DLA with OCD?

ineedyourrainbow

Hello caela, I joined just so I can post this for you, I'm very sorry you've been suffering for so long. I've come across quite a bit of ignorance in this thread over your mental health problem and I think that what people need to understand is that when you're mentally ill, your entire "mothership", your brain, has broken down, the voice which directs how you go in life has become warped.

OCD is incredibly debilitating, so much it can stop you from leaving your bed, of course there is no body-physical reason, your legs or back aren't broken for this but the point is, is that it's a brain problem, you just can't see it and that makes it difficult for people to understand, unfortunately.

You would never say to a diabetes sufferer, "hey, get over it there are worse things in life" OCD and depression isn't going to show up on a brain scan. That does not make it any less real than other illnesses. We have a long way to go in fighting people's attitudes. You are trying and you're brave.

Also pop over to the OCD forums, where others in a similar situation have asked about DLA and other financial support and some there have been successful in their claims. Also they have an extensive FAQ and advice page about getting help and a diagnosis, labels do help people sometimes!

caela_2

Muttleythefrog wrote: »

Try to not stress too much about the tribunal... it'll no doubt make self harming more likely. And people will misunderstand your conditions, life etc... unfortunately it is something it is worth just stepping back from and accepting many are in same boat... misunderstood, criticised and battling to get what is legal entitlement in a system that is badly designed.

You're completely right I just feel I'm being forced to go through a belittling and indignant process to get something which is supposed to be a help and not hindrance. It really does affect my pride I just want to tell them to shove it but I need the money. I have half a mind to wait until the tribunal stage just to waste their time as much as they've wasted mine and just walk out with a great big f***k you lol. I know that wouldn't achieve much but it might give me my dignity back haha it'd be rock and roll just being able to slam it back into the face of authority probably do me more good than any DLA!

caela_2

ineedyourrainbow wrote: »

Hello caela, I joined just so I can post this for you, I'm very sorry you've been suffering for so long. I've come across quite a bit of ignorance in this thread over your mental health problem and I think that what people need to understand is that when you're mentally ill, your entire "mothership", your brain, has broken down, the voice which directs how you go in life has become warped.

Literally took the words out of my mouth there, very well said. It's silly as well because if your brain is the problem how can you describe the problem when all your ideas are filtered through a warped process? I don't even know what I'm thinking half the time and you can be susceptible to leading questions or implied symptoms, such as when you are diagnosed with a problem and in all likelihood end up acting out the remaining symptoms to fit the bill as it were since it's expected of you. That's not an attention seeking/ fake thing to do either, it's proven that it's an effect had on many people once they receive a diagnosis. There's a whole mental health clique you can fall into and you are expected to play the role of modest, compliant patient. There's even a lot of competition between people and their diagnosis to prove who is most crazy or worthy of help. It's a bizarre thing really. I don't want to involve myself with that and it's one of the reasons I quit therapy. Being told all the time that I have this fear of contamination didn't help because to some extent it became expected of me and almost a source of entertainment to others as a running joke- instead of being a symptom it became a personality trait and was almost desirable. People would bang on with oooh how much would someone have to pay you to lick a toilet seat, oooh would you eat something off the floor and really would reinforce the problem. One shrink even touched the sole of his shoe and then licked his finger so I practically screamed and turned away from him and he was laughing- it's not funny it was ruining my life. He was just showing off- he even offered to lick the toilet bowl which I couldn't even think about it was so disgusting (even now) and I just thought what a pr*ck. I was paying for this guy to take the mick out of me. Another NHS shrink responded to my account of hoarding with 'I don't see why keeping a few plastic bags is a problem' after I told her I found over 50 carrier bags in my bedroom wardrobe when I was cleaning and it hit me that I actually had a problem (you couldn't even see my floor at one point so it was more than just the bags lol).

caela_2

Muttleythefrog wrote: »

The bottom line is if someone from the DWP spent a day or two in your home or attached a camera to your body for a period of time they'd be able to assess exactly the effects of your illnesses on day to day living in a way that would make any form filling and supporting evidence as good as redundant.

I'm glad you have a diagnosis now- just to get them to put it down on paper! I've actually thought of keeping a video diary and making them sit through it and watch (on fast forward or something) this is me getting up at stupid o'clock and this is me now eating some random thing like cereal and ice cream on my bed and now look, I am on the laptop in my bed still and haven't got dressed yet and look at the time, it's 1am and I haven't seen my friends or left the house and it's dark outside so I go for a drive to the shops ooh wow now I'm back in bed and it's 9am so that's my life whoop, any questions? lol.

