You never get it on your first try, that's the aim of the game, to put you off.

No matter how many times I do this I know I don't get it for sending in my numerous pieces of evidence or Drs/specialists/ MH workers/ therapists letters, in the first round, I get my award during the MR rounds and prepare myself for that.

The point is to get you to give up at the first hurdle. It's like the more you fight the more you're serious about what you're saying and how it effects you.

I've been marked down for being able to drive, not "sounding anxious on the phone" and being able to cook chicken and rice!

I had to explain just becuase I can drive, doesn't mean I don't get confused, anxious and distressed, just because I CAN cook doesn't mean I don't need prompting to do so when I am depressed so I don't end up starving myself. Just because I don't sound anxious doesn't mean I can walk into a shop and talk to people or because I do travel ( not that I'd EVER tell them that!) that I don't have full panic attacks when I'm on planes.

It's not the illness, its how they effect you and how often. Get as much evidence of this from Drs and carers letters etc, explaining how your health problems effect your life and how they assist you.

So get ready for the MR and fight them. Tell them how much distress your illnesses leave you in, how people support or prompt you, tell it as if you're having the worst day of your life with all of your illnesses, tell them it's this bad every single day.