The Claimant asked an I answered as follows: I am 39, can't work and have Depression anxiety, and fibromyalgia, fibro fog. What do you think?
Fibromyalgia can be a very severe, disabling condition, which is often misdiagnosed and causes quite a bit of suffering. People who have Fibromyalgia often feel they are "crazy" because they can't point to anything "wrong" (like a bulging disc in the spine). The people around them frequently feel the same way – as there is nothing obvious about the condition. And doctors can be pretty rude. It wasn't until very recently that Fibromyalgia has been accepted as a valid medical condition capable of accurate diagnosis. You probably know all of that. I mention it only to tell you, you are not alone. That said, at your age, 39, it will be difficult to prove that you are entitled to disability benefits. If you have read the other information in this website, you will know that for people under age 50, they have to prove that they cannot do any full time work – no matter how easy. There are jobs called: zipper tester, where someone sits all day and run zippers back and forth for quality control.
The Social Security Agency sends people to a one-time examination by a doctor who is, at least in theory, "independent and unbiased." That may or may not be true, but the examinations are typically very cursory. If you can walk into the exam room and get up on the table, and you are under 50, they are most likely to conclude that you have no physical limitations. They will send you to a one-time psychological examination which would probably show you do have depression, anxiety and memory problems (that's the fibro fog). All of those are common to Fibromyalgia patients. Usually, although not always, the depression is not severe enough on its own but combined with other factors it can be.
You indicated that you have a treating physician. If your treating physician (preferably a rheumatologist) is willing to make a written statement to the Social Security Agency, that opinion will be given more weight than the SSA doctors. So it is possible that even given your young age, you could probe entitlement to benefits. There are no quick answers and much more information is needed to fully analyze your case. This email is not legal advise, just my view off the top of my head of what you have told me. This email does not create a lawyer/client relationship.
