Question by Curtis: Do I qualify for Cal-SDI with these ICD-9 codes as my diagnosis?
My doctor took me out of work after i went to him to seek treatment for severe stress and crippling anxiety related to that stress. After a short talk about my daily life and what was going on he put me on a short grocery list of medications and took me out of work for 8 weeks.
The primary diagnosis listed on the application was 300.02 (generalized anxiety disorder).
The secondary diagnosis was 291.81(alcohol with-drawl syndrome).
The notation for the diagnosis was “generalized anxiety disorder, depression, alcohol dependence and alcohol with-drawl.
The findings were “patient is undergoing severe anxiety and depression related to detoxing from alcohol”
My medications are Naltrexone, Gabapentin, Gydroxyzine,and Remeron. Some pretty heavy stuff.
It’s important to note that I did not go to my doctor because i felt i have a drinking problem. i drank nightly, but not heavily (1-4 beers a night after work). my doctor is a never-drink-again guru and that’s the path he decided to take, I have followed it to the letter.
My question is, with that primary and secondary diagnosis (not living in a treatment facility) do I qualify for California state disability. I’m obviously very concerned.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I appreciate any help or advice you can give me. I’m most interested in the recent law applied to my situation.

Best answer:

Answer by TheRavenAZ
Since the first diagnosis is caused by the secondary diagnosis, I don’t believe it’s a qualifying condition because it is a choice to drink. Not to mention, it’s temporary. Alcohol withdrawal will only last so long. You should be through it within the 8 weeks you have and the second condition should disappear.

They can’t allow people on disability for self inflicted abuse or any pertain who doesn’t want to work could go, abuse alcohol or drugs, then get on disability.

As for your medications:

Naltrexone: Helps patients with alcohol problems by keeping the body from wanting alcohol. 

Gabapentin: Treats certain types of seizures (which can happen during detox)

Gydroxyzine: (Hydroxyzine) is an antihistamine with anticholinergic (drying) and sedative properties that is used to treat allergic reactions. It is used primarily for the symptomatic relief of anxiety and tension associated with psychoneurosis and as an adjunct in organic disease states in which anxiety is manifested. It is also used as a anti-nausea, sedative and tranquilizer.

Remeron: Used to treat major depressive disorder.

All of these are appropriate drugs to get you through detox without so much pain and anxiety. You shouldn’t have to continue taking them forever.

BTW – If you’re drinking even 3 – 4 beers every single night after work, that is a lot of alcohol. 1-2 a night maybe not. If it wasn’t excessive, your body wouldn’t be going through withdrawals.

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Question by Tom: I have a love/hate relationship with alcoholics anonymous. Anyone else feel this way?
I like the fact that its a place where I can meet others that understand and support, but that’s about it. As far as almost everything within the big book and most of the steps, i think their bunk and cult-like. Does anyone else feel this way?

Best answer:

Answer by raysny
Sure do, except for the love part.

I bounced in and out of the rooms for years, never able to stop drinking for more than a few months at a time. I had to turn my back on AA and take responsibility for my alcoholism and my recovery. I had to unlearn the powerless nonsense, forget that I’m supposed to have a lifelong disease that I can never recover from.

I never received any support from members because I’m an atheist. They loudly predicted that I would die drunk in a gutter for refusing to find their God. Don’t believe their claims that your “Higher Power” can be anything you want, by their definition, their Higher Power is a pretty specific god, and one that is not entirely compatible with the Christian God or the God of any mainstream religion that I’m aware of.

I felt that if I could get help for the depression that fueled my drinking, I’d be able to stay stopped, but for years I couldn’t find anyone who would help unless I had a chunk of sober time through AA. So I’d try, I’d go to AA, get treated like dirt while my clinical depression merged with the chemical depression of early sobriety and I’d be suicidal.

Next month will be 11 years sober for me. I co-own the Yahoo group “without_aa”:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/without_aa/
which is about deprogramming from AA, alternatives, and the general weirdness of the rooms.

AA does NOT improve on the rate of natural remission, people quitting on their own. The vast majority of people quit without ANY type of treatment.

The NIAAA’s 2001–2002 National Epidemiolo­gic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions interviewe­d over 43,000 people. Using the criteria for alcohol dependence found in the DSM-IV, they found:
“About 75 percent of persons who recover from alcohol dependence do so without seeking any kind of help, including specialty alcohol (rehab) programs and AA. Only 13 percent of people with alcohol dependence ever receive specialty alcohol treatment.­”
http://www.spectrum.niaaa.nih.gov/features/alcoholism.aspx

Anyone having doubts about AA should do some poking around at this site:
The Orange Papers
http://www.orange-papers.org/

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