Are more people faking manic depression just to get social security disability?

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   blessed365posted 11 years ago

   Are more people faking manic depression just to get social security disability?
   
   Where I live, there is a saying that goes like this. "They are getting the crazy check". What is the crazy check? It is the SSI money they are collecting claiming they are bipolar.

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2. 62

   webclinicianposted 11 years ago

   This is very hard to prove as psychiatrist base their history mostly on what patients says.
   This is the reason as well why some agencies don't ask psychiatrist about their opinion to discourage such act.
   Psychiatrist themselves would not make such allegations as it is very hard to prove.

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      nickshamrockposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Also, I'd say my opinion is more warped, as a person who has seen far too many drug seeking/system abusing patients in my lifetime. So I'd take my opinion with a grain of salt.

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3. 61

   nickshamrockposted 11 years ago

   I think it's possible, yeah. The thing about bipolar is that they can "feel" very manic at points, and very depressed at others, but some pretend to lack self control. The ones that act out on it, I believe they fake it. The ones that just state how they feel, yet can control their actions at the same time, are true sufferers.

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      tsmogposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Just asking, when medicated or not? Don't forget the grey or is it gray. There is a criteria known as hypomania, which may fit your description, yet I kinda' doubt mania does. Look into BPII for some more insight. Don't forget about depersonalization

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      nickshamrockposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      When medicated. Also, I don't mean to put all people that act out into a category, I just mean a lot of them. I don't work with psych patients on a regular basis, I work with them in an ER until we can place them at a facility.

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   tsmogposted 11 years ago

   I left a comment for nickshamrock, so I thought I may as well comment. I have a dxd = diagnosis of bipolar I disorder with psychotic features. That is stated at my bio/profile too. I am a little versed, have many friends with this dxd, and know many professionals in the trade  = psychiatry, psychology, social workers, etc. I spent pretty much my whole adult life faking being 'normal' so I could collect a paycheck earned like everyone else. Most of those I know who do collect an SSI check usually have a comorbid dxd and more than likely need it.
   
   I could write a hub, yet I haven't time. I work and get one day off a week. The hub I choose to write today will hopefully be something else. I am sure there are scammers as they exist on all playing fields in life. Maybe the crazy check is a new field for explorations by those type of characters, having run out of welfare and all, who knows the motivation.
   
   Yet, regarding SSI checks vs. the cost of hospitalization, my goodness, what a savings it is to the tax payers, for those legitimate cases. Most I know or knew who collected SSI checks with that disorder do more volunteer work than 'normal' people do while still raising families with its consequences. So, the question may become and maybe worth researching what the value to or of society does that check represent.
   
   Faking is a funny word to begin with. I can share at this moment, if I am not med compliant I really don't function well. Besides after watching One Flew Over the Cuckoo's I much rather submit to a chemical lobotomy of sorts. If you were to read my hubs I could tell you which one was written in what mood and the circumstances surrounding each. A comparison of writing genre, style, language usage as well as metalanguage may be a treat to someone studying this disorder leading to a doctorate.
   
   I ask your forgiveness for taking a defensive posture, since that is not my intent. I said I did not want to write a hub on this, yet I have wandered a tad too long it seems. Besides, I made a promise I would get my prescriptions in the mail today, and I don't make many promises, it seems, since I have a dxd of BP, you see . . .I'm beginning to rhyme again . . . a friendly sharing is that is one of my tale tell signs, yet in real life I do it with my mind, and then just smile - faking and all that stuff
   
   Thank you blessed365 for this opportunity to share
   
   tim

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      nickshamrockposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Well worded. I didn't mean to offend, if I did. I'm often a bit biased, as I said earlier, due to many patients I see working the system. But I didn't mean to group everyone into the "faking it" category, as I have also seen a lot of legitimate cases

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      tsmogposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I empathize and say nick, "I did not take offense." I am just concerned about generalities. I generalize at times too. Mental health on an outpatient basis is still in its infancy. There were alternatives in the past. TG my uncles put a stop to that

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   junksellerposted 11 years ago

   I always find it surprising how common it is to demonize people receiving social benefits, whether it is people boozing it up on foodstamps, ladies popping out babies for more welfare, or faking injuries/illnesses. For all of the times I have heard these types of claims, I have never once in my life seen a single shred of evidence or study which even remotely supports these claims as being anything but extremely rare occurrences.
   
   From what I know about disability, it isn't necessarily easy to receive assistance even with a legitimate and obvious condition. I can only imagine that faking a condition is very unsuccessful.
   
   If there is an increased incidence of such claims it could be a result of increased awareness, understanding, and reporting; a result of the difficult times (which should result in increased incidences of mental/emotive conditions; or is still the unwinding of the deinstitutionalization of state mental health hospitals decades ago.
   
   At any rate, if someone made a reference to getting a crazy check to me, I would tell them to have a little bit of respect for their neighbors and to go do a little research before casting hurtful and probably untrue aspersions at people.

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