I’ve worked as an RN in hospitals for 30 years and I have always been dismayed to encounter young people in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s, who receive SSI or they get disability payments for “health” reasons when they are healthy adults who have addiction issues to alcohol and or drugs. Once the government provides a steady income to these young able-bodied men and women, there is no incentive for them to contribute to society, seek employment, or change. The govt. is ENABLING them to continue to use drugs or alcohol. There is no motive for recovery when people have their basic needs such as food and housing met and paid by the govt. The govt. could save millions of dollars by having better programs for addiction (most rehabs are hard to get into because cities do not have enough of them or they are already full). Adults can choose to seek recovery and rebuild their lives since they are still young, or if they choose to keep using they will do so at their own peril. I am in recovery and have been sober for 35 years. I know that most alcoholics and drug addicts will continue to use unless they have a reason to stop. Our govt must stop enabling, and let’s not forget children are often involved and the addiction cycle is just repeated when addiction is left untreated.
I agree with this. SSI disability is for people with genuine disability and seems to have been hijacked to encompass much more than what it was designed for. I have posted a proposal for disability reform that I feel will better serve the people and save taxpayer money:
Provide a safety net for SSI disability recipients to work - Health - Policies for the People
I am a mother of son (adult) who was born with a disability and had no idea that addicts and people with various mental health issues and addiction are put in the same category. This tarnishes the public perception of benefits for those who have legitimate disabilities and is a misuse of these limited resources.
I would propose:
Separate agencies or funding sources for addiction / mental-health related disability from those that serve congenital or physical causes. The needs for these groups are very different because people who are born with disabilities such as down syndrome, muscular dystrophy, etc will always be disabled. People with addiction and mental health issues are treatable and require access to different services.
You’re exactly right, addiction is treatable if the person is willing! People with addiction issues should not be given a pass to get paid by the government to stay home and use. The choice for them should be rehab or of they don’t want to get clean that’s fine, they can live on the streets or in shelters. If there was a harder line drawn I believe there would be more motivation for change in them, and for those who do want to rebuild their lives, that is where support would be beneficial.
As a nurse, I am sure you have a firm understanding of the difference between treatable issues and permanent disabilities. This may be any area where our elected leaders could benefit from the advice of medical professionals in drawing a line between the two and establishing different approaches to each.
The level of incompetence, fraud and waste within the healthcare system is as bad as it is in our bloated government. Insurance companies have way too much power, and doctors who do a poor job are never reprimanded or face consequences. Peoples’ lives are ruined every day by RX drugs. Medical schools now train doctors to “protocols”. I have never seen so many new doctors and residents who can no longer use critical thinking. Medicine is an absolute joke right now. Try to stay well because hospitals are no longer safe places.
It’s bes to just ban disability to any drug addict or alcoholic, no matter what age he or she is. These are not disabilities because they are both considered addictions. There is help for drug addicts and alcohol addictions. Once any person becomes disabled, to regardless of what reason to be placed disability income, the public has no control over what he or she spends his or her income on. These individuals should flat out not even be on disability. Disability is not for addictions, that can be helped.
There are a minimal number of individuals who may have physical handicaps and need help, who are also substance abusers. A real problem is too many doctors are diagnosing everyone with bipolar! The ONLY reason they throw that diagnosis around is because insurance companies will pay. There is so much corruption and harm to people going on in the healthcare industry. Once a person has a diagnosis of bipolar they get them in disability and pump them full of pills making recovery a lot harder. This MUST stop!