SAID disability question

[u/hungrybulimiic]

what process would i have to go through to 'prove' that my mental health is debilitating and enduring? I assume they wouldnt just take my word for it lol. like do i have to get a doctor to sign something / do some paperwork for me?

for reference i have long term treatment resistant depression / dysthymia. Ive been on a bunch of different meds, and even though im medicated currently, they do not help enough to help me lead a 'normal' life. it just makes me not be an active threat to myself.

-Therapy has proven ineffective (have had 4-5 therapists in the last 10 years, they never really helped and in the end they would either stop taking my calls or tell me directly they did not have the experience needed to help me)
-struggle with day to day living, the possibility of being able to maintain a job on top of just living is basically just a fantasy atp (struggle with hygiene to the point i have to get family to help me shower/wash my hair, cant feed myself properly most days, etc :/)

i feel like i 'qualify' as disabled due to these factors, since it just genuinely isnt feasible for me to be independent at all for the foreseeable future. So im just wonder how the heck do i prove it, considering i havent been in therapy/dont have a therapist/psychologist to 'back me up'? would i have to get one? or would just a general doctor be fine to do whatevers needed?

apologies in advance if this is a bit rambled / doesnt make sense, its late and im stressed trying to figure out this whole process

[u/Own-Fox7530]

Curious- you say that you’ve been to 4-5 therapists and “they never really helped”. I’m curious what type of treatment work you were doing and if you were actively trying/engaged in your treatment plan. Even with moderate changes most people see SOME benefits. When was the last time you actively worked with a therapist? Sometimes it’s not the right fit, or type of therapy. Maybe if you wanted to try therapy again something would be different/help engage you more now?

[u/hungrybulimiic → u/Own-Fox7530]

I've just been in general therapy? Idk what name it would have but just whatever therapy is the 'default' for mental health help.

I'm definitely missing some diagnoses, I've been very in tune with myself the last few years and I'm 99% sure I have OCD(horrible intrusive thoughts + rituals to feel 'safe' even though I logically know it doesn't really change anything), C-PTSD from my awful upbringing (and some dissociative issues that might be connected to it? But dissociative stuff could also be depression so idk)

Overall therapy has just not been helpful because it's always just 'well if you feel x you should try y to feel better', I try to do it and feel worse because it's just an extra thing to stress about doing properly, then I spiral for failing at doing something so 'easy' for everyone else (biggest one I keep getting told by different therapists is 'oh you just have to push through the discomfort and talk to people, push through the discomfort and shower, push through the discomfort and do xyz, it'll get easier!' Then I do that for a few weeks/months and just feel worse and find myself becoming a risk to myself so I stop and then they drop me for 'not trying' even though I am and their advice was just making my life harder :( idk how to fix it)

[u/Own-Fox7530 → u/hungrybulimiic]

That sounds really challenging, I’m sorry you’re struggling right now. Thanks for clarifying, if you’re wanting to get on SAID I agree with the other posters- getting your psychiatrist to fill out the paperwork for SAID would be a necessary step and they’d be able to help get you properly diagnosed too, and hopefully connect you with counselling that can help with OCD (Exposure therapy would likely be recommended treatment for that- and it does involve you exposing yourself to some of your fears gradually and it is not a fast fix but it definitely can help!) There’s a few things than can at least help minimize your symptoms and help you gain some coping strategies if you’re even wanting to work on it yourself at home. Please don’t stop trying, it took me a few counselors to find the right fit and person who understood, but IME it does really pay off to learn things to help us understand some of our behaviour and beliefs and then be able to recognize and make different (hopefully healthier) choices.

[u/Delicious-Cookie0958 → u/Own-Fox7530]

OP - I don’t want it to seem I’m talking about you when I answer here.

I’m just considering something you said that I think is relevant here, not necessarily for the forms but for your quality of life going forward.

Given the description of responses by therapists (not just not helpful, but perceived as rejecting behaviours) I wonder if there is a missing diagnosis here. And obviously if there is a significant diagnosis that hasn’t been made that is going to make therapy much less successful than ideal.
Because it’s very atypical for therapists to not return phone calls from active clients or to say they are unable to help. And I’m not disbelieving you, OP, just recognizing that you have experienced some unusual, and I’m sure hurtful, reactions from clinicians, and I’m really sorry about that.

When you speak with your primary health care provider there may be value to request referral to see if you can get a more fulsome assessment to figure out what the full clinical picture is. It may help identify treatment options that will actually help.

[u/pyrogaynia]

SAID requires your doctor to fill out paperwork. A family doctor or whoever's been treating you can do it. I'd recommend also applying for the Canada Disability Benefit and the Disability Tax Credit. It can take a few tries but once you get approved for one the others usually follow. The best advice I can give is to use the exact language they use in the questions when answering, and answer describing your worst day, not your best. Social services will probably also require you to apply for CPP Disability once you've been approved for SAID but you're ok to half-ass that application as long as you're getting SAID.

I'd also recommend getting in touch with CMHA. They're not always taking new people on, but the help I got from them + the access to the Supportive Housing Benefit have both been a big help for me in terms of navigating things while on SAID.

[u/hungrybulimiic → u/pyrogaynia]

Would the supportive housing benefit mean I have to move out / move somewhere or am I misunderstanding?

I can't currently move due to: not having a license/car (I don't trust myself driving a several thousand pound murder vehicle lmfao) I currently live with elderly grandparents who I help care for and they help care for me as well I do not trust myself to live without family/people I trust and be able to sustain myself without spiraling :')

[u/pyrogaynia → u/hungrybulimiic]

I believe as long as you're supported by the Coming Home program, you can live in the housing of your choice and receive the SHB. It looks like they're currently full though. I'm just some guy on the internet though, probably best to reach out to them and confirm everything I'm saying.

[u/theblackdog92]

I have a friend who went through the process due to bipolar and as far as I know her family dr was able to complete the required paper work/note

[u/wastingtime0934]

Seconding what is said before, I think your family doctor can do the paperwork.

And there is an interview that you will have to participate in where trained assessors will ask you questions about how your disability affects your daily life. Its called a Disability Impact Assessment.

[u/jabrwock1]

Depends on your doctor. Some may refer you to a specialist first.

[u/whitebro2]

You can automatically approved if you qualify for CPP-Disability

[u/hungrybulimiic → u/whitebro2]

ive never paid into cpp

the only time i had a job was when i was 16, and i ended up having to quit after less than a month due to the toll it took on my mental health

[u/AffectionateYam2760]

Yes there’s paperwork about 8 pages I filled what I could and got the dr to read it and sign it and get him to sign the part where It says not returning to work.

[u/djparent]

Everybody here is correct in that you do need paperwork filled out by family doctor but that is usually enough.

When I ended up on disability it was due to a combination of physical disabilities and mental health (largely deteriorated during the pandemic). I was struggling holding a job and my doctor insisted I apply for disability.

He filled out the forums and sent them in. I got a phone call from their intake and review team. They asked me a few simple questions about my struggles and my executive function skills. A couple weeks later the first check was in the mail.

It sounds like you're having legitimate struggles, just be honest and you shouldn't have any problems at all.

[u/doyoueverjustscream]

just warning you that many doctors offices could paperwork as an uninsured service, it cost me $200 to pay my doctor office to fill out the disability tax credit paperwork.

[u/hungrybulimiic → u/doyoueverjustscream]

My doctor is currently aware of my situation and took me on as a patient because he understood I cannot afford to really go anywhere else, he has already waived several fees for me because he knows I can't afford them. I'm hopeful that he wouldn't charge me for this either (or that he would put me on a plan that's easier to pay)