Autism/Social Security Disability concern

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Hi everyone. New member Life2theMax here. Wanted to pose a question to all on the autism spectrum.

I'm considering applying for Social Security Disability, for a physical condition. A family member, however, is cautioning me against it, because whatever doctor I get will invariably prescribe medication. (Again, for my physical ailment.) I'm more alternative medicine-minded, and SSD's website notes an examiner may question if I'm truly disabled should I refuse medication.

I'm on the autism registry. My concern is the doctor may think me mentally incapable of making my own decisions, should I refuse to take medication.

Does anyone have any opinions/experiences/advice? To be clear, I'm not in dire straits. SSD would be more of a safety net to fall back on, should I need it.

Thank you for taking the time to read. Appreciate it!

(P.S. - I'm in California, btw.)

Welcome to WrongPlanet!
Have you tried poking around the SS disability website it's at - https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/disability/ ? I'm in the process of applying for SS disability myself, primarily for spinal osteoarthritis, severe degenerative disk disease, and complex PTSD. I'm also autistic, first diagnosed at age 3. Thanks for mentioning the autism registry - I had never run across it before. When I filled out the disability application online about six months ago I did not include my autism, since I worked 40 years without it seriously disabling my ability to do the engineering and research or management work I did (although it has been a constant challenge). It appears that the autism-relevant portion of the disability criteria were revised sometime in 2017, possibly after I submitted my application. It is here: https://www.disabilitysecrets.com/condi ... -2-53.html

One thing that's not listed in the online application is that medical information to confirm a condition has to be no more than 2 years old. In my case I had to see a new doctor to get new back x-rays and an exam and to see a psychologist for verification of the cPTSD. Both asked about any medication I was using (I don't really take meds for those) and the psych doc even suggested electroconvulsive therapy when I told him I've had bad reactions to every psych med I've ever taken, likely due to my autism. Neither doctor recommended any medication per se.But to reassure you, these doctors that the social security folks refer you to are only for evaluation - in fact they clearly inform you that they can't provide care because SS is paying just for an evaluation. I hadn't read that they might question your disability status should they recommend medication and you refuse. I suppose you could always agree but never fill the prescription as you'll never see them again. But they're really just trying to evaluate your degree of disability, they can't make any other decisions about mental capacity. I've worried about such things in the past - like if I'm disabled due to a psych disorder, like PTSD, does that mean I might face some loss of rights or freedoms. I did feel weird disclosing things like autism and PTSD to the federal government, lol. For what it's worth, the psych doc I saw for SSD understood that medication doesn't work for me and didn't try to prescribe anything. My own general practitioner doc and the counselor I see both strongly encourage me not to get back on psych drugs. I've done much better without them - I've been on dozens of different ones and in my own case, none of them helped despite my high hopes.

I'm in Colorado, although I lived my first 51 years in southern California. It was nice there when I was a kid, but it turned into expensive, smoggy, overcrowded gridlock in San Diego. SS is a national program, so I doubt there would be state-level differences.

You can refuse to take medications if you don't want to take them. I do. I never take meds because I have adverse reactions to a lot of meds and I am not willing to take those chances anymore. I do everything I possibly can to stay holistic. But in the US, no one can force you to take meds. You can also refuse to sign a consent to treatment if you are in the hospital. When I have to go to the hospital I tell them immediately that I am not to be given meds at all without my knowledge or permission. It is also very clearly stated on my medical alert bracelet website. I would definitely apply for benefits if I were you. It will not hurt you to apply.

EyeDash, I just read your post and it made me wonder if some of the adverse reactions I have had to some meds might be because of my Autism. I am glad that you mentioned that you have had adverse reactions as well. I have another Autistic friend who has also had adverse reactions to meds. It could be possible that our Autism has something to do with that.