Should I be tested for drugs?

I have seen a few posts on facebook stating that people on welfare are drug abusers.  Is this true?  I found an interesting article that states that in the first round of testing in Florida it was found that two percent of the welfare population tested positive for drugs.

I am not a political person and I could go on and on about how our country wastes money on this and that.  I am just not in the mood for people to get mad at me.  Because of my disability it is hard enough to make and keep friends as it is.  My diagnosis coupled with Sam's doesn't really lead to an active social life. I often talk about isolation because I do my best to keep it real. 

Sam and I are recipients of SSI and SSD.  I am also a recipient of food stamps.  My family gets a grand total of $70 a month for a family of three. The total number of dollars that we receive a month just does not cover the amount of money I spend on additional therapies and special autism clubs for Sam.  People in our community have been so generous in scholarships so Sam can attend these special functions.  It is a full time job to find the money so Sam can benefit along side the families that can afford it. 

There are times when Sam gets extremely angry because there isn't enough food to eat.  I can only get food shelf assistance every three months.  There is a missionary near us that is helpful but then I get the phone calls where I need to take time away to stay on the phone with a volunteer to pray.  Prayer is good but sometimes not helpful when I am driving to the next appointment for Sam.  I graciously stay on the phone and say thank you and hang up.   

I don't like being on assistance at all.  It is a very hard life to have.  The paper work alone is mind numbing.  On my desk is a 10 page report to fill out to get assistance for Sam to have an Ipad.  This report has now been sitting on my table for over a week.  I am trying so desperately hard to become organized so I can think straight.  I look at it and cry.  I am not eligible to get a case manager because they say I am too high functioning.  I don't feel very high functioning at the moment.

I have a part-time job where sometimes I work 3-6 hours a week.  I had an opportunity to go to a five day training to learn about Therapeutic Crisis Intervention.  I made it through four days.  It was a fantastic training for the first 3 days.  By the fourth day exhaustion set in and my social anxiety went through the roof.  This training wasn't mandatory so on the fifth day I didn't go in to work.  I literally couldn't do it.  I am still down and out with the fact that I couldn't make it.  By the fifth day I was paralyzed. 

The next question is, "Do I make money while I work?"  I have to factor in that with work the food stamps will go down.  I am on section 8 and my rent increased with every dollar I report.  With SSI half of my paycheck will go to them after I have earned $85 for that month.  Where is the benefit of working?

Still being on the subject of work, I have a work incentive counselor.  That is one more appointment I must keep to find out where the assistance is to help me and my family.  This is just more paperwork.  I have to take the time to go down to Social Security Office to report my earnings.  I have to fill out more paperwork for food stamps.  Excluding my Work Incentive Counselor, these people that work at these establishments are not the nicest people that I have encountered.

One last question, "I am a single mom and if I had a full time job, where would I find the time for my appointments and Sam's?"  These appointments are made on their schedule, not mine.  I had a therapist that I loved and he left leaving me with a counselor that doesn't match my personality.  I have tried multiple times to change this person and the clinic just won't let me.  I missed my last appointment with the Psychiatrist because I chose to work.  I now have no meds and no appointment to get any.

I hope this sheds some light on how I don't have a Cadillac and eating steak for dinner every night.  My house isn't filled with drug deals and plotting on how I can fool the government.  My house is filled with me doing my best to provide for my family.  I don't have a problem with the drug test, I have a problem with people thinking I don't deserve the assistance.

Sorry for the depressing post.  It is just where I am at.

Definition of Mental

1.a: of, relating to, or being intellectual as contrasted with overt physical activity.

2.a: of, relating to, or affected by a psychiatric disorder <mental patient>.

b: mentally disordered, mad, crazy.

I choose being an intellectual as my definition of being mental.

*The photo that I use for my background was taken by Sam.