GAD & Depression C&P results, any advice?

[SLY]

Hi all, I'm new here. I was just wondering if raters usually pay more attention to the "description" or the "symptoms"

It seems as my description of

"

Occupational and social impairment with occasional

decrease in work

efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to

perform

occupational tasks, although generally functioning

satisfactorily,

with normal routine behavior, self-care and conversation"

 

does not fully match up the symptoms she wrote down as:

"

[X] Depressed mood

[X] Anxiety

[X] Chronic sleep impairment

[X] Mild memory loss, such as forgetting names, directions or

recent

events

[X] Difficulty in understanding complex commands

[X] Disturbances of motivation and mood

[X] Difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work

and social

relationships

[X] Difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances,

including work or a

worklike setting

[X] Inability to establish and maintain effective

relationships

[X] Neglect of personal appearance and hygiene"

 

I feel because it is my first time applying for compensation, I'm going to get "low balled" My symptoms seem to be all over the rating chart from 30%-70% I'm just hoping for them to meet in the middle at 50. If you would like more info of my c&p just let me know, I just didn't think everyone would want to read all that. She also put SC'd in my favor.

 

Thank you for any advice you may have!

[Berta]

Yow....med boarded out???  Did they prepare a LOD?

Obviously the Examiner saw the SMR info and/or the LOD. Did they give you a rating at time of the Med Board?

This happened to a neighbor of mine.Sort of.  Every time he told me the story it got very convoluted over the years and he did not take my advise to get a vet rep or to join us here.Or bring his paperwork to my house.

The other day he said 3 lawyers were working on his case ( I found that difficult to believe because as far as I know he has never filed a VA claim at all. He said the med board gave him 40 % or something but he never got a comp check ??? And still has not formally filed a claim???????)

He thinks the VA is going to send him mega bucks......

I am sure glad you and other vets are smarter than he was. when he got out.

 

 

 

.

 

[SLY]

I had no idea I was "med boarded" I had no hearing, no big thing, and wasn't even aware until I went to my c&p. They said I was just administratively discharged for convenience of the navy due my mental health. I even told me examiner "I wasn't med boarded" and she said something along the lines of "you may not have known it, but you were definitely medically discharged through a med board". I don't even know where to go from there, since it's been 2 years since discharge. I've read something to where you're supposed to get sc'd disability for like 6 mo after a medical discharge until you have a VA c&p or something along those lines, but if it's been too long you can't do anything about it.

I just got to the point where I couldn't handle anything on my own, so I finally sought help, and that's why I am where I am now.

[Silent Uproar]

Sorry to hear about your situation SLY. I hope things work out in your favor because that is terrible that they didn't inform you right away that you were being med boarded out.  Are you currently working ? 

[SLY]

Hi there Silent Uproar!

I didn't know they could even do that, and not tell you. Makes me extremely upset knowing I could have gotten this approved a long time ago. No, I have no formal job, I was going to classes during the time of the c&p, but now i've failed half my classes due to all these problems. Just absolutely cannot concentrate long enough to write these 3 page papers and spend hours studying, very infuriating. I do some things on my own to make a little cash, my main income was from the GI bill and FAFSA, but I don't think I'll be able to go to back to school with these problems. Im getting a pretty good refund because I do taxes on what little I do manage to make on my own, so I will have enough to pay my bills during the summer, but if this doesn't get approved I really don't know what I will do. I'm just hoping for 50% because that will pay most of my monthly bills (since I never really leave the house anyways, my bills are low). Here's to hoping!

 

-Shelby

[SLY]

Moved to Preparation for Decision, hopefully the wait is almost over.

-Shelby

[Mark D Worthen PsyD]

On 4/30/2016 at 7:16 PM, SLY said:

Hi all, I'm new here. I was just wondering if raters usually pay more attention to the "description" or the "symptoms"

Symptoms.

In general, the RVSR ('Rater') must justify, with a well-written rationale, why they assigned a lower disability rating than the rating reflected in the symptoms the examiner endorsed on the DBQ. 

In your case, the examiner endorsed four symptoms at the 30% level; two at 50%; and four at 70%. Therefore, if the RVSR assigns a 50% disability rating (unlikely), he or she would need to explain why, given that you have four symptoms representative of a 70% rating.

There are exceptions to this general rule, which an experienced VBA staffer, veterans service officer, or veterans law attorney can explain better than I could, but in my experience those exceptions are rare.

As you said, hopefully you will receive your Rating Decision soon and you can breathe a sigh of relief. 

All the Best,

Mark

Edited May 20, 2016 by Mark D Worthen PsyD
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