The decision to file for Social Security Disability is often one fraught with worry. Applicants worry about whether they’ll be approved, about whether their application is complete, about whether they’ve provided enough evidence, about how long it will take to get a decision, and more. For some, the Social Security Disability application is filed as a last ditch effort, after a long period of struggling to survive and support themselves while disabled. Many of them don’t have any back-up plans, and are in desperate need of the help Social Security Disability benefits will provide to them until they’re well enough to work again. In these cases, it’s more important than ever that their initial application be as strong as possible.

How Can I Ensure My Social Security Disability Application Is Strong?

When you apply for SSDI or SSI disability benefits, the application asks about your medical condition, work and education history. All of the information will be considered as the application is reviewed and an initial decision is reached. There are also certain documents that help establish your eligibility for disability around identity, in particular pay attention to the two forms that describe your medical condition and authorize disclosure of information to the SSA. In addition, document about your identity are required. These documents include:

- Birth certificate or other proof of birth
- Naturalization papers
- U.S. military discharge paper(s)
- W-2 forms(s) and/or self-employment tax returns for last year.

Aside from these documents, the more information you can provide about your disability, the better. If you’ve kept a record or diary of your symptoms and how they’ve affected your life, that’s a valuable piece of evidence towards your disability, and it should be included.

Why Is the Initial Application So Important?

The SSA, though they’re working to improve it, has quite a backlog of cases. If your initial application is denied, it could take you up to 3 years of appeals and hearings to get a truly final answer. In their efforts to improve the process, the SSA is introducing new technology that will help accelerate approval for those who seem to qualify. Quick Disability Determination (QDD) uses a predictive model to analyze certain elements of data within the electronic claims file to identify claims where there is a high potential that the claimant is disabled and where evidence of the person’s allegations can be quickly and easily obtained. The QDD was tested in the Northeast in 2007, and allowed 3% of new cases to be completed in as few as 11 days. Arizona, New Jersey and North Dakota were the next to pick up the new technology, and it’s continued to be added to other states across the country.

This means that if your application is complete, you might be identified by the QDD and have your application fast-tracked through the system. Without a thorough application, there’s no chance of this happening, and you may have to wait a significant amount of time for your final decision.

How Can I Get Help with My Social Security Disability Application?

Disability lawyers are a big help in this regard – their experience with understanding SSDI and SSI requirements allows them to quickly identify any areas of the SSDI or SSI disability application that might halt its progress. A disability lawyer will be able to advise applicants of what kinds of information the application is missing, as well as help them work with medical professionals to access the necessary evidence to support their claims.

By: Matt Berry

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Social anxiety disorder, known also as social phobia is a condition, which characterizes with intensive fear in social situations that cause huge distress and limited ability to act in at least one part of the daily life. One of the possible diagnoses could be of a specific disorder – where just one particular situation triggers the anxiety. Another diagnose is called a generalized disorder, where the social anxiety disorder sufferers usually feel a strong, intensive, chronic fear of being judged, embarrassed or humiliated by others for their own acts.

The symptoms of social anxiety disorder can be separated in two main groups, i.e. physical and psychological symptoms. The physical symptoms observed in sufferers of social anxiety disorder are rapid breathing, blushing, sweating, dry mouth, muscle tension, shaky voice, trembling, palpitations, upset stomach – nausea, dizziness, twitching, stammering. Quite often panic attacks may be observed as well, as a result of intense fear and discomfort. It is important to know that an early diagnosis can help minimizing the symptoms and the development of additional conditions, such as depression. It is a well-known fact that some sufferers may try using an alcohol or other drugs to reduce fears at certain social situations. It is a common event for them to try a self-treatment. However, if they are not diagnosed, not treated, or both; this can lead to alcoholism or different types of drug or medication abuse.

The psychological symptoms of social anxiety disorder are – intensive anxiety for days, weeks, or months before a particular oncoming social event/situation to take place; enormous fear of being watched and judged by other people, especially by strangers; extreme anxiety in everyday social situations; fear that with their acts they will embarrass or themselves; the fear of other people noticing their anxiety and nervousness; making sure to avoid social situations to a degree where that leads to total dysfunction or disrupts life in general.

