Many of our clients wait for two-and-a-half to three years to get a favorable decision on their application for Social Security Disability (SSD) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This can be an agonizing time for people, as they are not working and are dealing with pain and/or mental health issues. Below are some of our tips on the best things you can do with your time while waiting for a decision.
Engage in great medical care: Regularly seeing your primary care physician in addition to visits with any specialists that are necessary for treating your conditions can take an incredible amount of time and energy. For many of our clients, they find that simply engaging in good medical care is all that they have capacity for.
Follow recommended treatments: We encourage our clients to not just attend their scheduled appointments with their providers, but to comply with prescribed medications and follow the instructions of their providers regarding things like diet, exercise, physical therapy, and counseling. Following your provider’s instructions helps to demonstrate that you are doing everything in your power to improve your functioning.
Journal: For clients who deal with chronic pain, migraines, or any condition that flares, it is very important to track how you are doing in a calendar or journal. We encourage our clients to keep a log or calendar that documents their severe pain days, or flare-ups. This will be important when years later you are asked “How many bad days do you experience compared to your good days?” It is a good idea to keep this calendar separate from any journal you might use to document your feelings or day-to-day activities. This log can also be a helpful tool to demonstrate to your medical providers how you are doing between visits.
Abstain from drugs and alcohol: Even though both marijuana and alcohol are legal for adult use in Oregon, we encourage our clients do abstain from their use, particularly in cases cases where mental health impairments are key.