Roger Tullgren Says His Heavy Metal Addiction Gets Him Disability Payments

Roger Tullgren is so into heavy metal it’s sick. Seriously though folks, some say its a chronic condition.

Tullgren, a 42-year-old resident of Hässleholm in southern Sweden, rocks out so hard that three separate psychologists have said his heavy metal obsession requires he receive disability benefits to “avoid being discriminated against," he told Swedish newspaper The Local. And now the country's Employment Service says they'll pay part of his salary so he can spend more time rocking out.

Tullgren's obsession is pretty intense. He went to 300 heavy metal shows last year, according to the Globe and Mail. The first time he rocked out to Sabbath: Age two.

Some experts say such a classification only enables Tullgren’s obsession, but he isn’t the first to claim disability benefits on unusual grounds. In California, the decidedly un-Metal Stanley Thornton Jr. made headlines when the Social Security administration agreed to classify his “adult baby” lifestyle as a disability, allowing him to receive benefits, according to New York Daily News.

Tullgren now seems to work a job perfectly suited to his lifestyle. As a dishwasher -- talk about heavy metal, am I right? -- his current employer allows him to organize his work schedule around concerts and even head bang during work (so long as the music doesn’t disturb guests).