To relieve the symptoms of social phobia in many cases medication can be used, but it is not leading to full recovery from social phobia. Once you stop taking the medicine, all of the symptoms will most likely return. Medication is helping when it is used in combination with psychotherapy and other treatments that affect the roots of social anxiety disorder. Three main kinds of medication are used in the treatment of social anxiety:

1. Beta-blockers -used for relieving performance anxiety, as they are blocking the flow of adrenaline that occurs when anxious. Beta-blockers do not affect the emotional symptoms. They only control the physical symptoms such as shaking hands or voice, sweating, rapid heartbeat;
2. Antidepressants – helpful in severe cases of social anxiety disorder;
3. Benzodiazepines – these are fast acting anti-anxiety medications, but they are sedatives and are also addictive. Benzodiazepines are only prescribed only when the rest of the medications for social phobia have not worked.

Talking about relieving the symptoms of social anxiety disorder, we have to take into account all kinds of social anxiety treatments available. The psychotherapy is one that works best to achieve that goal, and would lead to the complete recovery from this horrible condition. One of the most successful among the therapy methods is the cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT changes the way of thinking about the social situations that lead to the anxiety. CBT includes learning to control the physical symptoms, changing the negative and bad thoughts that lead to the anxiety and facing situations causing the fear systematically and gradually, not to avoid them.

Different cognitive-behavioral treatment techniques are known to date, such as role-playing and social skills training, and they are applied as part of a group therapy. Group therapies for social anxiety disorder include observing, acting, mock interviews, and other exercises to aid overcoming situations that provoke anxious disorder. The term of the therapy treatment for social phobia differs from person to person. The majority of these therapies are relatively short-term, and many of the techniques learned are suitable to practice at home.

By: Shannon Michael

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However many people are looking for social phobia help, about 19 million people in the US have this disorder and we need to help them. You need to look in your family and friends if someone has this problem, sometimes we confuse it with shyness.

There are some symptoms that usually people with social phobia have. They don’t like to be with strangers, they avoid social interaction with people that they don’t know, they experience a lot of anxiety when they go to public places, work or any social activity. Their fear is so much that some start shaking their hands, sweating and trembling.

But no one should accept their problem with no solution, many people with this disorder dont look for help and they live a very lonely and frustrating life, for not being able to have a social life. However you can have a great life full of friends if you want to, there are treatment available that are very effective.

The most effective treatment for social phobia help is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which has been proven to achieve great results. There are other treatments but they dont have long term effects, for example using medication and anti depressants might reduce some symptoms, but they will not cure your disorder.

The best you can do is look for professional help in your local town and ask for advice on how you should proceed. Usually is better to try to meet some people little by little so you can start to get comfortable with others. The easiest way to do this is to meet people that have the same hobbies as you, people that have the same interest as you.

Dont let social phobia take over your life, if you are too afraid of seeking help you should tell a parent or friend to help you. Also you can read the experience of other people that have social anxiety in forums, search for social anxiety forums.

By: Ray Andrew

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Sometimes, when you least expect it, your life may be turned upside down as a result of an injury or illness of some sort, which is so serious that it interferes with your ability to perform your job and support yourself and your family financially. Life in this case becomes difficult because while you can’t earn your own money anymore, you still have your medical bills to take care of, in addition to the usual financial requirements any household must fulfill. That’s when you would need to consider applying for social security disability help.

Social security disability help may be the answer you’re looking for but unfortunately, the process to start receiving this help is not easy. Even if you’ve been a loyal tax player all your life and you’re well-insured, the application process is long, tedious and wrapped in red tape.

When you want to access social security disability help, the first thing you should do is get your paperwork in order. You have to understand that the better prepared you are, the more likely things will go smoother for you. This preparation is very important because disability claims are thrown out more often than not and you don’t want to be put through a long process just to have your hopes crushed at the end because you weren’t prepared.

