filing for disability for bipolar what if I cant afford the doctors?

Question

Canta fford to go to specialists (no medical insurance) so will they send me to one or what? I have medical history from teen years and Im 40 now. Is there a way to obtain those. Have needed hospitalization in the past but did not go, have only family doctor to help me. what are my chances?

Answer 1

You will need to have a diagnosis and be in treatment to be classed as disabled and file it legally. You need to find some way to get help so you can get help.

You don't say what country you are in, but there has to be some way to get some form of support to get help!!

Answer 2

Find a way to get to a competent psychiatrist. You should be able to find one at low, or no cost, at a teaching hospital (one that has a medical school affiliation). The SSA (Social Security Administration) will send you to a psychiatrist for an evaluation, but these guys are not on your side; they are on the side of the SSA. You need to get an independent evaluation.
The guy the SSA sent me to interviewed me for 30 minutes, and based on that he said I wasn't disabled. Fortunately, my lawyer showed the administrative law judge several reports the guy had written about other patients which were almost identical to mine. The judge then based my award on MY doctor's report and completely disregarded the SSA's doctor's report.
Be prepared to be denied twice, but hang in there. Get a lawyer to present your case at the hearing. Lawyers can only help once you are denied twice and need to go to an administrative hearing before an SSI/SSDI judge. These lawyers are only paid after you get your award; if you don't win, they don't get paid. They are entitled to 34% of your retroactive award (awards are given all the way back to the first day you applied for disability).
The process can be very stressful, and usually takes a long time; mine took 2 years. You are going to need some psychological support. There are therapists available on a sliding scale at universities with training programs, or at county mental health clinics. Bipolar Disorder needs to be treated by a psychiatrist, NOT a family doctor! As you know, it is a very serious mental illness, and the treatment is out of the scope of practice for a family doctor.
Good luck!