Anyone Here Approaching Homelessness?

[[al...]]

Chronic insomnia most likely induced by TW to K has left me unemployable. I can no longer work as a teacher, am about to lose my insurance, you get the gist (no need to proceed in including the woes of another life spent under the veil of a benzo).

Since homelessness is something new for me, where do we go? Shelters? From there, where do we get kicked to?

Thanks.

 

 

[[Ch...]]

This post is so very upsetting...I'm a retired teacher and I know I'd not have been able to work either.  Not sure I could even now at 2 years off.  Teaching is too demanding in every respect.

 

Family. alizarin?  Any family?

[[al...]]

This post is so very upsetting...I'm a retired teacher and I know I'd not have been able to work either.  Not sure I could even now at 2 years off.  Teaching is too demanding in every respect.

 

Family. alizarin?  Any family?

 

Right, family... all dead and only child. I'm separated.

[[Ch...]]

No income?

[[lo...]]

Hello alazarin

 

This is Lucero's thread. He has to leave his apartment in 2 months, lives on disability and is very low. Perhaps you could chat to him.

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=114464.110

 

LF

[Guest [in...]]

Dear Alazarin,

 

I'm so very sorry this is happening to you.  This is heartbreaking. 

 

Is there any kind of compensation you can receive from not being able to work?

 

Are there are any friends who can help you at this time?

Please let us know what is happening. 

 

Sending love to you, Alazarin.

 

 

[[al...]]

Dear Alazarin,

 

I'm so very sorry this is happening to you.  This is heartbreaking. 

 

Is there any kind of compensation you can receive from not being able to work?

 

Are there are any friends who can help you at this time?

Please let us know what is happening. 

 

Sending love to you, Alazarin.

 

Honestly, I'm not quite sure but I don't believe I qualify for disability due to my age (36). My thyroid has just be 'regulated' and all my blood work and interminable tests show nothing. I just got back from a doctor's appointment, the one who initially prescribed me the benzos ten years ago, and told me to see a shrink. Perhaps I should call the county and verify this tomorrow but I know I don't have short or long term disability benefits since I did not sign up for them years ago.

[[Ch...]]

I've seen some people get disability during w/d but I'm not sure how they go about it.  Let me do some investigating and I'll be back.

[[Ch...]]

Just talked to an admin in one of the Facebook groups.  She's been able to get on SSDI using diagnoses from her physician... any chance of pursuing that?

[Guest [in...]]

Dear Alazarin,

 

There are attorneys who specialize in handling disability cases (and they work on the basis that they only get paid

if you receive an award).    Disability can be for emotional as well as physical circumstances.   

Definitely, lack of sleep can be incapacitating!!! 

 

Please keep us posted.

 

Love,

Ins

 

 

[Guest [in...]]

Dear Alazarin,

 

Disability through the government - as opposed to disability offered through your employer's insurance plan.

 

If you can get a physician to work with you regarding how the insomnia and other symptoms you are experiencing

have impacted your life, this can be documented by him/her and presented to a lawyer who specializes in disability claims.

 

 

Ins

 

 

[[al...]]

Just talked to an admin in one of the Facebook groups.  She's been able to get on SSDI using diagnoses from her physician... any chance of pursuing that?

 

Well, it certainly will not hurt to try. I have that psychiatrist appointment on the 9th of September. No loss in trying. Thanks, Challis, very kind to have gone out of your way. Much much appreciated.

[[al...]]

Dear Alazarin,

 

There are attorneys who specialize in handling disability cases (and they work on the basis that they only get paid

if you receive an award).    Disability can be for emotional as well as physical circumstances.   

Definitely, lack of sleep can be incapacitating!!! 

 

Please keep us posted.

 

Love,

Ins

 

I can definitely look into that. Thank you.

[[al...]]

Dear Alazarin,

 

Disability through the government - as opposed to disability offered through your employer's insurance plan.

