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Non-combat Related Ptsd Claims

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militarynurse

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I am 70% ptsd my battalion and i was scheduled for a jump but I felt something was going to not go right so I asked to be taken off the manifest so in about 1993 MY battalion was at greenramp North Carolina doing pre jump where I think a jet and c 130 crashed killing people in my company and battalion and also I was a 91 bravo combat medic I was providing medical support for my assigned company when some how some way MY buddy got shot when I BELIEVE only blanks was supposed to be used me and another medic received a award for our medical treatment after that I stop complying with their orders I started to pretty much go violent on other soldiers and my sergeant I ended up with a article 15 for not obeying orders from my sergant they gave me a bar to re enlistment so I put in to get out with a honorable discharge for years back on the streets I became extra violent cutting and burning myself DEATH became my fascination every thing I applied for gi bill mental help was all denied until I got my medical records which stated they had requested a psych evaluation saying I was becoming more and more violent and that I hurt my back while in the military it took almost four painful years 2010-2014 to get rated I am KNOW 100% with IU 90% with ptsd and arthritis in my back and knees after years of violence and stress I started seeing my dead sergant that died when I closed my eyes and every other person I knew that died SERGANT SANCHEZ FROM B COMPANY LOST HIS LIFE THAT DAY HE WAS A REAL SERGANT NO EGO PROBLEMS JUST DOWN TO EARTH MAY GOD KEEP YOU FOREVER MUCH RESPECT YOU WAS A HARDCORE MEDIC THAT WASNT POWER STRUCK LIKE MY OTHER SERGANTS TILL THIS DAY I AM NOW IN ISOLATION AIRPLANES SCARE ME TO DEATH I have no intentions in rejoining society I have major trust issues paranoia to the max sorry if I went to long and kind of ranted but this is my non combat ptsd rated story thanks for having me ITS 3 am and I couldn't go back to sleep i NEEDED to get things off my chest when I seen this post so I started to write what's on my mind and now I believe I can go back to sleep THANX HADIT FOR HAVING THIS WONDERFUL SITE THIS PLACE HAVE GOTTEN ME THROUGH MANY MANY CRAZY NIGHTS AND THE SUPPORT AND LOVE I RECEIVED FROM MEMBERS WAS WELL NEEDED AND I AM GREATFUL SOOOOO GOODNIGHT TO YOU ALL :-) 

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My afsc was 92451 which is a Histology Technician. We were also morgue attendants.  We picked up body and body parts after aircraft accidents  tank accidents  suicides and homicides.  I have been diagnosed with PTSD by 2 Doctors and a psychologist, plus  multiple licensed Mental health professionals. Has anyone here applied for VA compensation. I could use some help. Thank you for your time. 

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  • HadIt.com Elder

Mine is still under review.

Here's some info that may help you understand why you feel like you do.

Allan

........................................................................

Traumatic Stress and Motor Vehicle Accidents

Todd Buckley, Ph.D.

Introduction

Researchers are looking more closely at motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) as a common cause of traumatic stress. In one large study, accidents were shown to be the traumatic event most frequently experienced by males (25%) and the second most frequent traumatic event experienced by females (13%) in the United States. Over 100 billion dollars are spent every year to take care of the damage caused by auto accidents. Survivors of MVAs often also experience emotional distress as a result of such accidents. Mental-health difficulties such as posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety are problems survivors of severe MVAs may exhibit. This fact sheet addresses important issues related to MVAs, including how many people experience serious MVAs, how many people develop MVA-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other psychological reactions, what the risk factors are for MVA-related PTSD, and what kind of treatments help MVA-related PTSD.

How many people experience serious motor vehicle accidents?

One unfortunate consequence of the high volume of commuter and personal travel in the U.S. is the number of accidents that result in personal injury and fatalities. In any given year, approximately 1% of the U.S. population will be injured in motor vehicle accidents. Thus, MVAs account for over 3 million injuries annually and are one of the most common traumas individuals experience.

How many people develop MVA-related PTSD and other psychological reactions?

