I've been on Disability for Depression for a while now. (I live in the US). It's going to be a lot of hard work; the application forces you to essentially describe how you spend each moment of each day. My boyfriend had to fill out an info packet that was just as long and which asked essentially the same questions about me. My doctors had to be nagged into writing up their own reports in support of my application. I had lost my job due to my illness and essentially lived in bed; still, I was denied.

However, Social Security denies pretty much every application they can get away with denying. The vast majority of people who get approved are approved after they appeal their denial, often more than once, and usually with a Disability Law Attorney on their team. That's how I ended up getting approved. If an attorney sounds too expensive, don't worry -- Disability Attorneys only get paid if they're successful, and then the SSA pays them a percentage of the amount that you should have been receiving since the onset of your disability. So you won't have to pay the lawyer anything out of your own pocket.

I was on several medications when I was going through the application process, but I've never had ECT or any kind of aggressive treatments like that. So if I was able to get approved, you certainly should.

Just be aware that the people at the Social Security Administration are going to do everything they can to make you feel frustrated and ashamed. Their main purpose is to get as many people as possible to give up on their applications. For instance, one employee tried to convince me that I would go to jail for submitting my application, because I had previously been receiving Unemployment benefits, and to receive those, you have to swear that you are capable of working and are looking for work, and since I was now claiming I *couldn't* work, I was clearly lying in an attempt to to defraud the government. That is how low they will stoop in the hopes of scaring you off. (Later, after about 30 minutes of this kind of treatment, she asked what my "supposed disability" was. When I said it was Major Depressive Disorder, she sighed loudly and ROLLED HER EYES AT ME.)

I'm sorry this got so long. I just want you to know that you can absolutely get the benefits you deserve, but that you're going to have to be tough as nails and have a good support system to turn to, because it will not be easy and it will not be nice.

Best possible luck.

I live in Canada and on disability for my mental illness. You need a good Psychiatrist with a proper clinical diagnosis. Applying is easy, you can do it online, the office will contact you to make an appointment to go In And complete the application. There are several pieces of information that is needed, the list is also online. It may take a couple of months for approval, totally worth it. I would be homeless if not for my disability pension. My caseworker is kind and compassionate. She helped me through the process of what information was required to get approval. Good luck!

I don't know where you live but in the states not as hard as some may think. If you are having ECT and on meds and have a good doctor that will back up that you can't work, well, I had all that and it took about a year but I got it. Every case is different but you never know if you don't try. Some times they always say no to your first application but if your doctor knows what to say it's not hard it just takes time. Best of luck!!

Well done.

Thank you so much for sharing your story. Im about ready to give up.