New Daily Persistent Headache Support Group

I'm sure that this has been discussed before, has anyone tried to retire using NDPH as their disability?

What do you mean specifically disability retirement? To me those mean completely separate things. Retirement as leaving work due to older age and disability as leaving work as you are too sick, often seeking out benefits from the federal government (or state) or a personal policy such as through your workplace. Yes I have heard of some getting social security disability payments for NDPH, but that can take a couple years and a denial or two on average, and it seems more often there is something else going on with the NDPH. Best wishes.

I have not gotten disability (or even tried to so far) but I think that a whole other forum group has started to try to help people through the intricacies of the process if you do decide to go for it. http://www.mdjunction.com/social-security-disability-advice

There are also other helpful sites on the internet other places that talk about it in great depth, but I don't know if any are specific to NDPH (I have seen some advice specific to migraines out there on the web though). I think one site my sister found helpful when she was working through the process was http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/

They have a whole section of their message board set aside to navigating SSDI and disability insurance stuff and it has a lot of detail that can be helpful for any diagnosis (like how to keep track of your info and document everything and what is important anyway).

If you are talking about something different with the retirement angle, sorry to have missed that, I am so far from retirement age that any normal sort of retirement doesn't cross my mind.

I'm in Australia so I probably don't have information that is relevant for you but I used to work for the Federal Government and I was retired on an invalidity retirement due to my NDPH. It was a long and complicated process but I now get a pension (proportion of my previous income) as it was determined I was totally and permanently incapacitated due to the NDPH. If I ever recover there are provisions for me to go back but otherwise I get the pension for life. So it is possible, at least here.

I'm guessing that all doctor's appts, doctor's opinions on a person's effectiveness, how many sick days have been taken recently as opposed to in the past are all taken into consideration? What else when you need to look at disability? Mary thanks, I'll look up the other sites you mentioned. you are all so supportive on this site- thanks

I have read up on Social Security Disability in the U.S.. I'll comment a bit but definitely suggest you check out something specific to that. Hope you get some posts here but I don't remember too many of our members pursuing it for various reasons (such as above), or else they are like me, still working.

I have heard having several job trials (ie. being laid off due to sick days or lack of performance due to illness) will get you the furthest, as that is actual evidence you can't hold down a job. But yes, they do take statements from your doctors (and usually a doctor they request you see) and look at sick days and such. You cannot have over a certain amount of earned income when you apply, so you will have to had quit your job or have taken a severe reduction in hours to be eligible.

Thats the tough part...you have to count on little to no income for the couple years it takes to process your claim (and likely get denied once or twice too). If you qualify you get back pay for all that time too, but often people on the border of being able to work vs. not have to continue working as they can't afford to wait it out. I'm 25 and got sick at 19...never thought I'd need to get a private disability insurance policy before I graduated college.

There are a few employers policies which have a pre-existing clause only for a period of time, but they are few and far between and I assume have some stipulations too. ie. now I am pretty much uninsurable. Even life insurance was about triple for me, and I have nothing that is expected to affect my lifespan (just having anything chronic they know I am more likely to develop something else).

I would look at the federal website, http://www.ssa.gov/disability/ in addition to the disability-specific forums. Are federal disability benefits what you are asking about? I'm still not clear as you say retirement, and don't specify federal, state (some), or a private/work policy. If by any means you are currently eligible to apply, do so ASAP as the wait (and potential benefits) starts from when you apply. Some people put it off for whatever reason and that is potentially lost money. Best wishes.

Certainly in my experience they did take into account several doctor's opinions, including ones I was sent to by the assessors. The doctors tend to assess your likely future work capacity and take into account all the symptoms, how it affects your ability to both work and cope with day to day life. They do take into account how much sick leave you've had and having a well documented medical history is helpful. The other thing is that you often need to have tried many treatments and had them not work. If you haven't tried much then they can think that maybe you just haven't gotten the right treatment yet. Most NDPH'ers have tried so many things that this isn't usually a problem but thought I'd mention it!

I received disability and was approved on my first try. I applied 6 months after being on short term disability through my employer. I was a lucky one and didn't have to fight. My diagnosis was chronic headaches.

Wow, that is great to hear. I am glad that the process isn't terrible for everyone.

Yeah I have never heard a story like that! You had somebody on your side. Hope others can have as smooth of a process as I know so many have to fight for it, keep working, or quit working but don't even try for disability due to the bureaucracy. Best wishes.