 

If you can get a physician to work with you regarding how the insomnia and other symptoms you are experiencing

have impacted your life, this can be documented by him/her and presented to a lawyer who specializes in disability claims.

 

 

Ins

 

Right. Understood, simply just did not give thought to the government or even my job possibly offering disability due to insomnia. But I understand what you're explaining and I appreciate it. Never had to give this sort of thing much thought before so pardon the ignorance. Once again, thank you.

[Guest [in...]]

 

 

Right. Understood, simply just did not give thought to the government or even my job possibly offering disability due to insomnia. But I understand what you're explaining and I appreciate it. Never had to give this sort of thing much thought before so pardon the ignorance. Once again, thank you.

 

With everything you are undergoing, Alazarin, thinking about disability claims and how that works, is not something one would

expect anyone to be thinking about.  I do hope your physician and a good attorney will be of help to you.

 

[Guest [to...]]

I saw something about your thyroid, I think you said you're being regulated?  Do you have to take synthetic medication for thyroid disease?  If so, if you live in the US, thyroid disease is considered a disability (you need medication and bloodwork to sustain your good health), and because of this, you would be eligable for Medicaid if you're not making much income, at least in some states.  I know this for sure....someone very close to me is on Medicaid for thyroid and thyroid alone.

 

If you're lucky enough to live in a state that took the medicaid expansion from "obamacare",you may be able to get medicaid simply because of income alone, regardless of disability.

 

As far as jobs, are you teaching primary school, and unable to keep up with the 7-4pm schedule, or is it something more.  If a night job would suit you better, you can pretty easily get a teaching job at ITT (again, if you live in the US) so find out if there's a campus around you.  You need a bachelors degree and that's all.  I assume you have one, because you are a teacher.

 

Do you have any other skills outside of teaching?  Are you skilled at any CAD or graphical software, by chance?  There could be freelance work....

[[al...]]

My thyroid is being regulated BUT I have hyper and the custom here is to have it ablated, which I disagree with since I don't want radioactive iodine entering my body (it's already been poisoned enough by the benzos). But to answer your question, yes, I'm being treated with anti-thyroid medication.

Not sure about the "expansion", as you stated, I live in Florida.

 

I would love to be able to do my job again but the insomnia I've suffered since the 8th of May this year has been interminable, literally, I can barely type these sentences, am constantly dropping items, and my memory is nonexistent.

I am thinking it's the benzos and being in tolerance. All blood work returns normal except for thyroid panel.

 

I'm afraid the "skills" I've acquired throughout my humble lifetime are hardly money generating and only serve as creative outlets (visual arts, creative writing, philosophy, you get the idea).

 

Thank you for your suggestions!

 

 

 

I saw something about your thyroid, I think you said you're being regulated?  Do you have to take synthetic medication for thyroid disease?  If so, if you live in the US, thyroid disease is considered a disability (you need medication and bloodwork to sustain your good health), and because of this, you would be eligable for Medicaid if you're not making much income, at least in some states.  I know this for sure....someone very close to me is on Medicaid for thyroid and thyroid alone.

 

If you're lucky enough to live in a state that took the medicaid expansion from "obamacare",you may be able to get medicaid simply because of income alone, regardless of disability.

 

As far as jobs, are you teaching primary school, and unable to keep up with the 7-4pm schedule, or is it something more.  If a night job would suit you better, you can pretty easily get a teaching job at ITT (again, if you live in the US) so find out if there's a campus around you.  You need a bachelors degree and that's all.  I assume you have one, because you are a teacher.

 

Do you have any other skills outside of teaching?  Are you skilled at any CAD or graphical software, by chance?  There could be freelance work....

[[al...]]

No income?

 

Sorry for not having seen this earlier but no, no income since April.

[[be...]]

Many larger towns have agencies that can help you apply for ssdi at no cost. You may want to check into that. Although attorneys don't charge unless you win their fees can mount to thousands and thousands of dollars.

