Published on: August 11, 2015
If you have fibromyalgia and work for a living, you might be wondering if you should continue to work. The pain can be insufferable and the infamous “fibro fog” can be debilitating.
Does your job function require you to not have these feelings, and what can you do if you need to still be working? If you can still work, what can be done to help fix the problems so that you can work comfortably? If you can’t, can you get disability benefits? There are a lot of questions, so we’ll run through a few of them for you.
Working with Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a terrible disease for sure. All of the pain that you feel plus the fatigue and the mental fog does not allow for an easy life. Depression is also a side effect of the disease due to the intensity of its symptoms. This doesn’t translate well to working, either. Depression and anxiety can reduce job performance, and if what you do involves moving and lifting, the stress on your body can create even more pain.
If your pain is mild, you may want to continue working, and that’s great! Optimism and perseverance is a great thing and can help you overcome tremendous adversity. You should know, though, that fibromyalgia is still a disability—and that means that the Americans with Disabilities Act protects you.
So long as the accommodations you need don’t impair the operations of a company, they must provide them to you thanks to the ADA. Are you sensitive to the air conditioner? If it’s possible, they’ll move you away from the vents. Need to be close to a bathroom or exit? They’ll put you there. Do you need a written record of your job duties to refer to when you’re not at your best? They have to do that too. If you’re well enough to work, there are still “disability benefits” that don’t necessarily require monetary payout.
What if I’m Not Well Enough to Work?
The downside to fibromyalgia is that sometimes the pain and fatigue you feel is just too much to bear. If you’re involved in a critical position that could require you to be alert for your own safety (or others’ safety as well), toughing out the fog might not be an option. If you’re to lift heavy weights or move around all day and that causes you to need days of rest, perhaps it’s time to hang up the uniform. If that’s the case, that’s great too—take your rest, you deserve it. The SSA feels the same way about it: fibromyalgia, if severe enough to limit your ability to work, it does qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
There’s a five step process to a fibromyalgia claim:
- They'll determine if you’re working: the SSA checks if you’re making less than $1,090 a month, which is what they constitute as “substantial gainful activity.”
- They will examine the severity of the disease: the disease must be severe enough to limit your work or prohibit it entirely. If you can’t move around without significant pain, communicate effectively, understand your job function, respond appropriately, or be flexible with varying job situations, your function is limited.
- They'll find a classification for you: Fibromyalgia is not listed in the SSA’s Blue Book, so it must be equated to another disease for consideration. Your symptoms must line up with established medical listing of the disease to be considered, and must be severe enough to warrant disability benefits.
- They'll check your work history against your symptoms. They’ll look for your ability (or inability) to do what you used to do.
- They'll review your current situation: they're looking to see if you can do any other kind of work. The criteria varies by age as well.
Ultimately, you should make the decision that makes you the happiest. If you feel the need to be working and you’re able to work, there are medications that can assist and you can enjoy a very productive career—and good for you if you can! If you determine that you’re unable to work, that’s okay too—just because you’re not able to “work” doesn’t mean that you can’t lead a fulfilling life. Just don’t attempt to stretch yourself too thin if the pain is too much. If you’re unsure about whether you need monetary benefits (or you feel that you do), be sure to contact professionals who can help you determine what you qualify for. Either way, remember: do what is best for you.
