ptsd Please Help...ptsd Question

[gbachman]

I have just returned home from my 6th tour since 9/11 a few months ago(4 w/ USMC and 2 with Army). As time has gone on, I notice that stuff isnt right, and things have changed. I have alot on my mind about stuff I have done and seen.

I am currently employed in a civilian job, as I am in the National Guard for the military side, and my civilian job has good ins. So with that, my question is this. If I were to ever lose my job for whatever reason, and I was being treated for PTSD, what would be the best way to go about doing things right now, so I could make a service claim in the future if I had too?

Should I go to a civilian doctor first, get diagnosed, and then take that to the VA, or should I go to the VA, and get diagnosed by them? Would a civilian doctor's recommendations hold more weight?

Liked I said, I am not looking to get rich, or even use this until I needed it. I just want yall's opinion into the best way to go about this process.

Thanks for all of your input...

[LarryJ]

My journey

I now see the nurse at the MH office every 6-8 weeks for my drugs. We talk for about 20 min and thats it.

I go to the Vet Center about every 3 weeks and see the psychologist for an hour. BORING, BORING

I got the impression when I first went to the Vet Center the guy thought I was faking. He would say you

were sucessful and educated and lived a good life.

Just because I wear good clothes and drive a nice car, does not mean that I don't have PTSD.

He would ask me on different ocassions "Do you think you have PTSD"

I said your the expert, tell me what you think? They don't know.

Finally I had a C&P with a PHD shrink and he said I suffered from PTSD. I won my claim but appealed the

rating. Now the fellow at the Vet Center believes I have PTSD in spite of my appearance.

I never knew I had PTSD all these years. I just though I had a personality disorder and was a mean and

angry person. Now I know and I feel much better about myself. There was something that caused my bad

behavior.

I told him last week that I was going to stop coming to the Vet Center in the fall and it was time to move on.

Bill

Two problems that I see that can cause you problems (well, when combined they can cause you A Problem):

#1. You are appealing your PTSD percentage rating.

#2. You are telling your Vet Center Psychologist that you are getting better and it's time for "moving on"?

Do you see your Problem?

Do NOT shoot yerself in your foot, if you get my drift. Maybe it's NOT time for moving on, at least not until........................well, at least not YET!

[carlie]

I have just returned home from my 6th tour since 9/11 a few months ago(4 w/ USMC and 2 with Army).

gbachman,

Where did you spend your 6 tours ?

[carlie]

OK you're right and I'm all wrong. Still, there is no need to insult my intelligence. I only posted when a Veteran was overly anxious about his C&P and I tried to reduce that anxiety, that's all. I'm tired of neing insulted and flamed over every message I send. So I am gone, never to return.

Cliph,

You posted,

"I have been a Vet Center therapist for almost 30 years as well as a VN Combat Vet (Grunt) and have a Service Connected Disability for PTSD, migraine headaches, bruxism, cardiac arrythmia and elevated blood pressure associated with my PTSD."

Perhaps being so thinned skinned along with your level of PTSD and misunderstandings of 38 CFR regs, you may have actually have been doing some dis-service to veterans in your capacity of being " a Vet Center therapist for almost 30 years".

You have made all of 19 posts at Hadit even tho you became a member almost eleven months ago.

Since you've posted that you have "been a Vet Center therapist for almost 30 years", I decided to review all of your 19 posts to check their accuracy, just to get a better visual on the help you have been providing Vet Center patients/clients for so many years.

I certainly will be one of the first to admit as humans we can all surely make mistakes.

As disabled veterans we really need to be able to both depend on and trust what our "therapist" tells us, as true.

Here are a few of the inaccuracies that just jumped out at me.

Below are links and quotes from a few of your 19 posts.

