Claiming DLA and Esa

Muttleythefrog

Prinzessilein wrote: »

Going to the GP is, I feel, necessary to a claim for any form of sickness benefit -even if the help they can offer is limited. But if we insist on this, then should we also insist that the claimant accepts treatment?

This is the problem. Shortsighted and apparently reasonable demands on people can lead to quite complex and undesirable consequences. Do we want to sanction or prevent benefit claims to sick people because they belong to a particular religion or set of beliefs affecting view of medical intervention... or make moral choices. Do we want to go down the route of determining benefit entitlement based on local NHS service availabilities etc. Probably not. There are even people out there convinced they're not ill when they will be (I recall one story of a psychiatric patient using a dodgy ATOS WCA medical report to challenge the view of his care team/psychiatrist that they were ill). And then there are people like myself... I've given a direct psychiatric report excerpt that highlights my very condition makes it unlikely I would present to clinical setting. Most people with Schizoid PD do need seek medical help it is thought... they simply try to achieve circumstance of social isolation they are comfortable with. And yes.. there is not really any treatment for many Personality Disorders of course.. so seeking diagnosis and treatment is arguable just a waste of NHS resources...lol. To quote directly again.. different psychiatrist. 'As Mr X has now been diagnosed by a colleague to have Personality Disorders we urge you (my GP) to encourage him to cancel the appointment he has insisted upon with our non psychotic CMHT. We do not feel there are any treatment options available that have not been tried or explored for other problems he has.'

The irony is the effects of medication and seeking treatment now form the basis for some of my care needs in DLA application..lol. Shame I can't claim for erectile dysfunction too... that's kinda pishing me off haha... but then since the medication is prescribed for premature ejaculation as well as OCD I perhaps should have known better. One thing for sure.. if I take the stockpile I've got... stiffness will not be an issue much longer haha.

Oldernotwiser

Prinzessilein wrote: »

This sounds eminently reasonable to me.

However, I can see it leading to the question of whether or not to give benefits to those who have been to their GP but refuse treatment for their condition.

In my own case, there is no cure for my medical condition. However, some of the symptoms can be eased/treated. Without medication I would possibly need a higher rate of DLA than I now get. If I was to stop taking the meds would it be right/fair/legal for me to claim the higher rates? My needs would have increased, so I could tick the DLA boxes......but my needs would have increased because of my personal choice not to take prescribed meds.....to me this is clear-cut, I should be taking the meds!

What about a smoker? If they are told that their breathing difficulties are linked to the ciggies - should they still be entitled to DLA?...In the same way that I would be deliberately making my condition worse by stopping the meds, would a smoker be deliberately exacerbating their condition? Should their benefits be sanctioned?

Then what about people who are overweight? If this affects their condition should they lose benefit?

Going to the GP is, I feel, necessary to a claim for any form of sickness benefit -even if the help they can offer is limited. But if we insist on this, then should we also insist that the claimant accepts treatment?

(I apologise if this doesn't make sense! My head is somewhat befuddled...I know what I meant to say and hope it comes across!)

No, it makes perfect sense and you've brought up some really interesting points.

Personally, I think that smokers, addicts, alcoholics and the clinically obese should be offered appropriate treatment for their condition and if they turn that down, their benefit claim should be reconsidered. However, it's obviously not a clear cut issue and gives plenty of room for thought.

colpol1

Well today I visited my GP, it was very hard to get it all out but still, I am glad I did as he has diagnosed me with severe depression, offered me some counselling and put me straight on to anti depressants, he said I should see an improvement in my mood in about 2/3 weeks, so I hope I feel better, I dont know when the counselling starts but I hope its soon.

( And whoever said I could be going through a seasonal thing, dont be ridiculous as I have said I know this is depression, I know what I am going through is not a phase. I have been like this since I was 13 years old. )

Muttleythefrog

colpol1 wrote: »

Well today I visited my GP, it was very hard to get it all out but still, I am glad I did as he has diagnosed me with severe depression, offered me some counselling and put me straight on to anti depressants, he said I should see an improvement in my mood in about 2/3 weeks, so I hope I feel better, I dont know when the counselling starts but I hope its soon.

( And whoever said I could be going through a seasonal thing, dont be ridiculous as I have said I know this is depression, I know what I am going through is not a phase. I have been like this since I was 13 years old. )

Most likely is they'll be diagnosed as suffering anxiety and/or depression, prescribed citalopram and told to wait a few weeks for it to work like I was... after a 10 minute appointment with a corpse masquerading as a GP..lol

lol.... they don't call me the prophet of doom for nowt you know

Let me guess... was it citalopram?.. or shall we go for the next on the list.. fluoxetine...lol

Wonder if counselling would take over a year to get like in my area... hopefully not!

