tdiu "percent" Discrimination -- Is It An Issue For Voc Rehab?

[Snake Eyes]

Thanks to all the vets on this site. Information and success stories you've shared have been helpful -- especially in the two year journey to finally getting rated.

I am considering a TDIU claim and possibly SSDI, but thought I should look into vocational rehab first. The question is whether counselors "write off" veterans who have high disability ratings, particularly in the mental health area.

I am 90% schedular as follows:

70% Generalized Anxiety Disorder

50% Sleep Apnea
10% Lumbo-sachral strain

10% (Each) Left knee and right knee

10% Right ankle

The GAD was based on several factors that would cause me to reject an applicant for a job interview if I was an employer :-)

Some examples:

• Difficulty in adapting to a work-like setting
• Difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances
• Difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships
• Anxiety
• Chronic sleep impairment
• Suspiciousness

And so forth. Not the sort of stuff you would put in your resume to be sure.

I am self-employed as an independent contractor teaching classes for an online school. Since I work in a home office, free of chemical issues and with limited interaction with co-workers, I am able to earn between $7,000 and $10,000 per year. I put in between 20 and 25 hours weekly depending on how many classes I can teach. I can't sit very long due to the back pain.... when I lie down to relieve the pain, about half of the time I fall asleep. In a statement with my original claim, I indicated I put in an additional 20 to 22 hours weekly uncompensated. I did NOT make clear that most of that was broken up with frequent breaks and almost daily naps.

QUESTION IS: With all the issues above, I can't imagine Voc Rehab would be a realistic option. Are the counselors known to discriminate against people with mental health issues?

TDIU would make sense but I can't afford to quit working on the speculation I might get it.... Not sure WHAT I should do.

[Notorious Kelly]

You'll want to consider where you'll be if your health declines slightly to where you'll make NO income.

You know from this forum how long it can take to get relief of any kind, so if you wait until you actually reach that point it could be the end of you.

I'd proceed as if Voc Rehab is not an option because it'd easier to say "I've gotten better and can work" than starting from scratch at that point.

Just my 2 cents. Good luck in your decision!