I have known a guy who has been on disability for over 12 years now since his fiftieth birthday. He is as disabled as I am and 8 years younger. All he does is smoke pot all day and mooch off of other folks (like myself until i go wise to his act). You could not get this miscreant to do a days work. It would be easier to draw blood out of an oyster.
Unfortunately, this is typical behavior.
I suffered a devastating stroke in 2014. I was in a coma for six weeks. Inpatient rehab for 6 months. Outpatient rehab for three months. My employer fired me for having a stroke. I was told that I wouldn’t—COULDN’T—ever again compete for a job. Hospital personal insisted that I apply for disability. I was told that the hospital gets patients like me complete lifetime disability all the time. Only one problem...I wanted to work and refused to just be a parasite on society.
I had to learn to talk, eat, sit up, walk. I surpassed everyone’s prognosis. Went back to work in December of that year. Today I work a full time job making great money and supervise others an a very competitive industry.
I hold those who can do work but instead live off of disability with great disdain. I was told I couldn’t. And I fought to prove them all wrong. I live with my teenage daughter since my wife decided to abandon me while I was in the hospital. I survived and prosper every day. May all of us continue to fight the good fight.