Suffering from an injury or illness can be devastating in ways that people don’t always realize right away. Of course there is the initial pain, but that can also lead to anxiety, frustration and depression which can further complicate health problems and make it all but impossible to recover.
Recently, an article in The Atlantic took an in-depth look at one city in Virginia that has been named one of the sickest towns in the country. In fact, roughly 20 percent of the residents in that city collected SSDI in 2011. The article sheds some light on some of the unique and difficult challenges that disabled workers face as well as the importance of receiving disability benefits.
Many people who collect SSDI worked in manual labor jobs where their bodies are pushed beyond their breaking points. Once their injuries become unmanageable, there is often no way to repair the damage or treat the pain in such a way that people can return to jobs that are physically demanding.
In some cases, the combination of the chronic pain and being out of work takes a dramatic psychological toll on people as well. They can suffer from depression or frustration which can contribute to obesity, alcoholism, sleep apnea and other troubling conditions that only make the problem worse.
As upsetting as it can be to suffer from a disabling condition and health problems, it should be of some relief for people in this situation to understand that they can pursue SSDI. These benefits can be crucial in helping people cover living expenses and support themselves and their families.
Even though Atlanta residents may not be suffering from such devastating conditions as the people in the article in The Atlantic, there are still many people who are suffering. Collecting disability benefits can be one way to alleviate some of the pain and stress of a disabling injury or illness.
Source: The Atlantic, “Life in the Sickest Town in America,” Olga Khazan, Jan. 22, 2015