Oldernotwiser

Muttleythefrog wrote: »

lol.... they don't call me the prophet of doom for nowt you know

Let me guess... was it citalopram?

What's "doom" got to do with it? The OP seems to have asked for medical advice and been offered treatment; a positive outcome on all levels for the present.

(I understand that you have problems of your own but don't you think a more positive perspective could be more helpful to the OP?)

Muttleythefrog

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

What's "doom" got to do with it? The OP seems to have asked for medical advice and been offered treatment; a positive outcome on all levels for the present.

(I understand that you have problems of your own but don't you think a more positive perspective could be more helpful to the OP?)

It's my sense of humour... obviously not always detected... it's often very dark... often I'm trying to create imagery.. sometimes I'm just setting up humour for my own amusement. Doom probably has nothing to do with it... that's what some people used to call me at work. The point I was making (if one was being made) is that presenting with MH problems can be quite 'conveyor belt'... something which my psychiatrist has said causes often more problems than it solves for patients. With any luck medication will help and the Op will not need any further advice regarding sickness/disability benefits. I do hope though that they feel in the company of others who have some understanding... e.g. when they say "it was very hard to get it all out".. is exactly how I felt when I presented for first time... trying to tell a life of problems in a few minutes without forgetting anything important... 'this person seems anxious... in the humour akin to the drunken Irish Doctor declaring expiration of Albert Steptoe in the second Steptoe and Son film (hence my reference to corpse making diagnosis.. in effect what happened in that film)'.

colpol1

Muttleythefrog wrote: »

lol.... they don't call me the prophet of doom for nowt you know

Let me guess... was it citalopram?.. or shall we go for the next on the list.. fluoxetine...lol

Wonder if counselling would take over a year to get like in my area... hopefully not!

Yeah the box says Citalopram, i hope taking these helps me! I hope not, a year is a long time! He said he was sending over the referral form ASAP so hopefully it should be soon!

Muttleythefrog

colpol1 wrote: »

Yeah the box says Citalopram, i hope taking these helps me! I hope not, a year is a long time! He said he was sending over the referral form ASAP so hopefully it should be soon!

I knew a woman in the neighbouring NHS authority got counselling within 2 weeks.... so I was quite surprised at the sorts of timescales on offer here..lol. Ironically I got private counselling as an employee of the NHS..lol... within 2 or 3 days. But from what you say in the opening post counselling may well offer a good chance to explore exactly what it is that is causing the anxiety.... why it fluctuates.. and steps that can be taken to reduce the anxiety and increase social engagement. They may well conclude (or other medical professionals) that the anxiety and resulting social difficulty is affecting level of mood... i.e. causing depression... and therefore a logical plan of attack possible... time will hopefully tell. Might be worth looking at some CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) stuff online...some applications around that can be helpful...taking you through what you think, why you think it, what you should think and how you change what you think... and how that affects you. This is the one recommended by NHS psychologist to me http://moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome

The citalopram could help... probably if they see no obvious improvement in the next month then dosage may be upped or another SSRI type antidepressant used like Fluoxetine or Sertraline.

mazza111

So long since I was on AD medication, at that time Seroxat was the big one. Did the doctor say you were unfit for work Colpol? Did he give you a fit note?


Muttley - I supposed mental health issues are just like others. We have one doc in our practice who's great with kids. But when he visited my father at home when he was ill following cancer, he came out with a statement that was rather like, "yes, he's dying, what would you like me to do about it?" Well, shock was set in by then as he'd just had the all clear from cancer. Turned out it was a blood clot in lung where the tumour originally was. He suggested to one of my residents in the sheltered housing that a rash was caused by wearing cheap gold :rotfl: Just to show the difference of how he treated kids against how he treated the elderly. But if one of the kids was ill, he was right on the ball, if he couldn't diagnose, he wasn't shy at ordering tests, and was great at building up a rapport with the kids.

I would urge anyone who has a doc that doesn't understand their MH issues to ask to speak to another doc at the practice or change practice.

Step 2 has now been made Colpol, well done you!!! Step 1 being recognising that u had a problem :T

colpol1

mazza111 wrote: »

So long since I was on AD medication, at that time Seroxat was the big one. Did the doctor say you were unfit for work Colpol? Did he give you a fit note?




Step 2 has now been made Colpol, well done you!!! Step 1 being recognising that u had a problem :T

I wasn't really able to talk about much with him, it was all very quick and I was in tears finally talking about it to somebody..he just asked me how is it affecting work/college ect..and I said feeling like this has a huge impact on it,told him I couldn't do it, he then give me anti depressant prescription and told me to book an appointment again as the course finishes, which is a month so I think then I will speak to him more about it because I dont feel like I told him everything, only about half. but thank you, I am glad I did it and I hope I can get through this after all these years.