esa for mental health

sick_puppy

I know others have posted about this, just wondered if anyone has a similar thing to me. I'm on Incapacity benefit and still haven't moved on to esa. I'm terrified they'll send me, along with all the other crazy people like me to the job centre.

I have bipolar disorder and I'm an alcoholic. I'm currently sober, for 2 months with a couple of slip ups. I left the AA before as it made me drink again, listening to people saying they'd been sober for 20 years and still wanted to take a drink. My slip up was because I ran out of medication as my doctor won't let me have a repeat prescription for my antidepressants and antipsychotics, he likes to keep an eye on me. I have all the organisational skills of a dead newt thus keep running out. He's now put me back on repeat prescription.

Disinhibited behaviour? how about screaming while spiders that only i can see and feel crawling all over me, or going rigid, staring into space for hours, catatonic on the severe downs. It isn't regular, it depends whether I'm up or down. alcohol suppresses it greatly. only I can't stop.

Does severe bipolar with someone that is trying to kick the booze come under the esa? The fact that it is coming for me makes me paranoid, scared, and want to drink. I am isolated, alone and scared but vodka isn't going to help. If I get stressed while manic, bad things happen. The hallucinations turn on me. If I'm ok, then the world glows all pretty and I see dear leaping around the forest and animals in the garden that my wonderful dog can't see. It doesn't happen that often, but how am I supposed to function in a workplace when it does? What about the rest of the time unable to leave the house, with or without someone else. who else is there?

What are they going to do with me?

skater_kat

you will go through the assessment. perhaps you can read up on the details of the ESA assessment and the descriptors to be more prepared for this happening.

bedpotato_2

Eligibility for ESA does not depend on what condition or diagnosis you have. It depends on whether you fulfill the DWP's criteria.

I have autism and I successfully claimed for ESA. I was frightened and worried about the way they might deal with me (as you are) so I did lots of research beforehand. I found this page very helpful:

http://treatid.blogspot.com/2010/06/purpose-of-this-note-is-to-help-people.html

Most of what it says will not be relevant to your bipolar or alcoholism, as it's written from an autistic person's point of view, but the explanation of how ESA entitlement works is very good and applies to anyone wanting to apply for ESA:

Employment and Support Allowance is the fancy name given to the allowance which has replaced the much more straightforwardly named Incapacity Benefit and Income Support, for new claims since 27 October 2008.

The first thing to realise is that your diagnosis of Autism or Aspergers Syndrome is not, of itself, of any importance in your application. The Healthcare Professional who assesses you has a strict tick-box list which he or she has to complete. (We will come to the list in a moment.) If the problems you have from your Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are sufficiently serious in one category, or serious enough in a number of categories, then you will be entitled to ESA. But if you don’t clock up the necessary 15 points then all the diagnoses in the world will not entitle you to ESA.

It is therefore very important that you should relate your symptoms not to the way that you see them, or to the way that a doctor sees them, but to the way that the tick boxes see them.

Basically what this means is that ESA is not awarded on the grounds of submitting a doctor's note and stating that you have XYZ. It's all about their points system. If someone has a very serious disease but doesn't fill in the form in a way that enables them to get enough "points," they may not end up getting ESA, whereas someone with a less serious disease who knows how to fill in the form will get it.

Make sense?

When answering the questions just make sure you describe yourself on your WORST DAYS.It doesn't help that most of the questions are geared towards people with PHYSICAL disabilities so it's hard for a person applying on the grounds of mental illness to get enough "points" when they're having to tick boxes that say "yes, I can walk. Yes, I can wash myself. Yes, I can open my own mail. Yes, I can tie my own shoelaces" etc etc. Try asking us if we hear voices or are paranoid or rock or stim or self-harm, and we'd be ticking YES YES YES, but there are very few questions like that.

skibadee

I just want say well done for staying sober for 2mths.....I hope you continue to fight your addiction successfully.

As for entitlements... I don't know what you may or may not be entitled to.
Do you have a support worker who could help you?

diceydeb

Dont be fooled oh most caring and knowledgable posters for I fear we have a fraudster in our mists. One very sick puppy indeed.

dane-katie

diceydeb wrote: »

Dont be fooled oh knowledgable and most caring posters for I fear we may have a fraudster in our mist.

Why do you say that?

I have Bipolar Disorder and i am on ESA, are you undercare of your local mental health team?

sick_puppy

Thanks, I see what you mean about ticking boxes rather than just being ill. The change to esa hasn't hit us yet, but I'm still freaking about it.

* * * *

Yes of course, mental health problems and alcoholism is a fraudulent claim of benefits. Thanks for your support.

sick_puppy

I've not long lived here, am waiting on a CPN. Currently under the care of a shrink who doesn't look up from her writing but a very nice GP.

Darlyd

I have BP and I work. I do claim DLA but never once tried for IB never mind ESA always feared I would get declined. I don't see things, but I feel their presence, and I am paranoid to fork..

You need a med review sweety, when I was on the wrong meds that guy from scream was stabbing me every night... I had to stay with my parents.

Ames

darlyd wrote: »

I have BP and I work. I do claim DLA but never once tried for IB never mind ESA always feared I would get declined. I don't see things, but I feel their presence, and I am paranoid to fork..

You need a med review sweety, when I was on the wrong meds that guy from scream was stabbing me every night... I had to stay with my parents.

Good for you, but not all of us with BP are lucky enough for it to be so controlable by meds, and be able to work.

Darlyd

Ames wrote: »

Good for you, but not all of us with BP are lucky enough for it to be so controlable by meds, and be able to work.

I had that attitude and it got me no where...

I still suffer, and fear for myself often when going to work, I been off for 6 weeks for another reason, but I am scared poopless going back, but I need to work as I won't have no money, my DLA is used for my car, If i knew I could get ESA I would claim for it, but I am in a new area, and gp's don't really know me here, so doubt they could help me much... My old GP was amazing and with my psych managed to get me DLA..

scary..