After 3 tries and 12 long years, I have finally begun recieving my SSDI benefits. I qualify for them because I have bipolar disorder, more commonly known as Manic/Depression. Since I have been working from the age of sixteen, I get a pretty hefty allotment coming in, plus I am able to earn an additional $780 a month as well.
I have shown signs of this ailment as far back as when I was just 10 years old. When I was 15, it was misdiagnosed by dumbass family members and nosy neighbors as having a "bad attitude" and the normal adolescent drug use to gain acceptance and avoid bus-stop ass whuppings were blown out of proportion. Thank God, Mary, Joseph and Sonny Boy Jesus for the wonderful folks at Straight Inc.
Not only did they cure me of my bad attitude, they managed to magically teach me extraordinarily unhealthy ways to suppress a naturally occuring form of mental illness!!! :silly: :silly:
Now twenty three years later, I am given a new lease on life. I will be putting some serious money into my sorely neglected car for starters.
Next thing is to find a part time job that I can
truly enjoy. I no longer have to kiss anyones ass ever again, just to keep getting a paycheck.
I am looking into continuing education as well.
I plan on attending some kind of graphic arts/drawing and painting classes and I really want to learn how to draw with a process ink pen.
The next step is working up a portfolio and eventually working into being published. For peace of mind, I am signing up for guitar lessons at the newly opened Johnny B's in downtown St. Pete.
Rather than sit around and blame everything else for my problems, I explored all my options and went with the best things I had available. I started the year 2002 unemployed and emotionally wrecked. Luckily I had Unemployment Compensation and a damn good ex-job that had to pay it. I took advantage of my disorder and signed up for Vocational Rehabilitation which paid for bi-monthly EMDR sessions with a really good therapist. I also got a car expense allowance and money for work clothes. I did my stint as a school bus driver and faced the inevitable discrimination and subsequent bullshit discharge which only strengthened my case with Voc Rehab and speeded up the Social Security decision.
In closing I will have to say YES THERE IS A GOD but he is not MY god, I am merely HIS humble idiot
servant, and please lord, if the folks on that other thread start some kind of holy war, could you see fit to strike their incoming lines with some devine lightening to shut them up for a while?

Love, Bob