Fibromyalgia, depression stress and anxiety

Hi,

I am just near to the end of filling in my 'how your disability effects you' form and I am struggling to respond to the questions relating to the 'going out' and 'moving around' activities.

The questions seemed to be either black or white and no grey areas in the middle. (or is that just me?)

I have fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis,depression and stress and anxiety and I have difficulties with both moving around and going out due to the pain and stiffness from the 18 tender points of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue but also have difficulties moving around and going out due to the depression, stress and anxiety.

fibromyalgia is a long term condition and I have had it for the past 8 years. It has many overlapping conditions but it would take me forever and a day to list them all here.

So I have both mental and physical difficulties. If say for example, I can't go out due to the physical difficulties (pain fatigue etc) or I can't go out due to the stress and anxiety, (or even both at the same time), what response do I put on the form for going out?

The same for moving around. The pain and stiffness can render my mobility in that I am not able to move around indoors and the only way I can get some comfort is to stay on the sofa most of the day. What happens if the depression also effects your moving around?

Do pip only take into consideration the physical difficulties regarding the moving around?

I hope this makes sense

Thank you in advance for any replies

Many thanks for your response Gordon.

Just one other question- As my current PIP is due to end very shortly after two years, is there a reason why the DWP sent me a completely new form to fill in as oppose to doing a renewal?

In the beginning,when I first claimed PIP I failed at the first hurdle in that I initially didn't score any points for many of the descriptors. The assessors report went down like a led balloon. I also failed the second hurdle in regards to the MR.

However, as I had never claimed PIP before and I think I was a little bit naive (if that is the right word) and given I was pursuing the claim on my own the 40-page form that I was given was absolutely mortifying to fill in.

That was all before I discovered this fantastic site.

Long story short, after appealing to a Tribunal I was then successfully awarded some points for the daily living component. No points for mobility. Subsequently, the DWP awarded PIP.

Since I am now just about to send off my second application I think I am now better equipped as it were to pursue the mobility component of PIP. Where as before I wasn't as I think i just didn't know how to explain myself adequately in order to meet the descriptors.

Firstly, since my official diagnosis I have had a much deeper insight and understanding into my conditions regarding fibromyalagia and how much it does actually effect my physical mobility. Secondly, it is of course all about how to prove or meet the descriptors that apply to you.

I am now starting to ramble..this started off with a question...

regards,
PF

hi. i have fybromylafia, anxiety and BPD i have been awarded the higher rate for both with 13 & 14 points.

i dont know if this is any help to you please let me know if i can help any more

regards J

Hi, like you i also suffer from these conditions and found filling out the forms difficult
I filled the form in as best as I could but, when as what caused the difficulty with a task, i didnt know what to put because,more the one condition applied to that perticular task.
i gave as much witten detail as i possably could. for example if my arthritus and fb made that task difficult for me, i wrote that down. its sometimes hard when your in pain with arthritus and fb.
i have two types of arthrius and they both casue pain and stiffness, so does the fibo. I also suffer depression, anxiety, panick attacks,agrohobia and copd. if you have to put two of your conditions make that task difficult,or three then say so. the depression also affects us, no motivation to get dressed,washed etc right it all down.
as for the mobility, the agrophobia, anxiety, panick attacks the pain and copd make both of the mobilty components difficult for me i cant step out the door without someone with me, even with someone this is very stressful and causes me great anxiety so, i just wrote again as much detail as i could, and also an example of what happens when i do try to do either of the going and how far i can mangage with the help of another person. On the very rare occasion when i have had to go out, say because i have fallen and need to get checked out, then i said how that made me feel and also, on some of the occaions i had to be taken home because, i panicked that much, i actually thought i was going to have a heart attack it casued me that much anxiety. I used the help of this site and thankfully it helped me so much, i coudnt of gotten through it other wise. i still had a home medical even after all the info and evidence i had submitted.
I was asked which condition caused the difficulties, she wrote down my symptoms of each condition, it doesnt matter if two of the condition make that task difficult and caused the same pain, a you will already know, fibro and arthritus they are both very painful condition and some hard to say which one is casuing the pain. explain that to also
I got high rate enhancement on both care and mobillty.Just keep with the facts and say it as it is.
hope i have been able to help you in some way.
good luck