Help!  I
am
Disabled!
The Ultimate Fibromyalgia
Recource Center
Free Fibromyalgia Disability Guide
This Guide Has Already Helped 9,677 People with
Fibromyalgia  Win Disability Income!
I can no longer work my job because of my Fibromyalgia!
File for Social Security Disability Insurance!!  
Notice that I called it "Disability Insurance"?  Well, believe it or
not, despite the efforts the United States government will go
through to keep you from getting it, it is INSURANCE!  Not only
that, it is insurance that the government has made it mandatory for
you to put money into all of your hard working life.  Every paycheck
you have drawn, they have deducted money for the Social Security
Insurance Fund.  It is yours!  You have earned it!  Now you are
disabled and can no longer work and it is time to collect on it!  First,
below is the criteria that a Fibromyalgia patient must meet to be
determined "Disabled", according to the SSA.
• To qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance you must
have worked and paid into the program (mandatory payroll
taxes) for five of the last 10 years.

• You must also have been disabled before reaching full-
retirement age (65-67) and you must meet Social Security's
definition of disability. The Social Security Administration
uses a process called sequential evaluation to determine
who receives benefits.

Do not go quietly
into that good
night...
Here is an explanation of Social Security's five-step process to
determine if a fibromyalgia patient qualifies for Social Security
Disability Insurance:

STEP ONE simply determines if an individual is "working
(engaging in substantial gainful activity)" according to the SSA
definition. Earning more than $860 a month as an employee is
enough to be disqualified from receiving Social Security disability
benefits.

STEP TWO implies that the fibromyalgia disability must be severe
enough to significantly limit one’s ability to perform basic work
activities needed to do most jobs. For example:

walking, standing, sitting, lifting, pushing, pulling, reaching,
carrying or handling
seeing, hearing and speaking
understanding/carrying out and remembering simple instructions
use of judgment
responding appropriately to supervision, co-workers and usual
work situations
dealing with changes in a routine work setting

STEP THREE has no medical listing for fibromyalgia. At this level
of consideration the adjudicator is required to consider “equating”
a medical listing. To establish fibromyalgia as a medically
determinable severe impairment there must be evidence of
widespread pain present for at least three months. There must be
pain present on palpation in at least 11 of the 18 tender point sites
as identified by the American College of Rheumatology and the
Centers for Disease Control. There must be evidence of morning
stiffness and/or stiffness after sitting for a short period of time.
Fatigue is to be present. To equate a medical listing, the signs,
symptoms and laboratory findings must be equivalent to an
established listing. In most claims with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia a
finding of disabled is usually at Step 5, i.e., functional limitations so
significantly erode the occupational base for sedentary work that a
finding of disabled is warranted.

STEP FOUR explores the ability of an individual to perform work
they have done in the past despite their fibromyalgia. If SSA finds
that a person can do his past work, benefits are denied. If the
person cannot, then the process proceeds to the fifth and final step.

STEP FIVE looks at age, education, work experience and
physical/mental condition to determine what other work, if any, the
person can perform. To determine fibromyalgia disability, SSA
enlists vocational rules, which vary according to age.

For example, if a person is:

Under age 50 and, as a result of the symptoms of fibromyalgia,
unable to perform what SSA calls sedentary work, then SSA will
reach a determination of disabled. Sedentary work requires the
ability to lift a maximum of 10 pounds at a time, sit six hours and
occasionally walk and stand two hours per eight-hour day.

Age 50 or older and, due to his fibromyalgia disability, limited to
performing sedentary work but has no work-related skills that allow
him to do so, SSA will reach a determination of disabled.

Over age 60 and, due to his fibromyalgia disability, unable to
perform any of the jobs he performed in the last 15 years, SSA will
likely reach a determination of disabled.

Any age and, because of fibromyalgia, has a psychological
impairment that prevents even simple, unskilled work, SSA will
reach a determination of fibromyalgia disabled.


