Social Security Disability Advice Group

Hi,

I have horrible guilt and anguish over what happened to my Social Security back pay.

I was granted SSDI based on a load of mental illness problems, schizoaffective disorder, PTSD, chronic depression, anxiety and others.

While in a mental hospital, waiting to be sent home after a couple weeks, I was given my belongings and called to see that the $78k had been deposited in my account.

This made me very excited and I began to shop, give money away, with no thought of money or what it meant to have money, as I was highly medicated and pretty much not all there.

I blew $72,000 in just six months. I have nothing to show for it, except a car and an Imac computer.

I was not right in the head to receive such money, and Social Security just gives it to you. They don't tell you what you should do with it, or about the people who will want you to take them to dinner every night, buy things for them and their children, give loans that will never be paid back, etc.

I was not in my right mind when I received this money, whatsoever. The mental hospital did not stabilize me and I lost everything.

Please, please, please. If you do get a big check like that, and it feels like Christmas, know this----money isn't forever and it may seem like you have a lot, but it goes SO quickly.

It becomes very easy to withdraw $500 and blow it. Your feelings about money change when you have a lot of it and are impulsive.

If you have mental illness and are like me, very impulsive, please please get a representative payee. This will help you determine if your purchases/investments are sound.

Thanks. I feel horribly guilty for wasting so much money and wish I could do it over again and invest it, at least in my daughter's college fund. Thanks.

I am sorry this happened to you, but I do appreciate your sharing your very personal experience with the rest of us. Hugs - Cat

God will bless you my friend. I myself have received a very large sum of money and think they made a mistake. But after adding up the numbers and thinking about it...Its mine, and Frankly Im scared of doing the same thing.

I do have a wife that will help me but shes can be just as bad.

Dear GOD, willyou help me through this!

Blowing money is now water under the bridge. Why feel guilty because you fell in with some "friends". Promise yourself to not do it again or if you can't handle your finances, get a rep payee.

Know that you have probably helped others by sharing.

Priority write them down. Do nothing else till that is done. Example: Pay off some bills. Esp all those small bills that is messing up what little credit we do have. If you can try to pay off a large one if it want zero you out. Get it down enough so that it won't kill your backpay. But do remember you still have to live. Don't go broke trying to do this. Pay rent up a few months. But do continue to still pay however your payment was due. That way you will always be ahead if you get in a tight. Of course you will splurge some but don't get carried away. Don't go living room shoping just because. If you need to do this get something that is strong and will last. Get you some good mattress for your bed if you don't have them already. Make wise decision. Save as much as possible. In other word get yourself comfortable for living. That way you can live off your monthly income and not have to keep dipping into your saving. Then be very careful once you do all of this. You will be getting all kind of credit offers mail and calls. TURN THEM DOWN TEAR UP THAT JUNK MAIL!!!! If not you will be right back where YOU want to get from. BLESSING

Thank you for sharing your story. Your story may open up someone else eyes. I think by you tell this will help someone else. Try not to stress it's gone now. So now you acknowledge what has happen. Where is all those folks that became your best friend/family when you had a little nest egg? Get someone that you can TRUST to help you manage your monies. Hugs

Post edited by: Realityworld, at: 01/04/2012 06:18 PM

If bills are a huge burden, F' em and file bankruptcy.

Back Income tax, school loans and/or back child support should be a priority and most other creditors cannot attach retro SS or even freeze a bank account that is only ss monies. If you have no other assets, you have nothing to lose except your credit rating but who will loan you money when you only get $1200 a month.

Consult an attorney before you do any of this.

Hi, It sounds to me that you are having problems with boundaries. You should find a therapist that does work in this area and work on being able to set them and enforce them. Once you gain some confidence doing this you will be able to ask those people who borrowed money from you to repay you. I find many people think that people on SSD are swimming in money and that is certainly not the case. I also see people borrow money from people on SSD when they have the resources to pay themselves. You won't get back what you spent and you may not get back what people borrowed but you will have tried and learned how to handle people that take advantage of other people. One of the people who I think is great in teaching people how to handle money is Dave Ramsey. He is a Christian financial person and that may bother some people but I just took it as part of the process. SSD increases each year barely cover the increases in the cost of the health insurance so you need to learn how to manage what money will get each month. It isn't easy to survive on SSD. Also, check into any Mental Health Resources that are available. Some states have case managers to help people with money and decisions and some don't have anyone. The other thing you need to do with a therapist is work on figuring out what type of employment you can attain. You don't want to rely on the Gov't to support you - long term it is lonely, degrading and will not promote a healthy long life for you. If you want to live long enough to see your children and grandchildren grow up, you want to manage your life so you can enjoy it.

Ditto to what Catfishes24 said. I am also sorry this happened to you. At least you still get your monthly SSDI benefit check don't you? How long have you been on SSDI anothersoul?