I am a Vietnam Veteran and currently rated at 70% SCD for PTSD alone (no other disabilities). I love my work and feel that it's theraputic for me to continue working. Since my last C&P (2001), some of my symptoms have gotten worse and some new ones appeared. Is it possible to be awarded 100% SCD for PTSD while still employed full-time? What would be the salient points to cover in such a C&P?

Thank you for your attention.

Redcatcher, 67-68 11B-RTO

*** Cliph - As someone that has "been a Vet Center therapist for almost 30 years", I would think you would know the rules

regarding substantial gainful employment in regards to a veteran, service connected at 100 percent for PTSD.

- - - - - - - - - -

For Post 9/11/01 Vets, the VA limits healthcare to combat zone Vets ( and then for only 5 years after RAD), unless they have a SCD and then they're are eligible for treatment for that disability unless they are rated 50% SCD or more. This change went into effect years ago. Poor Vets are eligible for some treatment. Poor is based on "poverty levels" as determined by US Gov.

*** Cliph - As someone that has "been a Vet Center therapist for almost 30 years", I would think you would know that veterans are not limited to five years of VA medical care.

http://www4.va.gov/healtheligibility/Library/FAQs/CombatFAQ.asp#expires

4. What happens after the enhanced eligibility period expires?

Veterans who enroll with VA under this authority will continue to be enrolled even after their enhanced eligibility period ends. At the end of their enhanced eligibility period, veterans enrolled in Priority Group 6 may be shifted to Priority Group 7 or 8, depending on their income level, and required to make applicable copays.

- - - - - - - - - -

The VA must release your medical records, including mental health records to you upon proper request. After all, they are your records and you have a right to examine them for accuracy. If you are a Combat Zone Vet, you can go to your nearest Vet Center for help. They will likely FAX the request in for you. Here, it takes a week to 10 days for you to receive you examiner's report. I am told that if you go to a VA hospital or clinic, they can print off your examiner's report while you wait. All it needs is your signature. The Vet Centers have the friendliest people in town and are eager to help Combat Zone Vets or Vets with MIlitary Sexual Trauma (MST).

***Cliph - As someone that has "been a Vet Center therapist for almost 30 years", I would think you would know that,

actually where you state "VA must release your medical records, including mental health records to you upon proper request.", does not hold true.

A certified mental health provider can AT THEIR DISCRETION PROHIBIT THE RELEASE OF A PATIENTS MENTAL HEALTH RECORDS AND/OR EXAMINATION - IF IN THEIR MEDICAL OPINION - THE RECORDS COULD CAUSE ADDITIONAL HARM TO THE PATIENT'S MENTAL HEALTH.

Of course - this is all just my humble opinion.

[Pete53]

When all is said and done its my opinion that unless a Veteran has a stressor that is provable by the VARO standards they can make their journey a lot easier by asking for a co-morbid condition that almost all PTSD have such as an anxiety disorder or depression.

I have panic disorder and major depression. I think it is not hard to find shrinks at VA who will diagnose more than PTSD and than a medical opinion can seal the deal.

Clyph:

I hope that you come back as a respectful dialogue that I saw here was merely people disagreeing with you. I appreciate your 30 years of helping Veterans as the Vet Center in Dallas helped me a lot before I was able to secure a 100% rating.

I have rarely met a Veteran who did not have a high regard for Vet Center if they used them.

[LarryJ]

OK you're right and I'm all wrong. Still, there is no need to insult my intelligence. I only posted when a Veteran was overly anxious about his C&P and I tried to reduce that anxiety, that's all. I'm tired of neing insulted and flamed over every message I send. So I am gone, never to return.

I, as an Elder here on the Hadit board, and as a veteran, and as a vso, felt that I had a responsibility to see that the correct information was posted. Your posted incorrect information, I corrected it to the best of my ability. Reducing someone's "anxiety" should not be an excuse for bad information.

If every message that you sent, was correct information, then you wouldn't feel that you were "being insulted and flamed over every message".

I feel that you finally said it best:

"OK you're right and I'm all wrong."