EDD Appeal for Mental Health Reasons - What Documentation is Needed?

I have some documentation, but it's not completely accurate. That's what I'm worried about. What kind of specific docs did you use?

I used a combination of things: - Detailed letter from my therapist explaining my condition - Medical records showing my diagnosis - Prescription history for my meds - Personal journal entries (they actually considered these!) The more evidence you can provide, the better your chances. Even if your current docs aren't perfect, gather whatever you can.

Thanks for the detailed response! I'll def try to get a letter from my therapist. Didn't even think about using journal entries, that's clever.

Sounds too good to be true. Is this legit? Anyone else tried it?

Yeah, it's totally legit. I was skeptical at first too, but it saved me hours of frustration. Worth every penny imo.

20 bucks?! That's highway robbery! 😤

I get it, but think about how much time you waste on hold. For me, time is money, and this saved me a ton of headaches.

Wow, this is incredibly helpful! Thank you so much for taking the time to write all this out. I'll definitely follow these steps. 🙏

This should be pinned or something. So much good info here!

Thanks for the support. It really is tough to prove. How are you handling your appeal?

Still figuring it out tbh. Trying to get my therapist to write a detailed letter. It's a struggle, but we gotta keep pushing, right?

This!!! 👆 Vocational experts can be game changers. They speak the language EDD understands.

Dude, not cool. Mental health is serious business. Don't be a 🤡

Chill, it was just a joke. Sheesh, everyone's so sensitive these days 🙄

Read the room, bro. OP is clearly struggling. No need for that kinda 'humor' here.

I did it without a lawyer. It was tough, but doable. Just be super organized and thorough with your evidence.

I tried without a lawyer and got denied. Hired one for the second appeal and won. Sometimes it's worth the investment.

This is exactly what I needed to hear! Thank you for sharing your experience. I especially like the idea of creating a timeline - that makes so much sense. I never thought about getting letters from family and friends either. Quick question: how detailed did you get in your personal statement? Like, did you include specific dates and incidents, or was it more general?

@PixelPioneer This is incredibly thorough and helpful! I had no idea that letters from family and friends could carry weight in these appeals. That's actually really encouraging since my family has definitely witnessed how my anxiety has affected my ability to work consistently. One thing I'm curious about - when you mention "minor inaccuracies" in documentation, how did you handle explaining those? I'm in a similar situation where some of my records don't perfectly align, and I'm worried it might hurt my case. Did you address the discrepancies directly in your personal statement or wait for them to ask about it? Also, the timeline idea is brilliant. I'm going to start putting that together right away. Thanks for taking the time to share all this! 🙏

@PixelPioneer This is such a comprehensive guide, thank you! I'm particularly interested in the pharmacy records aspect - I hadn't considered that medication history could be relevant evidence. Quick question about the personal statement: did you focus more on how your mental health affected your ability to search for work, or how it impacted your previous job performance that led to the unemployment claim? I'm trying to figure out the best angle to take since my situation involves both aspects. Also, when you mention requesting accommodations during the appeal process - what kind of accommodations are typically available? I have pretty severe social anxiety and the thought of a phone hearing makes me panic.

@PixelPioneer This is super helpful! I'm actually dealing with a similar situation right now and your timeline approach sounds like exactly what I need. I've been struggling to organize all my documentation in a way that makes sense. One question - when you were putting together letters from family and friends, did you give them any guidance on what to include? I'm worried about asking people to write something but then having them not know what would actually be useful for the appeal. Also, how many of these letters did you end up submitting? The pharmacy records tip is gold too. I never would have thought of that, but it makes total sense as supporting evidence. Thanks for sharing your experience - it's giving me hope that I can get through this process! 🤞