Intimidating isn't it?  It is that way by design.  The lengths to which the
United States Government wlll go to in order to prevent people from
getting approved for disability stagger the mind!  It is no secret that this
country is in dire need of SSDI Reform, yet if you have paid any
attention to the presidential campaign, it is not an issue, while many of
us continue to suffer, without any financial assistance during the long
process to be approved.  If you are interested in becoming active in an
effort to call for SSDI Reform, please join our forum and become part of
this process to regain our rights.  As soon as our forum membership
base will support it, I hope to begin a legislative campaign to make our
voices heard.  Only you can make a difference.  We can either sit here
and continue to be ignored or we can take action!
Here is an example of what happened when I recently attempted to take
any action towards gaining support for SSDI Reform:
When the Democratic Presidential Nominees came to Texas for their
primary, I sought to utilize that as a venue to gain support for my
particular situation as well as an opportunity to unite the Fibromyalgia
Vote.  I am DEFINITELY NOT A CLINTONITE, but desperately needed
help.  I knew how important the State of Texas was to the Clinton
Campaign so I hoped to get someones' attention because of her need for
votes.  My attempt failed miserably.  First, I joined her website and
started a blog on the site, called the "Fibromyalgia Voter's Blog".  In
the opening post, I explained the need for those with Fibromyalgia to
become involved in the legislation process, calling for financial support
towards finding a cure for Fibromyalgia and due to the rising number of
people being disabled by the disease, a need for SSDI Reform to help us
gain access to our SSDI "Insurance" benefits.  The result:  My "Blog"
DISAPPEARED from the Clinton Website and other than hundreds of
spam emails requesting my vote and a contribution, I received no
response to my heartfelt cry for help.   Nothing, not even an apology for
an inability to help!  Worse, my member account was deleted as well.
I was deleted AND ignored!
That is how badly they want to keep us quiet.  They do not want to hear
about SSDI reform and will censor any attempt to bring attention to it
on their sites.  We must act now by uniting and demanding Reform.

I hope she realizes that she won't be getting my vote!

So what do we do?  We join together and begin our own campaign.  Pass
the word along to friends, family and co-workers that we need to start a
revolution and force them to start SSDI reform!  Join this site's forum
and you have my word that I will do everything I can to get our voices
heard.  If we don't act now, we will continue to suffer and they will
continue to deny our claims.  Aren't you tired of it?  Don't you want
things to change?  Now is your chance to do something.  
Join our site forum and tell your story.  
The time for action is NOW!
Allsup Inc.
In the past I have included
this company as one that I
would recommend because I
hired them to represent me in
my disability case.  Due to
their poor representation;
however, I can no longer
recommend them as they do
absolutely nothing proactive
to help you win, but merely
monitor your case as it
progresses through the long,
tedious DDS process.  When I
requested that they ask my
doctors to write detailed
reports describing exactly how
my illness caused me a
disability, I was told that I,
myself could get my doctor to
write these reports and they
would forward them to SSA.  
When I requested that they
file a "Letter of Hardship"
with SSA regarding my case, I
was told that I, myself could
write a letter, send it to them
and they would forward it to
SSA.  What did I need them
for?!  Fact is, they are just
another scam company out
there who will "ride the train
until it stops", hoping to get
25% of what you eventually
get from an approved claim,
while doing nothing tangible
to help you win your case.

***UPDATE***

I recently won my disability
case after only 4 months!  
Yes, I actually said, after only
4 months!  I accomplished this
using the knowledge and
applying the techniques I
received upon enrolling in
Brian Therrien's program and
YOU CAN TOO!  
Why would you pass up on the
opportunity to gain such
valuable insight when it is
FREE?  Don't wait or put it off
until tomorrow!

It's FREE!
Enroll NOW!