[[al...]]

Many larger towns have agencies that can help you apply for ssdi at no cost. You may want to check into that. Although attorneys don't charge unless you win their fees can mount to thousands and thousands of dollars.

 

Thanks for that tip. Can neither afford an attorney (nor his future fees) so that's good to know.

 

Sigh.

[[Be...]]

I had to move back in with parents for the time being while in withdrawal... through experience, yes shelter would be the next step, however you can get on temporary public assistance, depending on your county, they have programs that will pay for housing for a period of time, but you would have to actually become homeless first. As for the disability thing, i'm working that now, but I also have a nerve condition, and I'm attending a mental health facility and seeing a psychiatrist for depression. I personally don't take the antidepressant medication they give me except the Seroquel to sleep sometimes. The counseling does help some though. My depression is situational, not something that a SSRI can fix, there is no chemical imbalance, but I'll let them believe there is if it can help my disability case, I'm in an extreme amount of pain in my arms and hands daily from pinched nerves and I don't take anything for it.

[[be...]]

Dear Alazarin,

 

I'm so very sorry this is happening to you.  This is heartbreaking. 

 

Is there any kind of compensation you can receive from not being able to work?

 

Are there are any friends who can help you at this time?

Please let us know what is happening. 

 

Sending love to you, Alazarin.

 

Honestly, I'm not quite sure but I don't believe I qualify for disability due to my age (36). My thyroid has just be 'regulated' and all my blood work and interminable tests show nothing. I just got back from a doctor's appointment, the one who initially prescribed me the benzos ten years ago, and told me to see a shrink. Perhaps I should call the county and verify this tomorrow but I know I don't have short or long term disability benefits since I did not sign up for them years ago.

 

Can you early cash in an IRA or a 401K plan?

[[be...]]

I've seen some people get disability during w/d but I'm not sure how they go about it.  Let me do some investigating and I'll be back.

 

This is what I did to get on disability.  I got an application from SSDI (social security disability income) from my state. I filled it out and they turned me down. This happens 99% of the time, but you can appeal. I appealed. They then appointed a state psychiatrist to see me and he asked a lot of questions, such as how to remember things. I also took a multiple choice test. The next week I learned that they granted it to me. I was 35. The amount you get is a portion of your salary. Luckily, mine was high.

[[al...]]

I had to move back in with parents for the time being while in withdrawal... through experience, yes shelter would be the next step, however you can get on temporary public assistance, depending on your county, they have programs that will pay for housing for a period of time, but you would have to actually become homeless first. As for the disability thing, i'm working that now, but I also have a nerve condition, and I'm attending a mental health facility and seeing a psychiatrist for depression. I personally don't take the antidepressant medication they give me except the Seroquel to sleep sometimes. The counseling does help some though. My depression is situational, not something that a SSRI can fix, there is no chemical imbalance, but I'll let them believe there is if it can help my disability case, I'm in an extreme amount of pain in my arms and hands daily from pinched nerves and I don't take anything for it.

 

Well I did search for public housing assistance, not in my county.

[[al...]]

Dear Alazarin,

 

I'm so very sorry this is happening to you.  This is heartbreaking. 

 

Is there any kind of compensation you can receive from not being able to work?

 

Are there are any friends who can help you at this time?

Please let us know what is happening. 

 

Sending love to you, Alazarin.

 

Honestly, I'm not quite sure but I don't believe I qualify for disability due to my age (36). My thyroid has just be 'regulated' and all my blood work and interminable tests show nothing. I just got back from a doctor's appointment, the one who initially prescribed me the benzos ten years ago, and told me to see a shrink. Perhaps I should call the county and verify this tomorrow but I know I don't have short or long term disability benefits since I did not sign up for them years ago.

 

Can you early cash in an IRA or a 401K plan?

 

Not unless I intend to be penalized when I file for taxes. That's what a rep said, though she put it much more...euphemistically.