The paperwork you will need should include proof from the doctors treating you of your medical condition and when it was first diagnosed. This is due to the fact that social security disability help is offered to those who can provide proof of the adverse effects of an illness, whether mental or physical, which affects one’s ability to function professionally and generate an income. Illnesses that warrant disability help should not be of the brief kind either because you are only eligible if you are suffering from a chronic condition for a minimum of an year or if you can prove that it has been diagnosed as being a fatal condition.

You must confirm that your age is less than 65 years of age by providing your birth certificate. In addition, you should provide work history that proves that you were in fact a working member of the society for a minimum of 5 of the past 10 years. However, if you’re younger than 22 years of age, this is not a necessity.

If you’ve provided all the paperwork necessary, your request for social security disability help may still be refused. This is not the end of the road towards social security disability help however, because you can still appeal through an attorney. Attorneys who specialize in these sorts of claims for social disability are widely available and can in fact aid you in getting the help you need.

In the end, you must keep in mind that while you may be in dire need of social security disability help, it might not come as quickly as you’d like. The best you can do however is to be prepared and to have as much patience as possible before things eventually work out.

By: Norman Burr

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Social Anxiety Disorder (Diagnostic Code 300.23 in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition – DSM IV) is marked by a persistent fear of social or performance situations in which embarrassment may occur along with an immediate anxiety response often reaching the level of panic. Some of the causative features of this disorder include:

Hypersensitivity to criticism Negative self evaluation Fear of rejection Poor assertiveness skills Undeveloped social skills

Many people with Social Anxiety cope by avoiding many social situations they would like to attend. In some cases, the anxiety and panic is so great, a person simply cannot leave the house. Simple errands such as going to the market become highly stressful. Social Anxiety can disrupt normal family relations, work and recreation. It is a disorder that is often treated with medication. However, Cognitive Behavior Therapy has proven to be quite effective for not only social anxiety, but generalized anxiety as well. Social anxiety, however, is specifically characterized by the onset of anxiety in social situations such as being at work, at the movies, in meetings, at the store….

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) works well with social anxiety because the causative features are psychological, or cognitive, in nature. A hypersensitivity to criticism is a thought process…it is not an organic, biological process. As such, it can be treated through cognitive restructuring, which is a part of the process involved in CBT. Negative self evaluation is also a cognitive process, as is fear of rejection. Assertiveness skills, which are more behavioral than cognitive, can be learned; a number of books are available on assertiveness skills training and a net search on the topic will yield a plethora of information. Social skills too can be learned. However, all strictly behavioral skills are cognitively related as we think about our behaviors which can augment or diminish those behaviors. A person who thinks they will fail in an attempt to be more socially adept will more likely fail than one who thinks they can do it.

Our cognitive process has a tremendous influence on our behaviors. Because we think in word pictures…ie, self talk and mental imagery, we can create impressions of behavior before the fact. We can visualize within our mind a behavior we would like to enact in a given setting. This type of exercise is very effective for overcoming social anxiety in specific settings. For example, a person could visualize themselves going to the market and superimpose upon that visualization feelings of ease and security. This method of projecting a behavior and the feelings associated with that behavior is commonly used in athletics and stage acting where the performer will visualize the behavior they would like to execute repeatedly and with positive emotions. This exercise “primes” the mind and cognitive processes which is the foundation for behaviors.

One of the basic tenets of CBT is that it is not the external situation that causes our anxiety but rather how we think about that external situation. So, if we find ourselves in a social setting and start telling ourselves with our self talk that people are looking at us, criticizing us, judging us….then we would likely, and somewhat naturally, feel self conscious, perhaps anxious, and maybe even panicky. But, and here is the problem, those thoughts may not be true. Those people may not be looking at us, criticizing us or judging us. But, if we tell ourselves it is happening, then we respond as if it were fact….even when it may not be. Internalized self talk is not based on fact and the imagery that self talk generates can be totally off base. But, that does not matter one iota….We can think we are going to die if we walk out of the house….but, that does not mean it will actually happen. Nevertheless, if we so think, we will feel very panicky. If we can change our thinking towards more realistic interpretations of situations and events…then we can reduce or even eliminate the anxiety and panic.

If you are suffering with social anxiety or social phobia, consider doing a net search on Cognitive Behavior Therapy. There are several good books and many articles available online. If you go to www.openmindcounseling.com/articles_library.htm, you will find some links to articles about CBT.

