delude themselves into believing our unfortunate circumstances can't happen to them or their loved ones.

All though it's not a substitute for what you've lost, those on Neurotalk can offer a great deal of emotional support.