Research on individuals seeking treatment and individuals in the general population suggests that the majority of those who survive a serious MVA do not develop mental-health problems that warrant professional treatment. However, a substantial minority of MVA survivors suffer from mental-health problems, the most common of which are Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major Depression, and Anxiety Disorders.

Studies of the general population have found that approximately 9% of MVA survivors develop PTSD. Rates are significantly higher in samples of MVA survivors who seek mental-health treatment. Studies show that between 14% and 100% of MVA survivors who seek mental-health treatment have PTSD, with an average of 60% across studies. In addition, between 3% and 53% of MVA survivors who seek treatment and have PTSD also have a mood disorder such as Major Depression. Finally, in one large study of MVA survivors who sought treatment, 27% had an anxiety disorder in addition to their PTSD, and 15% reported a phobia of driving.

What are the risk factors for MVA-related PTSD?

Recent research has identified variables that have predictive value when trying to determine who might experience PTSD after a serious accident. The use of such research allows clinicians to identify individuals at risk for long-term mental-health problems secondary to their accident.

The research focusing on identifying at risk individuals has been directed at three sets of variables: characteristics about the individual that were present prior to the MVA, accident-related variables, and postaccident variables.

• Pre-accident variables such as poor ability to cope in reaction to previous traumatic events, the presence of a pre-accident mental-health problem (e.g., depression), and poor social support have all been linked to the development of PTSD following severe MVAs.

• With respect to accident-related variables, the amount of physical injury, potential life-threat, and loss of significant others have been predictive of the development of mental-health problems such as PTSD. That is, as the amount of physical injury and fear of dying increase, the chance of developing PTSD also increases.

• Postaccident variables that are predictive of PTSD following MVAs are: the rate of physical recovery from injury, the level of social support from friends and family, and the level of active reengagement in both work and social activities. To the extent that physical limitations will allow, survivors of MVAs should be encouraged to maintain as much of their pre-accident lifestyle as possible, with as much support from family and friends as possible. Such coping strategies appear to be linked with positive mental-health outcomes.

What treatments are available for MVA-related PTSD?

One aspect of MVA-related PTSD that is different from PTSD caused by other traumas is the increased likelihood of being injured or developing a chronic pain condition following the trauma. As a result, many people who have been in an MVA present first to their primary care physicians for treatment and do not consider psychological treatment for some time. Unfortunately, studies have shown that of the people who develop PTSD and do not seek psychological treatment, approximately half continue to have symptoms for more than six months or a year. Therefore, it is important to identify the symptoms early on and seek appropriate psychological treatment.

A number of different treatment approaches have proven effective for MVA-related PTSD. Treatments include behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, and medications. In addition, it may be useful to work with a chronic pain specialist to help manage the physical pain caused by the injury. Sometimes these treatments are provided in conjunction with one another. Readers who are interested in more extensive information regarding treatment and provider contacts will find the websites listed below to be useful.

Additional Information

Readers can find a full exposition of the personal and accident-related characteristics associated with poor mental-health outcomes after MVAs in an excellent book, After the Crash, by Blanchard and Hickling (1997). This book also explains a comprehensive approach to treatment for clinicians working with severe accident survivors.

Suggested Readings on Psychosocial Research and Motor Vehicle Accidents

Blanchard, E.B., & Hickling, E.J. (1997). After the crash. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Blanchard, E.B., Hickling, E.J., Barton, K.A., Taylor, A.E., Loos, W.R., & Jones-Alexander, J. (1996). One-year prospective follow-up of motor vehicle accident victims. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 34, 775-786.

Blanchard, E.B., Hickling, E.J., Forneris, C.A., Taylor, A.E., Buckley, T.C., Loos, W.R., & Jaccard, J. (1997). Prediction of remission of acute Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in motor vehicle accident victims. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 10, 215-234.

Blanchard, E.B., Hickling, E.J., Taylor, A.E., & Loos, W.R. (1995). Psychiatric morbidity associated with motor vehicle accidents. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 183, 495-504.

Bryant, R.A., & Harvey, A.G. (1995). Avoidant coping style and posttraumatic stress following motor vehicle accidents. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33, 631-635.

Buckley, T.C., Blanchard, E.B., & Hickling, E.J. (1996). A prospective examination of delayed onset PTSD secondary to motor vehicle accidents. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 105, 617-625.

