West Virginia Social Security Disability Law Blog

Imagine being tired all the time and constantly being in pain. Imagine having to give up the things you love because doing them leaves you needing days to recover from the fatigue that follows. Imagine being forced to give up any chance of working because you don't have the energy to do so. This is exactly what happens to many people living with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is also known as myalgic encephalitis and leaves individuals weak, tired and with flu-like symptoms. As time goes on, someone in West Virginia with chronic fatigue syndrome will develop muscle pain and there is a one in four chance that the person's symptoms will not respond with treatment. Oftentimes, people with the most severe symptoms have had other health problems throughout their lives.

The numerous people in St. Albans who receive federal disability benefits remember the long, drawn-out process for obtaining their benefits. They worked closely with an attorney to collect the necessary documentation -- including an official diagnosis -- to apply for the Social Security disability benefits that help replace the money that they can no longer earn. But what would happen if there was no way to confirm a diagnosis?

One man has learned that if his doctors can't officially diagnose him he is not eligible for disability benefits. The man previously worked as an executive for the Toyota Corporation, but he had to leave his job and give up his work when a degenerative nerve disorder made it impossible to sit or stand for an expanded period of time. Though he and his doctors both know what it is that is destroying his nervous system, he has been unable to receive an official diagnosis.

West Virginians are now learning that statistics show that almost half of the 2 million new United States' veterans are asking for disability benefits for the injuries they sustained while serving overseas.

Although the number of fatalities is nationally disclosed, the large number of issues post-deployment has only started to be noticed. Medical professionals are seeing all kinds of veteran disabilities, including post-traumatic stress disorder, concussions, limb loss and more.

There may be good news for people in Parkersburg living with severe pain after researchers recently published a study on relieving neuropathic pain through stem cells. Though the study focused on mice with chronic pain syndrome, the treatment could soon find its way to humans with the same condition. First, researchers need to know if human embryonic stem cells will also be able to produce results in mice.

Chronic pain syndrome is another medical condition that can easily make it impossible for a West Virginian to work. Chronic pain is often caused by nerve loss or nerves that don't work properly. This nerve damage causes a "loss of inhibitory control at the level of the spinal cord." The result is serious pain.

Irritable bowel syndrome is a common problem for many people in West Virginia and across the United States, and a new study has found a link between the syndrome and bacteria overgrowth.

The syndrome, which can become serious enough to prevent an applicant from working, usually causes diarrhea, constipation and bloating. The disorder is believed to be more prominent in women than in men, and could affect between 10 and 20 percent of the population sometime in their lives.

While many people in West Virginia wish they could just remain in bed instead of going to work, there are a group of people in Charleston who just wish they were able to have a job. Many people in Charleston take for granted the fact that they can get up, go to work and do pretty much whatever they want, but people with fibromyalgia are often in too much pain to work, leaving them dependent on disability benefits.

National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day just passed and it is important that everyone in West Virginia understand just what this medical condition is and how it affects the people of Charleston. For one woman who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 30 years ago, her condition means that she is unable to work, to play with her niece or to do many of the things she loves.

We have previously talked about the Supplemental Security Income program and how it helps impoverished people with disability benefits. The program can also provide important governmental benefits for people with limited work history or children with disabilities. Whether someone has a serious psychiatric or medical condition, the Supplemental Security Income program can help people cover many of their daily living costs.

For children and people with severe mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder or psychosis, disability benefits may be absolutely essential and there is new information out about who might be at risk for these serious psychiatric disorders. A report will soon be published that links premature birth to a greater risk of mental health conditions. Those children that are born at 32 weeks or earlier are three times more likely to need serious medical attention because of a psychiatric disorder after they hit puberty.

People in Charleston recognize that there are a considerable number of very physically-demanding jobs in West Virginia, but they may not realize that it has resulted in West Virginia having the highest percentage of people on disability benefits. Approximately 9 percent of the West Virginia population between 18- and 64-years-old was receiving Social Security disability insurance benefits in 2010. This is compared to 2.8 percent of the populations in the states with the lowest rates.

So what is causing such a high number of people relying on disability benefits? Not only do West Virginians have a higher chance of being disabled, but there has been an overall increase in people applying for and receiving benefits. In fact, there has been a 23 percent increase in the number of recipients since 2007.