<p>I was talking to this 40 year old woman Thursday at the gym. We talked a few times previously. When she was in her 20’s, she made a very big mistake. She went out drinking with two friends, a guy and a gal. It was 1 in the morning. They got in a car. The driver was drunk. She was sitting next to the driver who was a guy. A good friend was in the back. Nobody was on the road. </p>
<p>The friend in the back wanted to smoke some pot with the driver. The person telling me the
story did not. They stopped the car. The women changed places. The friend is now in the front seat of the car.</p>
<p>The guy is driving. He loses control of the car. The car flips and rolls over. The storyteller gets out of the car. She sees her friend’s legs. She doesn’t see her friend’s upper body because it is crushed underneath the car. The friend is dead. </p>
<p>The next day, the mother of the friend called the storyteller and asked, “how come you are alive and my daughter is dead?”</p>
<p>The guilt of the storyteller was so big she couldn’t cope. She became an alcoholic. She tried to get help a few times but it didn’t work. For several years, she was an alcoholic. Then one day, she was listening to somebody talk. A former alcoholic . The storyteller’s life changed.
The storyteller has been alcohol free for over 10 years.</p>
<p>I don’t drink. I have no idea what it is like to have that kind of guilt. I never got out of a car and looked at a crushed body. </p>
<p>Who am I to judge her?</p>
<p>I find the people in this gym amazing. Some of them have lived thru tragedies. </p>
<p>When I read posts, I wonder what some posters are really going thru? Were they mistreated in their life? Was there a tragedy? Maybe just a struggle? Some posts are soooo cold. Some are heartwarming. I am not just talking about posts in this thread. </p>
<p>If my cousin posted, readers would not know that she has muscular dystrophy. I wonder sometimes…</p>
<p>Shrinkrap, yes. Some of the disabled issues are complex and subjective. </p>
<p>The fraud is very small. In the scheme of things, it is irrelevant. People know that others freak out with the mentioning of the word fraud. Manipulators know this and use this to their advantage. </p>
<p>Nobody likes fraud. Fraud is going to exist. I would like to see zero fraud and see everybody who should be covered by Ssi covered. </p>
<p>It is not going to happen. So is Ssi worthwhile despite the fraud? As other posters wrote, the cost of fighting fraud is expensive and may cost more than the fraud. </p>
<p>In 1995 there were more people on welfare and disability then there are today. When you look at population growth, and unemployment rates, and the lack of wage growth, that is amazing. Why is that?</p>
<p>SSI was not supposed to replace welfare or unemployment comp. I don’t think being a drug abuser or a drunk is a disability. I don’t think fraud is small. I think it >25%. That is worth chasing.</p>
<p>Many, many people have been through all sorts of tragedies without resorting to alcohol or drugs. Alcoholics and addicts need treatment but they are not disabled. </p>
<p>AIUI, people are using SSI in place of unemployment.</p>
<p>And providing treatment is far more beneficial, and often worth the money. Even if it’s unsuccessful, I’d think you’d have to try, if someone is willing.</p>
<p>The treatment of mental health issues in this country is pathetic. People can be suicidal or have other dangerous tendencies towards themselves and others, and released from hospitals on their own volition</p>
<p>I agree completely. However, part of the reason people with addiction problems end up on both unemployment and disability is because the feds and the states have backed off treatment because of the expense. When programs are cut, others are strained.</p>
<p>The fraud is not 25 percent with Ssi, Barron’s. It is 2 to 5 percent. I read the congressional study. The joke study. You can’t get Ssi just because you are an alcoholic.</p>
<p>The woman in the car crash story is not on Ssi and never was. </p>
<p>It was a story about judging people when you have never been in their situation.</p>
<p>There are a lot of people here that have never dealt with Ssi. I think we should have a thread where the people who are clueless about Ssi should tell the people who have gone thru it now the process works. </p>
<p>So Barrons , you started the thread. What should a person do to receive Ssi? What is the process? How does it work? How does it work after you receive Ssi? </p>
<p>And my daughter is going to need housing someday? As a family, how should we help her?
And jobs? She is working 2 hours a week? How should we do this so she can work 20 hours? Who should I be calling?</p>
<p>My daughter qualifies for Medicaid. I don’t know how the process to get medicaid works. Tell me how it works.</p>
<p>I can get into why the disability numbers went up. Some of it is fraud. Some of it is not fraud. If somebody on Ssi can get a certain amount of hours a week of work, they lose their Ssi benefits. My daughter will do that if she gets the hours and she is capable of working those hours. </p>
<p>If she is working and loses her job… She is entitled to get Ssi. The disability number will go up 1. Millions of jobs were lost in the financial crisis. If you want to see fewer people receiving Ssi, give them jobs. The amount of people on disability will drop. There are people that are looking for jobs for the disabled. In Marin County, call the Golden Gate Regional Center or ICS (Integrated Community Services)if you have job openings for the disabled.</p>
<p>Nope, I definitely can’t show it, Shrinkrap. I have nothing but anecdotal data. A number of people I’ve worked with have had family members go through treatment, with good results. And I would think it would be very hard to just give up on your kids or spouse, though I know some people eventually have to. I know people that were former alcoholics that never touch a drop, so treatment has certainly worked for some.</p>
<p>You would think that one of these days they’d actually figure out a way to rewire the brain to stop addiction, or at least come up with an adequate drug or vaccine.</p>