Ehlers, A., Mayou, R.A., & Bryant, B. (1998). Psychological predictors of chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder after motor vehicle accidents. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 107, 508-519.

Kuch, K., Cox, B.J., & Evans, R.J. (1996). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and motor vehicle accidents: A multidisciplinary overview. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 41, 429-434.

Taylor, S., & Koch, W.J. (1995). Anxiety disorders due to motor vehicle accidents: Nature and treatment. Clinical Psychology Review, 15, 721-738

Source: Dept of Veterans Affairs link

http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/ncmain/ncdocs/fact_shts/fs_mva.html

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  • HadIt.com Elder

Citation Nr: 9817488

Decision Date: 06/05/98 Archive Date: 06/15/98

DOCKET NO. 93-02 342 ) DATE

)

)

On appeal from the

Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Providence,

Rhode Island

THE ISSUE

Entitlement to service connection for post traumatic stress

disorder.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: Disabled American Veterans

WITNESS AT HEARING ON APPEAL

Appellant

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

Thomas D. Jones

INTRODUCTION

The veteran served on active duty from November 1967 to June

1969.

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals

(Board) on appeal from a August 1991 rating decision of a

Regional Office (RO) of the Department of Veterans Affairs

(VA), which denied the veteran service connection for post

traumatic stress disorder. The veteran filed a timely notice

of disagreement and substantive appeal, commencing this

appeal.

The veteran’s appeal was initially presented to the Board in

March 1996, at which time it was remanded for additional

evidentiary development. That development having been

accomplished, the appeal has been returned to the Board.

CONTENTIONS OF APPELLANT ON APPEAL

The veteran contends he has post traumatic stress disorder as

a result of trauma experienced during service; therefore,

service connection for post traumatic stress disorder is

warranted.

DECISION OF THE BOARD

The Board, in accordance with the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A.

§ 7104 (West 1991 & Supp. 1998), has reviewed and considered

all of the evidence and material of record in the veteran's

claims file(s). Based on its review of the relevant evidence

in this matter, and for the following reasons and bases, it

is the decision of the Board that service connection for post

traumatic stress disorder is warranted.

FINDING OF FACT

The veteran has post traumatic stress disorder as a result of

trauma experienced during service.

CONCLUSION OF LAW

Service connection for post traumatic stress disorder is

warranted. 38 U.S.C.A. § 1110 (West 1991); 38 C.F.R. § 3.304

(1997).

REASONS AND BASES FOR FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION

Background

According to the service medical records, the veteran was

treated for several days in April 1969 for injuries sustained

in a motor vehicle accident.

In February 1991, the veteran filed a claim for service

connection for post traumatic stress disorder. He was

afforded a VA medical examination in June 1991, at which time

a diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder was indicated.

The veteran’s claim was denied by the RO in an August 1991

rating decision. The veteran filed a timely notice of

disagreement and initiated this appeal.

The veteran was afforded a personal hearing at the RO in May

1992. He described his involvement in a motor vehicle

accident during service. According to the veteran’s

testimony, he and some fellow soldiers were coming down a

mountain in a truck when it slid off the road and tumbled

down a cliff. He sustained a concussion and was hospitalized

for several days. A comrade by the name of George Robinson

was killed in this incident.

An April 1992 statement from a private psychiatrist diagnosed

the veteran with post traumatic stress disorder based on his

experiences in Vietnam, including the claimed motor vehicle

accident.

An October 1995 statement from a retired VA psychologist also

diagnosed the veteran with post traumatic stress disorder.

The VA examiner had been treating the veteran since 1989 for

post traumatic stress disorder. Among the indicated

stressors during service was an incident involving the

veteran’s military truck crashing over the edge of a ravine.

When the veteran’s claim was initially presented to the Board

in March 1996, it was remanded for additional evidentiary

development.

In May 1997, a statement was received from the U.S. Armed

Services Center for Research of Unit Records (“Center”)

concerning the veteran’s reported motor vehicle accident in

Vietnam. The Center’s report confirmed the death of George

Robinson in an April 1969 motor vehicle accident. Also

confirmed was the veteran’s transfer, for unspecified

reasons, to the 67th Evacuation Hospital on the same day.

