Hello— I’m a 35yo male who at least at first glance is very healthy... I do a physical every year and they say my blood pressure / cholesterol are normal, no diabetes or anything, not overweight, bloodwork all comes back normal etc... all perfect. I also have all of the following issues, though—
1) Anxiety / depression— in college in 2010 I spent a few days in the hospital for depression. There was no suicide attempt (although it may have been crossing my mind), my grades were slipping, and my parents thought it was a good idea to put me in the hospital because I was able to use it as an excuse to get an extension for finals. There have been no hospitalizations since then but I’ve been on and off medication and in and out of outpatient therapy for it ever since. At this moment I’m in a relatively good place, out of therapy, and just on a small’ish dose of a single antidepressant
2) In graduate school in 2015 I went through a bad break-up, abused alcohol for about six weeks, and when I decided it was time to stop I wasn’t feeling too great and went to the university’s student health center. They diagnosed me with “alcohol abuse,” gave me three days worth of Valium and sent me to university counseling. I’ve had no abuse issues since then and actually gave up drinking altogether at least five years ago because it was bad for the depression (and it’s all in my medical records that I’m now a non-drinker)
4) Ulcerative Proctitis— about 2.5 years ago I was diagnosed with ulcerative proctitis (the mildest of the five forms of ulcerative colitis). I take Mesalamine for it, see a gastroenterologist regularly, have had no flare-ups since the initial diagnosis, and the last colonoscopy was clear
5) About a year ago I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea that’s been adequately treated with a CPAP machine and I see the sleep specialist regularly
6) In grad school during the alcohol abuse episode I told the doctor that “a therapist had diagnosed me a few years earlier with Asperger’s syndrome” and it made it into the medical records. I actually don’t even know if it’s true, though, (bc I think the diagnosis may have just been depression and she considered Asperger’s an unofficial theory but I don’t know. I wish I hadn’t said it)
All that being said, none of these things have interfered with my life / career. I have a successful career in the financial industry, a stable family life, and I feel like none of these issues alone would have been considered a terribly big deal at all… the question is just whether having all of them together would be considered too much for anyone to give me coverage. Am I wrong on this?
Any responses would be greatly appreciated.
-Jeff
1) Anxiety / depression— in college in 2010 I spent a few days in the hospital for depression. There was no suicide attempt (although it may have been crossing my mind), my grades were slipping, and my parents thought it was a good idea to put me in the hospital because I was able to use it as an excuse to get an extension for finals. There have been no hospitalizations since then but I’ve been on and off medication and in and out of outpatient therapy for it ever since. At this moment I’m in a relatively good place, out of therapy, and just on a small’ish dose of a single antidepressant
2) In graduate school in 2015 I went through a bad break-up, abused alcohol for about six weeks, and when I decided it was time to stop I wasn’t feeling too great and went to the university’s student health center. They diagnosed me with “alcohol abuse,” gave me three days worth of Valium and sent me to university counseling. I’ve had no abuse issues since then and actually gave up drinking altogether at least five years ago because it was bad for the depression (and it’s all in my medical records that I’m now a non-drinker)
4) Ulcerative Proctitis— about 2.5 years ago I was diagnosed with ulcerative proctitis (the mildest of the five forms of ulcerative colitis). I take Mesalamine for it, see a gastroenterologist regularly, have had no flare-ups since the initial diagnosis, and the last colonoscopy was clear
5) About a year ago I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea that’s been adequately treated with a CPAP machine and I see the sleep specialist regularly
6) In grad school during the alcohol abuse episode I told the doctor that “a therapist had diagnosed me a few years earlier with Asperger’s syndrome” and it made it into the medical records. I actually don’t even know if it’s true, though, (bc I think the diagnosis may have just been depression and she considered Asperger’s an unofficial theory but I don’t know. I wish I hadn’t said it)
All that being said, none of these things have interfered with my life / career. I have a successful career in the financial industry, a stable family life, and I feel like none of these issues alone would have been considered a terribly big deal at all… the question is just whether having all of them together would be considered too much for anyone to give me coverage. Am I wrong on this?
Any responses would be greatly appreciated.
-Jeff
