Receiving SSA and VA Disability--? about getting a degree

[Thommie]

What is the name of your state? Iowa

Background

As I mentioned in the title, I am receiving both SSA and VA Disability. This is for mental health issues.

I would like to pursue a Master's Degree in Counseling to help help other people in support groups, group counseling, and to give me the skills I need to be an effective leader at these and "related" venues.

Question #1 of 2

Do you have to report to SSA (and/or VA) when you have completed another degree? Will they ask about continuing education?

Question #2 of 2

Does completing another degree jeopardize future benefits? Does it require me to secure paid employment?

Sincerely,

Thommie

 

[rmet4nzkx]

You can pursue a degree while on disability, however, the fact that you are able to complete a degree could become employable might disqualify you from receiving your disabiluity benefits because it would demonstrate that you were not so disabled that you could not earn a degree. If you were disabled for physical reasons, you might have some chance, but not for a mental disability. Secondly, most qualified counseling programs would have severe reservations about your fitness for the program in the first place and the amount of time required for practicums and internships would present other problems with you working with clients. Once you played the mental disability card, the die was cast. what is your diagnosis, perhaps that will make a difference?

 

[Thommie]

My diagnosis when we applied for social security beneeifts was schizophrenia. It has since been changed to schizoaffective disorder. For me, that's a combination of schizophrenia and major depression.

I am a wishful thinker as it is! Most ppl in my family have serious doubts whether I could handle the rigors of a Graduate program. And as you said, the admissions committees may have those doubts too.

I am probably not honest enough with myself and/or my delusions prevent me from seeing the facts in this case.

Thommie

 

[rmet4nzkx]

No, you would not be accepted into a qualified graduate counseling degree program with that diagnosis as it pretty much excludes the requsite skills of perception and insight needed to work with clients even if it were controlled by medication. I would also strongly suspect that you lack the pragmatics as your family as suggested. The fact that your diagnosis has changed also leads me to question the diagnosis, in the fact that it may not fit into a standard diagnostic category, thus making therapeutic interventions and prognosis poor as you age.

There is a disorder called Asperger's where the person has normal to high intelligence and symptoms of bi-polar, ADHD, OCD and psychotic tendencies and a lack of pragmatics and social inappropriateness. Persons with this disorder learn by rote and if they find their niche may become a highly skilled although narrowly focused professional, however, there is a decline with age, so even if you have Asperger's, your current diagnosis would indicate that you do not possess the functionality required and would further decline with age. That doesn't mean that you won't benefit from school as it may be a valid enrichment activity to occupy your time, but to attempt a career as a professional counselor is ill advised. I suggest you join a mental health suport group with professional facilitators, this will allow you to share your experience in a safe way.

 

[Thommie]

I am a member of two support groups and am considered by many to be high functioning. I have sought out 1 on 1 counseling and group therapy, and begin both of these things in one week.

Whether the one on one counseling will help, I am unsure, but since I am high functioning it stands a better chance than someone who is more acutely ill.

On the subject of Asperger's, in reading a clinical definition of it, it does seem possible that I may have this diagnosis and I plan to call my old psychiatrist to discuss this with him as he has a great deal of knowledge about me. Whether I have it or not, the stock answer is "I am unsure", but it sounds quite interesting.

As far as my present diagnosis goes, I have never experienced any mania. The schizoaffective is due to a negative symptom schizophrenia diagnosis that was later upgraded to schizoaffective due to my doctor realizing that I had depression independent of the schizophrenia diagnosis.

I do not and have never experienced hallucinations and the depression has been there pretty much since my time in the military.

As far as social skills go, I do have a deficit there.

I find rote learning very interesting and have never heard of it until now, which brings me back to Asperger's. Does this type of learning suggest that I could have a touch of autism or more appropriately have the Asperger's diagnosis?

Thommie

 

[rmet4nzkx]

What happened in the military?

What are others honest perception of your social interaction?

Are you clumsey?

Do you have trouble making decisions?

Do you have trouble understanding other's humor? Emotions?

Because Asperger's has normal intelligence it is misunderstood. It is a right hemisphere deficit not left like Autism but is in the Autism spectrum because it affects development.

Have people stated that you are capable of somehting but you can't seem to get things done?

 

[Thommie]

What happened in the military?

I suffered a psychosis NOS diagnosis. No one knew exactly, but that's what they gave me...

I had been taking on too much, full time military, part time college, part time job...all of these things. I began to exercise less, sleep less and was really struggling emotionally.

It all came crashing down and I cried to my boss. I told him I couldn't take it anymore. I had been lacking a lot of sleep, which I know can mean trouble. However, I just became paranoid, suspicious, and delusional as well.

Finally, I did not fit the criteria for anything major at that time. I went home, took only antidepressants, and enrolled in college.

What are others honest perception of your social interaction?

Are you clumsey?

If I had to guess, they would say I am clumsy socially--if they are being honest. I, too, would say that.

Do you have trouble making decisions?

Yes.

Do you have trouble understanding other's humor? Emotions?

I have trouble saying or acting appropriately when confronted with humor (sometimes) and emotions (much of the time).

Because Asperger's has normal intelligence it is misunderstood. It is a right hemisphere deficit not left like Autism but is in the Autism spectrum because it affects development.

Have people stated that you are capable of somehting but you can't seem to get things done?

Only since having been put on antipsychotic meds and experiencing several psychotic episodes has this been a "real" issue.

But, it may have been an issue in college (before things got to where they are today) as I could never read and remember. I lost interest or better yet, could not focus on learning the material. I got through college by studying study guides and working with better students than myself.

Rote learning, learning disability, or Asperger's. Is it that simple? Do I also have a psychotic disorder? How about depression?

Just some things to think about...

 

[rmet4nzkx]

Some people with Asperger's do well in the military because it is structured, dealing with novel information, abstraction, information overload, makes your world crash. Talk with your psychiatrist, not all medicaitons help, also talk with your new counselor about this possibility, it may explain your difficulities. Many famous people had this disorder, Einstein and Alenander Graham Bell.....
http://www.faaas.org