The veteran was afforded another VA psychiatric examination

in July 1997. He was interviewed by a board of two VA

psychiatrists. He was diagnosed with post traumatic stress

disorder, described as mild but chronic, with delayed onset.

Thereafter, the denial of the veteran’s claim was continued

by the RO, and his case was returned to the Board.

Analysis

Service connection may be granted for a disability which is

due to a disease or injury which was incurred in or

aggravated by service. 38 U.S.C.A. § 1110; 38 C.F.R.

§ 3.303. 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f) provides that service

connection for post traumatic stress disorder requires

medical evidence establishing a clear diagnosis of the

disorder, credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-

service stressor actually occurred and a link, established by

medical evidence, between current symptomatology and the

claimed in-service stressor. If the claimed stressor is

related to combat, service department evidence that the

veteran engaged in combat or that the veteran was awarded the

Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge, or similar combat

citation will be accepted, in the absence of evidence to the

contrary, as conclusive evidence of the claimed in-service

stressor. 38 U.S.C.A. § 1154; 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f); Zarycki

v. Brown, 6 Vet. App. 91, 97 (1993). If the Board determines

that the veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy, the

claimed stressor(s) must be sufficiently corroborated by

service records or other sources to establish the occurrence

of the claimed stressful events. See Moreau v. Brown, 9 Vet.

App. 389 (1996); Doran v. Brown, 6 Vet. App. 283, 289 (1994).

In the present case, the veteran contends he has post

traumatic stress disorder as a result of his involvement in

an April 1969 motor vehicle accident while stationed in

Vietnam. Because the veteran’s military personnel records do

not indicate participation in combat, or awards thereto, his

claimed stressor must be sufficiently corroborated by

supporting evidence in order for it to be accepted for

service connection purposes. By way of corroborative

evidence, the veteran’s service medical records indicate

treatment in April 1969 for injuries sustained in a motor

vehicle accident. Also, the May 1997 statement from the U.S.

Armed Services Center for Research of Unit Records confirms

the death of George Robinson in an April 1969 motor vehicle

accident, as indicated in one of the veteran’s earlier

accounts of the incident. Finally, the Center’s statement

confirms the veteran’s transfer to a military hospital the

same day as the accident. This evidence is sufficient to

verify the existence of the alleged incident and the

veteran’s involvement therein.

Next, the veteran must offer evidence of a clear diagnosis of

post traumatic stress disorder. 38 C.F.R. § 3.304.

According to the medical evidence of record, reported above,

he has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder on

several occasions, by both private and VA medical examiners.

Several examiners have noted the veteran’s Vietnam

experiences, including the April 1969 motor vehicle accident.

The first diagnosis of record dates to June 1991, and the

most recent is from a board of two VA psychiatrists, who

diagnosed the veteran in July 1997. No medical evidence of

record contradicts these diagnoses or otherwise casts doubt

on their credibility.

The veteran having submitted credible supporting evidence of

an in-service stressor, a clear diagnosis of the disorder,

and a link, established by the medical evidence, between

current symptomatology and the claimed stressor, service

connection for post traumatic stress disorder is established.

38 C.F.R. § 3.304; Zarycki, supra.

ORDER

Service connection for post traumatic stress disorder is

granted.

G. H. SHUFELT

Member, Board of Veterans' Appeals

NOTICE OF APPELLATE RIGHTS: Under 38 U.S.C.A. § 7266 (West

1991 & Supp. 1998), a decision of the Board of Veterans'

Appeals granting less than the complete benefit, or benefits,

sought on appeal is appealable to the United States Court of

Veterans Appeals within 120 days from the date of mailing of

notice of the decision, provided that a Notice of

Disagreement concerning an issue which was before the Board

was filed with the agency of original jurisdiction on or

after November 18, 1988. Veterans' Judicial Review Act,

Pub. L. No. 100-687, § 402, 102 Stat. 4105, 4122 (1988). The

date which appears on the face of this decision constitutes

the date of mailing and the copy of this decision which you

have received is your notice of the action taken on your

appeal by the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

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