My company has a very generous long term disability policy that covers partial and total disability. It pays out 60% of your compensation tax free, with no cap. I am in a very high tax bracket anyway, so that is like getting no reduction in compensation. The only thing you need to do is prove that you are disabled.
I have been very much improved since I started Celexa, but it is starting to wear off and I am getting dizzy in the mornings. I think I am due for a med adjustment. I also need to sleep a lot, and often sneak off during work for a nap, as I really cannot work the whole day straight through. I try my hardest to keep all this a secret at work because I don’t want them to treat me differently. Lately I have been exhausted, beaten down, tired, unstable, and emotionally drained from personal problems with my ex-wife over child support, and my face is totally broken out, and I feel like shit. I could really use some paid leave.
My big fear is that my claim will be denied and I will be stigmatized at work, or that my company will fight it. I have plenty of paperwork to support my claim, from the Dizzy Doctors in Chicago to the Mayo Clinic in MN, but I don’t know whether my general practitioner would sign a document saying I am disabled, since I can get to work every day.
If you have a disability story to share, I’d sure like to hear it… or just share your thoughts.
I left my job due to VM but I did not get any disability. Despite what the media says, it isn’t that easy to get benefits in the UK so I don’t claim any and have to rely on my partner. I am not sure how the US system works but I did read a book by a US based suffferer of vestibular disorders called ‘Finding Balance’ by Sue HIckey and she talks in there in quite some detail about she coped with her job whilst dizzy etc and then how she took permanent leave with compensation. I don’t know if that’s any help to you but just remembered it and thought it might
I live in the United States. I have been on short term and long term disability (combined) three times since this started. The first time it was only for a couple of weeks and then I fully recovered. The second time is when I would say I turned to a chronic phase of this. I was out for a couple months. The third time was in Dec 2011 and I was out for 6 months. That eventally became long term disability. For my pacticular circumstance, if I had not taken leave I would have for sure lost my job by now because this condition very much affects my job performance. I have been back from leave since June and on the verge on losing my job now. Typically, as long as you have a doctor stating they are taking you out of work the claim is approved(at least from my experience).
They have not raised objections in that regard but I would not say I have been working/functioning well since my return or really even since the onset of the chronic phase of this in Feb 2011. My company has never fought any of my medical leaves. There were always supportive of this. I feel only as it I’ve lost their support within the past few months. I feel like I’ve done more damage to myself the past 6 months trying to work through this than had if I just continued on medical leave. (my job triggers a lot of my mav symptons). Maybe you should at least talk to you doctor about the problems your having and see if he thinks a medical leave would be a good idea. This condition is challanging and you need to take care of yourself.