Maybe I'll do it but ironically don't think I have the motivation to find my camera and charge it...

ineedyourrainbow

caela wrote: »

Literally took the words out of my mouth there, very well said. It's silly as well because if your brain is the problem how can you describe the problem when all your ideas are filtered through a warped process? I don't even know what I'm thinking half the time and you can be susceptible to leading questions or implied symptoms, such as when you are diagnosed with a problem and in all likelihood end up acting out the remaining symptoms to fit the bill as it were since it's expected of you. That's not an attention seeking/ fake thing to do either, it's proven that it's an effect had on many people once they receive a diagnosis. There's a whole mental health clique you can fall into and you are expected to play the role of modest, compliant patient. There's even a lot of competition between people and their diagnosis to prove who is most crazy or worthy of help. It's a bizarre thing really. I don't want to involve myself with that and it's one of the reasons I quit therapy. Being told all the time that I have this fear of contamination didn't help because to some extent it became expected of me and almost a source of entertainment to others as a running joke- instead of being a symptom it became a personality trait and was almost desirable. People would bang on with oooh how much would someone have to pay you to lick a toilet seat, oooh would you eat something off the floor and really would reinforce the problem. One shrink even touched the sole of his shoe and then licked his finger so I practically screamed and turned away from him and he was laughing- it's not funny it was ruining my life. He was just showing off- he even offered to lick the toilet bowl which I couldn't even think about it was so disgusting (even now) and I just thought what a pr*ck. I was paying for this guy to take the mick out of me. Another NHS shrink responded to my account of hoarding with 'I don't see why keeping a few plastic bags is a problem' after I told her I found over 50 carrier bags in my bedroom wardrobe when I was cleaning and it hit me that I actually had a problem (you couldn't even see my floor at one point so it was more than just the bags lol).

Ah yeah the old, "treat the symptoms not the cause" routine, mental health professionals, quite a few have very little knowledge of OCD so think that not being able to touch certain things means you have a "phobia" of them, which is nonsense, it is not a phobia it is merely the manifestation of an obsessive compulsive brain, whatever you are obsessing over is irrelevant because OCD is fickle and can move onto anything else, it moves as it rolls if you see what I mean?

You can have terrible thoughts but the thoughts never mean anything, it was just a brain glitch, a thought that got lost and kept repeating, an anxiety causing thought, also sometimes the thoughts can be bloody stupid and not anxiety causing but bloody baffling. If you ever meet a therapist/mental health worker who wants to discuss the subject of your obsessive thoughts and tries to find meaning in them, say no thank you and leave, the subject is always irrelevant.

The brain has a wiring problem. I am horrified at the so called treatment you received, ask your gp if there's a general mental health nurse who you can see at the surgery and make an appointment with them so you can discuss all these experiences and where to go from here? I haven't read your post history so don't know if you've done that already, sorry if that's useless advice.

preciousillusions

ineedyourrainbow wrote: »

You would never say to a diabetes sufferer, "hey, get over it there are worse things in life" OCD and depression isn't going to show up on a brain scan. That does not make it any less real than other illnesses. We have a long way to go in fighting people's attitudes. You are trying and you're brave.

I just wanted to say, people do say this to diabetes sufferers! I know as I am one. People can be totally ignorant.

But I do agree with the rest of your post completely. I receive DLA for my uncontrolled diabetes which goes hand in hand with an eating disorder & other mental health issues. I really had to fight my corner for it though. OP I really hope you can get somewhere with your claim. It is really unfair that MH issues are not taken as seriously as physical ones when they can be every bit as debilitating. Keep fighting for what you are entitled to and ignore people who don't have a clue and say otherwise. They haven't experienced what you have and have no right to judge!

bestpud

Ok, I'm out of here, OP!

I can do empathy but I can't do hugs and kisses for people who revel in their learned helplessness.

You don't actually want practical advice and I'm not convinced you want to be better.

Your choice of course.

caela_2

bestpud wrote: »

Ok, I'm out of here, OP!

I can do empathy but I can't do hugs and kisses for people who revel in their learned helplessness.

You don't actually want practical advice and I'm not convinced you want to be better.

Your choice of course.

Lol you make me laugh not sure we're reading the same thread maybe it makes you feel more sane if you can belittle me that's great if it can be therapeutic. I'm not revelling I'm trying to get help in what is currently a difficult time and also trying to get DLA which has been a confusing process with the GP saying I'm not entitled and basically ignoring all my symptoms so I was hoping to get some feedback and see if I have totally lost my mind lol! Seeing as I'm completely independent I'd love to know how I'm coming across helpless, especially when I'm fighting the whole DLA thing by myself which is an arduous process to say the least. I'm getting what I want, I doubt that renders me helpless and winging to be wrapped in cotton, I would describe it more as an empowering process. Not really sure we're on the same page, maybe it's not coming through in writing I guess you'd just have to know me. Thanks for trying to help anyway though, sadly I don't think I'll have too much to take away with me from it but I do appreciate the effort.

Triker

Can someone else report Geertbn41, they have !!!!!! on their homepage and I've reported them once.

sunnyone

caela wrote: »

I do have medical evidence to back up my OCD and other problems, just not for the sleep disorder however whilst it helps to have this, it is not a necessity. I am trying to get it diagnoses so I can have some evidence but no luck there.

I have read this whole thread and you dont from what you have posted have a hope of getting DLA on the "evidence" you have, or everyone would get it!

You need evidence going back at least 3 months and a condition expected to last for 6 months to which medical pratictioners will testify, not one but a plethora to back you up and you have nothing like that but a bit ancient history and claimed conditions without medical support and thats why you have failed and will fail at tribunal to get DLA.