I Didn’t Think I Needed Disability Insurance—Until I Did
When I first started in the insurance industry, my general manager told me something I never forgot: “You can’t sell what you don’t own.”
So, I bought disability insurance. Not because I thought I needed it, but so I could offer it to others as protection that I believed in enough to get it myself. I was in my early 30s. I was healthy, busy, and building a career. Like most people, disability felt distant—something that happened to someone else.
But if I were going to ask my clients to protect their income, I needed to believe in it enough to do it myself. At the time, it felt like a professional decision. Three years later, it became very personal.
When “Pushing Through” Stops Working
It started with vertigo. At first, it was manageable. I would lose a half-day here, a full day there. Annoying, but not enough to stop me, until it was. When an “episode” as I called it would hit, it felt like being stuck on one of those amusement park rides that spins over and over—except you can’t get off. And I’ve always known about myself that when I get on a ride like that, I’m done for the day. Almost completely useless. Not able to function, let alone work.
This was the same feeling. Only now, I didn’t choose to get on, and I couldn’t control when it would stop. These “episodes,” as I called them, lasted anywhere from 30 seconds to 30 minutes. And they could hit at any time. I even tried driving once after one. That was a big mistake. I came close to hitting a school bus. That moment made something very clear: this wasn’t just inconvenient. It was dangerous.
Later, after seeing my doctor, I found out I had Meniere’s Disease. I didn’t even know what that was until I was told I had it. From that point on, I knew—when an episode hit, I couldn’t do much of anything until it passed. Still, I did what most people do. I tried to push through. I told myself: “It will pass” “I can manage this” “I don’t need help”. Because that’s how we’re wired, especially as professionals, business owners, and providers. We keep going until we can’t.
The Question I Didn’t Want to Answer
One day, my general manager stopped me. He had been watching what I was going through and stopped me long enough to ask:
“Greg… isn’t this the reason why you have disability insurance?”
It should have been obvious, but it wasn’t. Because in my mind, going on claim meant something I didn’t want to admit: It meant that I had failed.
The Real Barrier
I had the right coverage. I qualified. I needed it, but I hesitated. Not because the policy didn’t work, but because of what I thought it said about me. I thought: “I should be able to handle this” “Other people need this more” “This isn’t me” But here’s what I eventually realized:
Using disability insurance doesn’t mean I failed. It means I planned.
What It Actually Changed
When I finally went on claim, nothing about my condition was suddenly fixed, but everything about our situation changed. The benefits meant I didn’t have to ask:
“How do I keep earning right now?”
I could focus on getting better. And what most people don’t understand, and what I didn’t fully realize until I needed it, is this:
My policy didn’t just pay me when I couldn’t work at all. It also paid me when I couldn’t work as long or as effectively as I could before.
The benefit was adjusted based on what I was able to do each month—how much I could work, how much income I could generate. That mattered more than I expected. Because my situation wasn’t all-or-nothing. Some days I could do a little. Some days I couldn’t do anything.
Without that flexibility, I would’ve felt pressure to either force myself back too soon—or lose income entirely. Instead, I had support in the middle—where most people actually live during a chronic health event.
My family didn’t have to absorb the financial stress. The mortgage was covered, and our plans stayed intact so that we could keep moving forward. There wasn’t any scrambling: No panic decisions and no financial freefall.
We had financial stability at a time when everything else felt uncertain.
What I Almost Missed
What I almost missed is that Disability Income insurance isn’t just about replacing income. It’s about protecting everything tied to it:
- My family’s security
- My ability to make clear decisions
- My long-term financial future
- My peace of mind during a difficult time
Without it, everything tightens. With it, I had room to breathe.
What I Know Now
Before this, I understood disability insurance as a product. Now I understand it as a plan.
Not a plan for if something happens. A plan when life doesn’t go according to plan.
A Final Thought
I didn’t buy disability insurance because I thought I’d need it. I bought it so I could confidently recommend it to others. What I didn’t realize was this:
I wasn’t just building conviction. I was building protection for my family and me.
And when my income stopped, our life didn’t.