By: Ken Fields

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Social anxiety or social phobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by severe and persistent anxiety when in social situations, be it when interacting with others, or even only being observed.

People suffering from this phobia fear of being amongst (unfamiliar) people, because they will feel under scrutiny and anxious of behaving in a way that might humiliate or embarrass them.

People with social phobia are aware their fears are irrational and their anxiety over exaggerated, but apprehension will make them do whatever it takes to evade facing the feared situation.

This greatly interferes with normal life activities of people suffering from social phobia. They will start avoiding all sorts of social situations – and when that proves inevitable, they will be extremely worried – sometimes for weeks in advance. This is called “anticipatory anxiety”.

When the dreaded event is over, they will continue worrying how they’ve appeared to others. Did they found them anxious, or strange, or…?

This only increases the level of anticipatory anxiety they will feel the next time, and the vicious circle of social phobia continues…

It is natural to feel some degree of anxiety and self-consciences in certain social situations, like speaking in public or attending a job interview.

What’s different with social phobics is that their fear is continually present and their anxiety out of proportions to the actual situation.

This disorder is not just shyness or nervousness.

Social anxiety is a medical condition that can lead to a number of emotional and physical symptoms.

People who suffer from social anxiety find everyday tasks, like going grocery shopping or answering the phone, overwhelmingly stressful or even downright impossible to handle. That can cost them not only their social life, but even a job, and can leave them on the margins of society.

Because some level of social fear is perfectly normal and expected in some situations, social anxiety disorder is often left undiagnosed and untreated. It is estimated that about 3 – 13 % of population suffers from social anxiety in some form or way.

According to Social Anxiety Institute, social phobia is the largest anxiety disorder, and the third largest mental health care problem in the world today.

It is estimated that about one quarter of all people with social anxiety disorder use alcohol to self-medicate in order to appear more social.

Other comorbid disorders commonly occurring with social phobia are agoraphobia and major depression.

Social phobia affects men and women equally.

It usually appears before the age of 25.

Studies suggest that there’s no one single cause of social anxiety disorder, but rather an unfortunate combination of different biological and psychological factors. An imbalance of brain chemicals – serotonin neurotransmitters, some scientists noted, may be linked with this disorder.

Social phobia, however, can be “cured”!

Social anxiety treatment usually includes medication and cognitive behavioral therapy.

This can be disabling if left untreated. If you suspect that you, or someone you know, may have symptoms of social phobia, don’t hesitate to seek help from a qualified medical professional!

By: Anita Bern

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An efficient way to endorse products and coerce traffic to websites is to set up and maintain a dynamic presence on the public networking websites. This is changing the whole idea behind internet marketing approach. A lot of hard slog, knowledge and tolerance are required for any flourishing public network marketing. The societal network websites are basically online community where people meet, share their thoughts and also communicate. The nature of any business determines the way to approach the marketing strategy. Following are different methods which can be very helpful for any social or public network marketing.

Blogging
Blogs or websites have proven to be the most influential ways for the public network marketing, as compared to other methods. Blogging is not only an amazing way but also a facilitator of many other services along with marketing for business. It proves to be quite helpful in communicating with all the clients.

Personalized blogs and websites is a very important aspect of public network marketing. It will add to the value of services that one is providing and gives a professional impression also.

Customers/users of your products
Another very intelligent approach towards network marketing is to incorporate the view from the previous clients. They can share their experiences regarding the products that one is dealing with. The older clients can very effectively convince the new clients by sharing their familiarity for the services provided.

Social Network Websites
Famous social network websites like Facebook, Twitter can also be employed to enhance the sales. Such websites can prove to be the finest podium for any form of online marketing.

Fundraiser
Arranging a fundraiser for someone can also be very effective way of marketing. It not only gets sales but probably some new recruits also.

Free reports
Another useful way for online marketing is to present some free report. Interesting and appealing facts can be included in such free report and hence people will be coerced to opt for one’s marketing business.

Free samples
Nothing can be as awarding as giving away free sample. This can result in huge turnout but care needs to be taken regarding as to who gets the free samples. It is always good to set up some criteria.

