Benefits? | ADHD Information

You seem to have given up on working.  You have not given much information about what types of jobs you had, and what frustrations you experienced, and what caused the stress on the job.

Qualifying for SSI usually requires more than just ADHD, as I understand SSI, but consulting an expert is a good idea.

Did you want to discuss your job problems further?

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I'm considering contacting voc. rehab for tuition assistance and applying for SSI/SSD (whichever I can qualify for). Let me know what you all think about my history and what you would suggest.

Around the age of 8 I was diagnosed with ADD (1986-ish). We lived in FL at the time and I was under the treatment of a physician there who referred me to a child psychologist who made the diagnosis of ADD. I was not prescribed medication until later on (1988-ish). I was prescribed Cylert 37.5mg then sometime later it was increased to 56.25mg.

Right now the only medical records I have are from a pediatrician here in NY after we moved here in 1994. The only entry on the medical records related to my ADD is one titled "ADD Check" dated 11/94 that states I was on 56.25mg of Cylert per my FL Physician for ADD and that my mother thought that it was no longer working. It lists wandering, lack of concentration, that I was failing two subjects and had a wandering mind. It states that a prescription for another year's supply was written.

I don't have copies of my records from my FL Physician yet, nor do I have a copy of the diagnosis from the original Psychologist. I've contacted him and he doesn't still have the records. I'm hoping when I get my records from the physician in FL that there'll be more proof of the ADD and hopefully copies of the stuff from the Psychologist.

I haven't been under the care of a regular physician since around 1995 when I dropped out of high school at the age of 16/17 and stopped being seen by my pediatrician. For all my minor illnesses since then I've just visited the local urgent care facility.

I'm starting to realize that my history of jumping between jobs, telling employers off and leaving, ending relationships for no apparent reason and all the BS I've done my entire life is probably related to my ADD. I've never been able to hold a job for long, even when I consciously tried. My social security statement clearly shows that I've had very little employment and am a LONG ways from qualifying for SSDI.

I'm 29 years old, still living at home with my now retired mother (An R.N.) and want my independence more than anything. The question is.. how to start.. do I..

A) Find a physician and incur more debt (I already have quite a bit) because I don't have any insurance.
B) Try to find a psychologist on my own to see me and incur more debt..
C) Contact VESID (Vocational & Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities)
D) Try to open a claim with Social Security with the little info I have and not knowing even what my physician in FL still has on file (I know they have some records, I've spoken to the receptionist and she checked)

OMG.. with all the options and possibilities this really shouldn't be something that I'm trying to do on my own..

Ric