WHAT YOU DON'T SAY TO THE DISABILITY DOCTOR

When Social Security sends you to a doctor, tell the truth but be careful about what you say.

Here are some things NOT to say:

"I'm OK, fine, doing alright, feeling pretty good...."

We all say these things when asked, "How ya doing?"  But doctors may take this literally and put it in their report.  

"I just finished remodeling my house....working on my roof...just got back from Tunica," etc.

These statements will wind up in the doctor's report and may be grossly exaggerated or taken out of context. Maybe you hired someone to fix your roof or remodel your house.  Maybe your wife drove you to Tunica because your back hurt too much to drive.  But you don't get to explain that to the doctor. 

"I'm going to volunteer some time at the Red Cross.... (or other charity)......

Social Security is likely to take the attitude that if you are able to do volunteer work you could also do paid work.  And there is a regulation that says, in effect:  If you do the type of volunteer work that you COULD be paid for, it is equivalent to substantial gainful activity (working for pay).

"If I don't get my disability approved soon, I may have to try to find a job (go back to work)." 

This implies that you think you can work--the anethema of a disability claim.  You are expressing financial desperation but the doctor will report it as "patient says he is thinking about going back to work."  Or, "patient says he is doing so well that he's thinking of returning to work." Your case is now DOA.

There are probably a hundred other things you can carelessly say to an examining doctor that will unfairly hurt your claim.  Be truthful but think carefully about what you say, and how you say it. Are you really doing fine?  (Then why are you applying for disability)?  Is everything "going great"? 

Finally, don't exaggerate.  

Don''t say "On a scale of 0 to 10, my pain is a 13."  Or "I can never do any shopping, bend, lift anything, or do anything at all."  Doctor's will contradict this in their exam and take those statements as non-credible. Better to avoid the word "never" and say things like, "I have trouble with doing my housework, difficulty bending, sitting too long or standing more than about ----- minutes."  It is very hard to prove that you NEVER do anything. And judges hate these absolutes.  If it sounds like an exaggeration to others, it will harm your case.