By: Julie M Kerr

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Everyone’s talking about social networking these days and how it might be applied to businesses. Will using web sites such as Twitter and Facebook drum up more sales? Maybe. But they might not be the magic bullets you are hoping for. Here are some of the real benefits of social media and how you can use them to raise your business’s profile.

Communication – Social networking sites such Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn are built around the premise of making communication easier and more fun. Their purpose is to keep users connected and sharing information by posting updates or entries about their lives, businesses, news or events. Using a tool like Twitter is a great way for a business to communicate with current clients or start conversations with new ones. So many people use these sites on a daily basis to keep in touch with family and friends, it comes naturally to them to use these sites to communicate with their favorite businesses or brands. Using social media outlets might not generate a high-volume of sales, but it will help you to build relationships and keep your brand in front of an ever-increasing internet-savvy audience.

Brand Awareness – Social media sites might not be the best place to continuously try to sell your product, but they can help you build your brand. If a user, follower or fan likes what they see, they will be more likely to recommend you to a friend of theirs, which is usually only a click away on a social media site. Facebook and Twitter make it easy to help fans and followers spread the word about your company’s new products, product giveaways, or charitable causes by ‘going viral’ or spreading throughout your social network at an accelerated rate (like a virus). If you ask for feedback about a new product or announce a special offer or giveaway, one user is more likely to pass along this information to another user, and so on and so on. Try not to constantly try to deliver a sales pitch to your fans or followers. Using these sites purely for promotional purposes rather than committing to a two-way conversation usually is a turn-off to other users.

Education – I have found that one of the best uses for Twitter and Facebook is the exchange of educational information. On social media sites, people and companies frequently post information about webinars, seminars, free books or magazine subscriptions, articles and other tips that I’ve found very useful in day-to-day business. I have also learned about various promotional and marketing opportunities from other businesses in my industry. Having a social media account is a great way to stay informed and learn about goings-on in your industry as the changes happen.

It’s Free – The best thing about all of this: it won’t cost you a thing. All of the abovementioned sites are free to join and use — even for businesses. The only thing any of these will cost you is your time, so why not give them a try? And you never know: that next tweet or update you post just might bring in a new visitor to your web site, or inform someone of the fantastic services you offer, which in turn might generate that next a big sale. Good luck!

By: Erin Boudreau

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What’s your job title?

Do you want a new one?

Try this one on-Social Arbitrageur.

Sounds cool, doesn’t it? What does it mean? What do I have to do?

Well, let’s start with the concept of social entrepreneur. This is a person who recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize and manage a venture to create social change. In other words, they create a sustainable enterprise to remedy a social problem. Perhaps the most famous social entrepreneur is Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Yunus started a micro lending bank that provided capital to poverty stricken communities in Bangladesh. Despite conventional wisdom, Yunus found these borrowers to be good credit risks. His lending allowed micro businesses to be started and created the opportunity for jobs and economic activity. The social entrepreneur attempts to build an enterprise to address social issues. They see opportunity where others see irreconcilable problems.

We don’t all have the ability, vision, time and capacity to build sustainable organizations to address social problems. So what is one to do? Just sit on the sidelines? How about taking on the moniker of Social Arbitrageur?

Arbitrage is a financial transaction where an investor takes advantage of a price differential between two markets. If widgets are selling for $2 in the US and $1 in China, the arbitrageur will buy widgets in China and sell them in the US. In the financial world, the deal takes place instantly and exploits the inefficiency between the two markets. If the prices can be locked in and there is enough margin for commissions and transaction costs, a profit is guaranteed. The arbitrageur makes money on the transaction, and proceeds to look for another opportunity.

Okay, then what is a Social Arbitrageur? Just like the social entrepreneur applies business acumen to a social problem, a social arbitrageur spots opportunities to address social problems by investing in the lower market price. Huh?

Social entrepreneurs operate a business to remedy a social problem. Social arbitrageurs make individual investments to bridge the gap between two markets. Social arbitrageurs engage in the “give to get” philosophy by transferring value from one market to bridge the gap with another market.

