This article is going to give you the exact step step by step instructions on how to get approved for disability benefits for bipolar disorder without using a lawyer. Disability is for those people who cant work for some reason. Not everybody can afford a lawyer but in my case I didn’t need a lawyer. I am living proof that you can get approved for disability without a lawyer. I suffer from bipolar disorder and panic disorder and I was in and out of hospitals because of my bipolar disorder.
My bipolar disorder preventing me from holding down a job for more than 6 month’s at a time except for one job. I lasted over a year at my last job and made really good money until the mental illness demons kicked in and I quit once again. My parents told me that it was now time to try and get approved for disability benefits.
The Disability Process
The next day I called the Social Security Administration and asked them what I needed to do to apply for disability benefits for bipolar disorder. They told me everything that I needed to bring with me to my appointment. Which was doctors records, I dentification and any hospital stays and then they gave me an appointment date about a month later to give me time to gather all of the necessary paperwork that they requested.
So I spent most of that month going to my doctor and to the hospital that I was committed to for bipolar disorder to get copies of any records related to my bipolar disorder. My doctor even attached a letter explaining that I could not work because of the bipolar disorder. So now I just wait on my appointment date.
It is now time for my disability benefits appointment. Keep in mind that I’m doing all of this without using a lawyer. I’m sitting across a desk from a guy who is on his computer. He has my entire work history pulled up on the computer along with any other medical records that I signed a release to. I give him the paperwork that they asked me to get which was the hospital records and doctors records.
As I am sitting there he is looking at his computer and looking through the paperwork. He started asking me normal questions about work history and about my bipolar history. I stayed there about an hour just answering questions. He also asked me how the bipolar disorder affected me from working and I told him. After about an hour he was done with me and he told me to expect a call within the next couple of months or I could check my status online and they also gave me a phone number that I could call to check my disability status.
The Disability Denial
Don’t worry. It gets better. I called the number that they gave me fore the next few months to no avail. Then one day I called and they said that my disability claim had been denied. Bummer. They told me that I have so many weeks, I believe, to file an appeal so I went through the process and filed an appeal. Keep in mind that I am doing all of this without using a lawyer. They gave me a date for my appeal and it was 4 or 5months later. So I waited.
The Disability Appeal
On the day of my appeal I was actually in the hospital for a severe bipolar episode. So, they let my parents come and get me and take me to my appeal. I was still wearing the hospital bracelet. When we got there we went into this very small room and sat down at our table. Then the social security lawyer comes in and so does the judge.
The judge begins talking and asking me questions. He then asked If I had a lawyer that was representing me and I said no. He seemed amazed about that. He then asked me why I had a hospital bracelet on and I told him that I am in the hospital for a bipolar disorder episode and they let my parents check me out long enough to come to court. He seemed even more amazed about that.
The judge then began asking me questions about my bipolar, my hospital stays and my work history. After he was finished asking me questions, he asked the social security lawyer If I was able to work a full time job with my condition. To my disbelief she said no he cant. He then asked her if I could work any part time job because of my bipolar disorder. Once again she said no.
The judge then looked at me and said “its a good day for you son because I am approving your disability claim”. I started crying and so did my parents. Even the social security lawyer started crying. On the way out of the court room we had to walk right past the judge. He stopped me and shook my hand and said “I hope your life gets better”. That’s it, I went back to the hospital and eventually home.
Conclusion
The judge also gave me a years worth of back pay. He went all the way back to when I was denied. I started receiving back pay and my monthly checks about 3 months later. Keep in mind that got my disability benefits without using a lawyer and so can you. This might not work for everybody but it worked for me and its worth giving it a shot. You never know. You just might be able to get your disability benefits without using a lawyer.