ptsd C&p 5-Year Reevaluation?

[MarineLCpl]

Hello gentleman,

I am a new member on the site. Thank you for having me! I'll tell you a little bit about myself..

Background: (Feel free to skip down to present day for the actual concern)

I was discharged from the Marine Corps in 2008, due to mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. I have struggled with these issues ever since, and am still struggling to this very day. Shortly after being discharged, I was contacted by the VA to come in for a C&P exam to determine a course of action. In 2010, I received a rating of 50% for the issues mentioned above. I had a follow-up exam 6-months later, and my rating was increased from 50% to 80%. At the end of 2010, I filed the paperwork for unemployability, and was granted it at the end of that year. It remains current, and I have been in treatment with the VA since then to work on my issues.

In 2011, I applied for the Vocational Rehabilitation program to pursue a 4-year college degree. I was approved, and started attending classes. My first semester went rather well, pulling a B/C average at the end. The second semester, not so well. Ended up having to drop out because my anxiety was so immense. Enrolled to try again the following semester...dropped again...just could handle it, and was released from the program. In 2012, I became very interested in the engineering side of music, and wanted to give it a shot. I liked the fact that it was something I could do on my own, and didn't have to be around lots of others to perform my job. Being alone is when I'm more content.

I was hooked. I again applied for Voc. Rehab, and met with a rep. He was optimistic, which surprised me because of my past history with them, and he said he would run it across his boss and get back with me. He scheduled a meeting with me two weeks later and said that they couldn't approve that particular music program I wanted to pursue, and if that I picked something else (with a little better job security), I would likely be approved. I said no thanks, I'll just have to do it on my own. I think this surprised him, and I don't know if it was just because he could tell I was passionate, but he said he would vouch for me, and to go ahead and start the program. He told me that I would need to prove to him that I was serious, and maintain a 3.0 GPA in order to keep pursuing it. I agreed.

3 years later, I am finally a senior, and have not once dropped below the 3.0 GPA mark. WOW is all I can say to myself. I'm not going to lie, I went through some hard times with my mental health problems during these last 3 years, but I have fought hard, and maintained. I'm serious about doing something with my life and resolving my issues all together. My rep is very happy with me, and always reminds me that I continue to amaze him at holding up my end of the bargain.

This brings me to present day.

The VA has contacted me and scheduled a C&p exam in a couple of weeks. I do realize that it might be routine, but have a slight suspicion that a few VA employees at this facility are out to get me. While my depression has gotten better in recent years due to optimism about being a degree holder, my anxiety level has not changed, which is why I'm hoping that obtaining a college degree will give me that confidence boost I need to survive in the real world and stop getting so worked up about what others think/how they treat me. All I can think about is them taking away my benefits. I can imagine the aftermath, and I know myself pretty well. I would likely go back into depression because funds will start running low, anxiety will increase even more, fear of the future will be at an all-time high, etc.

I have been honest with the VA about my claims, and have sought treatment ever since my discharge. I have heard horror stories that if you tell the VA that you are better (as in my depression being better), they will automatically try and reduce, or take your rating away all together. I have worked so hard, and I'm gearing up for my last year of college, but now I feel as it all might come to a bleeding halt. I have been an American Legion member for 6 years, so I do have them as a point of contact, but I'm not sure if or when I should contact them about the situation.

Any tips, guys?

Thank you for listening, it truly means a lot! And again, thanks for having me on the site.

MarineLCpl

[Navy04]

Congrats on the college and good luck with the Re Eval. In the past few months, I have had all of my conditions Re Evaluated, Even though it was not up for Re eval until Feb 2016. Just part of the deal bud. Good luck

[Vync]

Welcome to Hadit! And congratulations on your collegiate progress.

It would not hurt to contact the American Legion to get another opinion. I agree with Navy04. Even if you make it to 100% permanent and total, the VA can still try and reduce a rating. The VA can re-evaluate a rating at any time, but tends to do so when a rating is considered temporary, shows sustained improvement over a long period, or might improved in the future. The last one if pretty common. Keep in mind that if they try to reduce a rating, you are given a period of time for rebuttal. You get to share your evidence showing why you should maintain your current rating. Even if they somehow succeed, you can appeal the reduction.

I am not a Voc Rehab expert, but from what I know, the goal is to help retrain you so you can become employable and hopefully successful. Having a degree is an accomplishment, and so is having a 3.0, so be proud of what you have done. Being employable is not a guarantee that they will reduce your rating. If you eventually get a mental health rating of 100%, that would mean that you probably should not be working at all. However, if you have a 100% rating for reasons other than a mental health rating, being employed should be no problem.

Also, it's not just one specific diagnosis that the VA will factor in to your mental health rating. It's the whole picture. Just because anxiety gets better, does not mean that depression would improve. Take a look at the MH ratings table and see how wild it is. You could end up deficient in most areas and still excel in others. I'm no expert, but you might want to go back to your award letter and look at the reasons and basis for the increased rating. It should give you an idea of what they used to make their decision.

Good luck!

[MarineLCpl]

Thanks so much for the replies, guys! I'm going to try not to worry about it too much until I discover the outcome, post-exam. In the mean time, I will go back and evaluate what they determined last time, and compare it to my current symptoms. I feel very fortunate thus far, and have not had too many issues with the VA, so I hope they keep providing me with great service, as they should do for all vets who have served this great country. Thanks again!!

Marine LCpl

[MarineLCpl]

I just got the letter today regarding my appointment with C&p. It states that my VA facility has been contacted by a regional office to schedule me for a C&p exam. Does this sound like routine procedure then? I haven't had a C&p exam in 5 years, so I would assume so.

Thoughts?

[Vync]

Yes, that's accurate. The regional office sends requests to C&P docs at the VA (or QTC) and requests the exam. The C&P folks will (are supposed to) send you a letter telling you when to show up. The reason why I put it like that is because it does not always happen in that order. I remember learning of a C&P while at another appointment. The clerk told me I had a C&P scheduled an hour earlier that same day. I went to the C&P clinic and they said, "You should have got a letter." They rescheduled me. When I got home, I received the letter that was postmarked the day before. It might be worth it for you to proactively call the C&P clinic and check on it. If it does not fit your schedule, they might be nice enough to work with you.

Since it has likely been a while since you had a C&P exam, I recommend you look up the articles here (on the main page) plus in the forums about preparing for a C&P exam. It's always good to be prepared.

[Navy04]

Yes I just had a bunch of C&Ps for Re Evals, just normal process my friend.