How about an example? Homelessness is a serious social problem in many cities. A social entrepreneur might raise capital and build housing or seek grants and other funding to provide housing for the homeless. A social arbitrageur will focus on a transaction and attempt to help one homeless person find a place to live or provide resources to secure a safe place for a homeless person to live. The social arbitrageur recognizes the difference between “two markets of human condition-those with homes and those without. The social arbitrageur invests time or money to remedy the difference.

I did not invent the phrase social arbitrage. That has been coined by others, most notably, Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz in their book, “Never Eat Alone.” Their use of the phrase applies to social networks and leveraging relationships to assist members of one’s network. In a sense this is a horizontal social arbitrage. Information is shared across professional networks. My application of the concept is about giving to get, bridging two vertically aligned markets-two markets that have vastly different human conditions. “Giving to get” is a philosophy and practice where one selflessly gives to another with no expectation of return. The social arbitrageur seeks to remedy a social problem by giving of time, money, interest, or encouragement-one transaction at a time.

A social arbitrageur does not have to run an enterprise or build a structure. A social arbitrageur is an independent free agent who gives to bridge a gap between two markets of “human condition.” It does not have to be about money. A social arbitrageur can be attempting to remedy despair, lack of confidence, or lack of appreciation. In those cases a kind word or a selfless act can bridge the gap. A social arbitrageur is not always successful, but they always try. They “give to get.” Their reward comes, but it is unknown at the time of giving and the act is done from a spirit of service, not with an expectation of return.

Here’s the best part. You can be one. There is no fee to join, no degree necessary and no experience required. You just start. Identify a social inequity-a gap between two markets of human condition-then work to remedy it-one transaction at a time. It will not be perfect every time, but if you try you will likely convince others to become social arbitrageurs and your efforts expand. But first you have to start.

So, the next time someone asks you what you do, just reply “I’m a social arbitrageur.” They will be stunned and impressed. Then, of course, you have to live up to it. You’ll be glad you did. Just remember to “give to get.”

By: Steve O'Brien

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There are many different anxieties that exist and one of the ones that people have is social anxiety. It’s defined as the fear, apprehension and worry about how someone will judge them in social situations. The degree of this can vary greatly depending on the people and what situation you are talking about. It has also been known to be related to shyness, but that really hasn’t been medically proven. Some of the symptoms are sweating, blushing and the belief no matter what they do they will be totally judged in a negative light.

Around 13.3 percent are diagnosed as having social anxiety. These fears can be traced to many different things that people believe are happening to them even if they don’t. Some of these are being looked down on because of various things. There are three different aspects of social anxiety and they are cognitive, behavioral, and physiological. The cognitive aspects are people worry about how they will be presented to others. They will pay great attention to detail and their performance no matter what it is. Picking apart their performance or situation is something they will do until they find faults with it. Once they do, they will concentrate on that and find faults in it even if there is none.

Behavioral aspects are another part of social anxiety. This part is a persistent fear that they will do something that will be embarrassing or humiliating to them. This aspect goes beyond shyness and some of the symptoms are mind going blank, fast heartbeat, and a stomach ache. Many times this symptom is most familiar with the fear of talking in front of a class. People are fearful that people are making fun of them and try to do everything to avoid making a presentation if front of large crowds.

The last aspect is physiological which with kids sometimes take the form of tantrums or clinging to their parents and not wanting to leave them as they get school age. In adults you may see sweating, tears and shaking are common traits of this aspect. Many times these people have fears that are really unwarranted, but in their eyes it’s a real problem.

Treatments for social anxiety can vary from drugs to counseling. The one thing though that everyone will agree on is early detection and treatment is crucial to the success rate. Long term treatment is usually advised by many and that usually helps the patient get better control of their anxiety. Does it totally eliminate it? Not always and it could be something they live with the rest of their lives. The key is helping them get better control of it so they can lead more normal lives. Many things are needed to better understand social anxiety and more testing is being done all the time. Just like any disorder that we have over time better treatments and detection procedures will come along. For now though the key is getting it treated at a young age and teach people how to handle it as they enter into their adult life.

By: Jeffrey Meier

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