I highly recommend
information given to me by
Brian Therrien, I have been
aware of what questions to
ask whoever represents me
regarding my case, what
paperwork needs to be filled
out, etc. far in advance of the
when the Social Security
Administration addresses
these issues.  Using
techniques that Brian
suggests I felt that I was one
step ahead of the SSA during
each step of the process.  I
was encouraged by the
amount of information
provided by Brian from the
onset of enrolling in his
program.
Brian Therrien's  
Program
Below are just two free
resources you will gain access
to when you request Brian's
program and they really do
help.  When you file a help.  
When you file a disability case
with the SSA they mean
business in keeping you from
getting it - You have to mean
business about getting it!  
Don't wait!
Request Brian Therrien's
FREEP Program NOW!
Wanna see more of what you are up
against?  Visit the SSA website by
clicking the link above.  Don't be fooled
by all the niceness.  They have
government representatives whose only
job is to disqualify your claim!   
Additional Links with Disability
Information
The Social Security Advisory Service
This site is an excellent resource for
information, including the "Red Book".
 It is not part of SSA.gov as they
proudly state in their Disclaimer, which
is hilarious and a "Must Read" if you
just need a good laugh!
More Helpful Disability Links to Come!
Check back regularly for Updates!
75% of All Disability Applicants are
Denied during the initial application
process!  Over half of them will not
pursue their case further...
...Read More Here
"Blue Book"
This information on the SSA website
is intended to provide Physicians and
Health providers an understanding of
the disability programs administered
by SSA.  
This will give you an idea of what
information is requested from your
physician in the course of your claim.
The Fibromyalgia Welcome
Package
has great information and resources
available to those who must stop working.
The FMS Community
This site provides a list of disability
attorneys and advocates which may be
helpful if your are in need of
representation.  They also have great
articles about how to win your case,
support resources and helpful links.
The Ultimate Social Security
Disability Guide
Provides resources to aide you in your
search for representation, free case
consultation and other valuable
information about SSDI.  A very helpful
resource.
Is FM Included in the SSA
"Medical Listings" for
Impairment?
Although recently the SSA has taken steps
to educate their examiners about FM/CFS
in an attempt to better serve those of us
who apply under this illness, FM is not
presently included in the listing used for
identifying disabilities under SS Law.  This
is why it is very important to include other
symptoms/illnesses along with your claim
for disability for FM.   An example would
be "Fibromyalgia with Severe, Complicated
Vertebral Basilar Migraines, (with aura" or
"Fibromyalgia with clinical depression".  
These additional impairments associated
with your claim increases your chances of
being approved under an impairment that
is actually included in SSA's list.    A
complete list can be found on the SSA
website for both children and adults, but
The Ultimate Social Security Disabilty
Guide also provides the list Here.  
RFC and ARA Forms
The key to any Social Security
Disability or SSI claim is a form
called the Residual Functional
Capacity or Ability to do Work
Related Activity form.  Having
your physician fill out these
forms is very helpful to your
disabilty case.  You can download
PDF files of the printable forms
by clicking the applicable links
below.

RFC Physical
RFC Mental
The Ultimate Pyramid Scheme of
Fraud?
This is an interesting article describing how
the US Government had defrauded
Americans of millions of dollars under the
guise of "insurance".  A very interesting
read.
Why "Being Diagnosed" Isn't Enough

"A common problem disability claimants
frequently make is having “tunnel vision”
and focusing solely on their diagnosis, as if
the fact they have been diagnosed with a
disorder automatically confirms they are
disabled and entitled to benefits. This is
especially true of people suffering from
chronic pain and fatigue disorders such as
fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. I
believe this is true because the medical
community has almost universally sent these
folks on an “odyssey”, simply to obtain a
diagnosis. "
                    ...more
How much does the state you
live in effect your chances of
being approved?  According to
my research, quite a bit.  Please
follow the link below for just one
source's review of the
approval/denial statistics by
State.  I have checked this out
on several different sites and
the overall figures vary slightly;
however, the differences are
clear.  
               ...more