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If the Judge determines drug and alcohol abuse are contributing to keeping you from working, then you will be denied.

I have had people tell me that they know many people who were approved for Disability because of drug and alcohol abuse.

That is not true.

Many years ago the Social Security law allowed for approval if a person was an addict.

Not any longer.

So what are you to do if you are an alcoholic or have used illegal drugs in the past.

Do not lie.

It will show up somewhere in the medical records that you have abused alcohol or drugs in the past.

If the Judge catches you in a lie, then you are doomed.

You should seek alcohol or drug treatment.

This will document your sobriety.

You may also attend narcotics anonymous or alcoholic anonymous meetings.

This will show your commitment to staying clean.

Even with a history of drug and alcohol use you can show a change in direction and salvage your Social Security Disability case.

You need to keep this in mind when answering questions from the Judge and your lawyer.

The kind of conditions you have are not as important as the limitations.

For instance, a successful back surgery is probably not going to result in disability.

However, a back surgery with permanent restrictions of lifting 10 pounds, limited standing, and heavy doses of pain medications are likely to result in a finding of disability.

Questions about your daily activities and ability to perform chores are used to gauge your ability to perform work like tasks.

Questions about things you used to be able to do and what you can do now are used to determine what impact your conditions have on functioning.

You must remember that the core parts of a job from Social Security’s view are: sitting, standing, walking, lifting, use of your hands for grasping and manipulating, use of your arms for reaching, and concentrating on tasks throughout the work day.

Pain is a factor because it may limit your ability to perform these key factors.

Your limitations must be believable.

Limitations are made believable through repeated trips to your doctors with ongoing complaints of your problems and how they restrict your daily activities.

The Administrative Law Judge spends a lot of time reviewing your records to find out your problems and limitations.

It makes sense that what you tell the doctor will show up in your medical notes.

Social Security Judges base their decision on what are your limitations.

For instance, how long are you able to stand and walk during an 8 hour day is a crucial part of many disability cases.

This means that it is very important for you tell the doctor your symptoms and how it affects you.

You should do this every time you go to the doctor.

Some examples:

My hands go numb and tingle almost every day. Especially when I use them a lot.

I cannot pick up small items to handle, hold or finger things.

My legs are painful and I get pins and needle like feelings when I stand more than 20 minutes.

I have to sit and rest for an hour after this.

My pain medications make me tired. I need to take a nap for 1 hour each afternoon.

My legs swell throughout the day. I have to spend much of the day elevating my legs waist height.

Remember, telling your doctor your major problems and how they limit you can make the difference between winning and losing your case.