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Don't want medical treatment due to fear of being addicted

Don’t want medical treatment due to fear of being addicted

At Sharon Christie Law, a Baltimore Social Security Disability Law Firm, we are often asked about not wanting medical treatment due to fear of being addicted. In this video, Sharon Christie examines this question and provides you with the answer.

Official Transcript: Don’t want medical treatment due to fear of being addicted

Hi I’m Sharon Christie your nurse attorney for Social Security disability benefits. If one of your limiting conditions is pain you may be in a position where you’re going to pain management or you’re talking to another type of doctor and the recommendation is that you take narcotics for pain. 

I’ve had a lot of people talk to me and say look I’m afraid of taking the drugs that they’re recommending. Particularly if there’s any kind of opioid I’m afraid that I’m going to get addicted and I told the doctor no is that going to hurt my case that has to be evaluated in the context of your whole case. Now I will say in light of what we have learned about particularly opioids and the opioid crisis it is very reasonable and I think a judge would find it very reasonable to question whether or not you should be taking those types of medications or even other types of narcotic medications that carry with it a chance of addiction.

So, I think that’s a reasonable discussion to have with your doctor and remember as your case is evaluated it’s all going to be about were the actions that you took reasonable in declining a certain kind of treatment. So, I think that that is something that certainly can be explained. However, you have to understand that if there are under recommendations that are being made for example and I see this a lot with people that have a lot of problems with back pain and may have had herniated discs and surgery for herniated discs in their back. If physical therapy has been recommended perhaps certain types of nerve blocks or epidural injections have been recommended to try to relieve your pain because your pain is that severe.  

Now if you’re rejecting all of those modalities that’s going to be a problem. It’s going to be difficult to explain why you are in such severe pain but you don’t want any type of treatment. Sometimes I’m also asked about alternative treatment. You know I don’t want to take those medications but I want to try acupuncture I see that a lot. Many of my clients actually do try to see if it helps them. For some of them it is very helpful so you you’re not limited certainly to just medications and Social Security isn’t going to say in evaluating your case well if you’re not willing to take narcotics or certain types of pain medications then you must not be disabled no it’s not going to work that way. As long as your objections to that kind of treatment is reasonable under the circumstances and you were willing to do other things to help relieve your pain or try to relieve your pain. 

Then in context that’s a very reasonable decision to make and Social Security will evaluate your case according to the treatment that you do receive and how responsive you are to that and how much it helps with your pain. So, I hope that helps answer that question for you. If you are someone who has received a recommendation for narcotics but you really are afraid to take them.   

The Path to Social Security Disability Benefits with Sharon Christie Law

Step 1: Understanding Social Security’s Definition of Disabled

The definition of disabled, according to Social Security, is that you have severe limitations from your health problems that keep you from doing any kind of work for at least 12 consecutive months. This is the first thing we look at when evaluating your case. Your diagnosis is just the starting point. To get disability benefits for you, we must prove that your disabling condition causes severe limitations in your day to day activities.

Step 2: Medical Records in Your Disability Case

You must have medical evidence to prove your disability case. The most important evidence is your medical records that show your diagnosis, your symptoms, and your response to treatment.

Step 3: Don’t go it alone: How Sharon Christie Law Can Help You

At Sharon Christie Law, a Social Security Disability Law Firm, we recognize that no one ever plans to get so sick that they have to stop working. When you need to apply for Social Security Disability Benefits we recognize that you will be anxious about the process and whether you can qualify for disability benefits. Our goal at Sharon Christie Law is to help you win your case and give you the financial stability you need! Why work with us?

We do it all for you: At Sharon Christie Law we handle all aspects of the case for you, from preparing and filing your application through the hearing with a judge. We are with you every step of the way.  When working with us, you focus on feeling better, and we focus on winning your case.

We return your phone calls: We understand that you have many questions regarding Social Security Disability Benefits. We never want you to wonder what is happening with your case. We are here to answer your questions. All phone calls and emails are returned within 24 hours. That is our promise to you.

We believe in client education: The Social Security Disability process is confusing. We think it is important that you understand each step in the process. So, we created a section on our website that is accessible only to clients. This client’s only section tells you everything you need to know about the disability process.