psychologically tortured for telling the truth about severe back pain. — Scope | Disability forum
Please read our updated community house rules and community guidelines.

psychologically tortured for telling the truth about severe back pain.

Options
jamesdea
jamesdea Community member Posts: 1 Listener
edited January 2018 in Disability rights and campaigning
I fully agree that people who fake a disability to get a benefit that they are not entitled to should be named and shamed. However what about those genuine cases that have been totally persecuted for telling the truth. I worked since leaving school in engineering had my own business and was a full time student for 3 years. I was involved in a road traffic accident that wasn't my fault when a car pulled out of a side road.and smashed into my motorcycle. I was only 17 at the time and was off my work for 5 weeks with my injuries. Unknown to me but I had brocken my back and started to have severe pain in my legs pelvis and Lumbar spine. Anyone then who claimed to be struggling with back pain was treated with suspicion and cynicism. You must be lazy' your a liar' and a chancer. Back pain your just swinging your leg. Yes that's how I was treated for over twenty years. I had absolutely no choice but to keep working while struggling with severe pain. The facts were that I was telling the truth and by the time I was 34 I could not walk as my spine had become severely damaged. It was broken off the pelvis and had slide forward almost sliding off the front. The two largest spinal discs had been destroyed and I lost 3 inches in height. A then failed Instrumental spinal fusion by an incompetent surgeon who is now struck off left me severely  disabled and in horrendous chronic pain. A failed fusion meant that my Thoracic spine has now been damaged and my quality of life is garbage. Without my numerous medication such as Severodol morphine I think I would have hanged myself in total despair. It took my Member of parliament and my European MSP to get the DLA to give me what I was legally entitled to by law. I was persecuted and treated like dirt on your shoe for simply telling the truth. God help anyone who is thinking of applying for DLA. The whole application process near killed me. I have no time what so ever in anyone who fakes an illness but there are many who are genuine and they get persecuted and are treated very badly.
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
    Options
    Hello jamesdea and welcome

    Yours is a realy awfull  tale and I really hope you have the help you need now

    It does still seem that the system fails to find the professional fakers and liars whilst many with genuine needs are put through hell

    CR
    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • helpathand
    helpathand Community member Posts: 17 Connected
    Options
    Hello,
    I have a close friend also struggling after road accident and similar failures and bad surgeries so I do get it a bit. I have also been discriminated against at work and earthly justice was not on offer there in spite of evidence. Some times the fight is not worth the cost to our energy, self worth, and the repeated crushing....

    Believe in Truth because He will prevail in the end. (Jesus calls himself the Truth)

    I also have struggles with pain and mobility now using scooter and wheelchair from car. My disability was from birth but now age kicks in too  I have just been interviewed for PIP having an indefinite higher rate of DLA mobility. Not an encouraging feeling at all but waiting to see if the person , who acted just like a computer, had any more understanding of what I said than it appeared. 

    The next comment may offend you but I really hope it does not because I was crying with the effect it had on me.
    I read for the Blind (Torch trust) and the book they sent was called "Hope when it hurts."  It is by 2 young women with Lyme disease and is their journey of continued trust  in the creator of the universe and the Saviour Jesus in the midst of tears and pain; frustrations and disappointments. Like this site the book made me know someone understood how it feels day to day. That is rare.  One part which touched me was that it says our bodies will wear out (like a tent) but God prepares for those who will be His an eternal body - (I am really looking forward to a life without pain and freedom of movement).  

    Persevere with the benefit forms.  It is the demoralizing feeling of being some kind of freak because you have to describe all that you cannot do and it is depressing in the extreme.  But the people without pain or struggles in this world also could not have learned such things as patience and perseverance.

    Sorry if this got too long.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Panda70
    Panda70 Community member Posts: 23 Courageous
    Options
    Totally know what you mean, I had indefinite DLA then put in for PIP, the assessors report was full of lies, so ended up fighting it in court, I got enhances daily care and 7 points mobility, 1 point short ffs. I don't go out unless it's neseccary, I'm in agony 24/7, waiting in surgery to my spine, need a new knee, and I've got 7 different chronic illnesses, my mobility is zero now but scared to inform them as they put me through hell first time round, I too worked m my life and had to give up two years ago, surely we could take dwp to court for unfair assessments etc, 
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Alison68
    Alison68 Community member Posts: 4 Listener
    Options
    It certainly needs addressing Panda70 ,as I have just been through the hell of DLA to PIP court appeal.
    They could have been trained as interrogators because that’s what it felt like.
    I also worked all my life until I had to retire I’ll health.
    I got no more points at appeal I had 6 yet was on lower rate DLA for both components indefinitely until PIP.
    I am now well over 65 and I think that’s why they didn’t want to award me,it was their fault for taking so long to get around to me,still feels very unfair and certainly the adversarial attitude was very unfair.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Topkitten
    Topkitten Community member Posts: 1,285 Pioneering
    Options
    @jamesdea Severodol is made from Morphine Sulphate (i.e.Tramadol). I don't know the dosage you take but the tablets come in 10mg, 20mg and 50mg form and the maximum dose is 400mg per day. I hope you never exceed that because when I did I thought that switching to patches would make life easier. They don't. They complicate things even more. I exceeded Tramadol 3 years ago and have had periods when they have been a godsend and periods (like now) when they make my life abysmal.

    Oddly people never understand me when I tell them I have spinal problems because they always assume back pain. I get very little of that but horrendous pain in my legs and hips. Considering the description you gave I would have expected your pain to be similar to mine.

    The problem with back pain is that almost everyone has experienced it at some time or other and so they relate it to their pain and cannot understand why some say it is disabling. It was and still is used by those attempting to defraud the system as it is an easy thing to describe, difficult to disprove and can be crippling.

    I am sorry for you about the way you have been treated especially by the health profession. We put ourselves in their hands and trust that they know what they are doing. Sadly sometimes that trust is misplaced.

    I hope things go better for you in the future.

    TK
    "I'm on the wrong side of heaven and the righteous side of hell" - from Wrong side of heaven by Five Finger Death Punch.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Pippa_Alumni
    Pippa_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,793 Disability Gamechanger
    Options
    Hi @jamesdea, I just wanted to say welcome to the community and how sorry I am to hear about your experiences. Unfortunately it's still so difficult for people who can't necessarily 'see' your disability to understand how debilitating pain can be. If you need any support, please do let us know.

    @Panda70 I'm sorry to hear what you had to go through during your last appeal. As has been said, it may make sense to apply again now. If you do, please keep us updated and we'll support/advise where we can.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Panda70
    Panda70 Community member Posts: 23 Courageous
    Options
    Hi  I just received a letter saying my award runs out in May so not sure if I need to reapply now, but I am definitely going to reapply as I am worse than ever, and yes illI keep all updated, thank you 
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Brightness

Categories