LongTooth

I started gardening. It's useful, relaxing and more importantly a solo venture. It helps to be able to think of yourself as not being completely useless at life. I also am very 420 friendly I treat ptsd with that instead of all the "magic pills" they want to give me.

So, I'm still here just lurking around. I finally got the ball rolling on my SS disability claim and they want me to go to the VA and have the VA fill out a form. Does anybody know if I need to go to a VARO or something?

so did anybody catch the 294 mil congress gave the VA to work through the backlog as part of the govt shutdown deal? hope it helps move things along in a significant fashion...

Hi John sorry for missing your post. I haven't started treatment at the VA just yet I want to be able to get my hands on everything I need in order to help facilitate the experience. I ended up seeing somebody that I guess diagnosed me as PD , big surprise there, The term I heard being bounced around was. Personality Disorder Unspecified with suicidal and homicidal tendencies. I was given Lithium and Prozac while I outprocessed from Ft. Knox KY hope this info helps.

My ex wife won't have anything to do with me so buddy statements from that avenue are not going to happen. I have yet to get treated at the VA I want to make sure I have copies of every last single page of my SMR's and private records before I submit to the VA I suspect I may have to apply for a DRB to see about upgrading my discharge. I guess the most important thing I'm taking away from all my research is that there are options available if you look hard enough.

I don't mind talking about it at all, which is a very recent thing for me. To be blunt it was a series of incidents involving my section chief over a period of time which culminated in an episodic break because I couldn't take it anymore and my CoC was firmly against any relief until after I went awol the first time. Prior to going awol I was told by my section chief in person that "If I couldn't tell him what was wrong with me then I couldn't go get help". What was wrong with me was the fact that I was waiting for us to have to go to the range for qualification there I was planning to shoot both him and myself. Prior to involvement with this person in authority over me I was pretty good at what I did which was field artillery I drove Paladins. I was going to be a career man finally doing something with my life that mattered. Anyways a long story short within 18months of being discharged, OTH with Personality Disorder, I lost my marriage and my relationship with my son ended up on a 72hr psychiatric hold got hooked on heroin, clean for 11 or so years now I honestly don't keep track, and went to prison for almost a year trying to steal to support my habit. My heads been spinning for so long now it feels like that's all I know. I'm never stable enough to get well. I job hop a lot because I can't get along with other people or because I feel the boss is screwing me so xxxx him. So since I job hop so often I'm usually in some phase of transit. If you've ever heard the song Ramblin Man it's a nice enough song the experience of growing up your entire life in different states is less so. You tend to fall through quite a few cracks. I can't wait to get my life in order, assuming it's a type of order that I can deal with. I feel like an old soul stretched to thin. Jason

so I went and saw a new psychiatrist today... basically I got told that my problems are all in my head and I should just suck it up because I don't really have a claim so I should just go find work and put it all behind me... ??? tomorrow I will be signing up for the health exchange assuming it goes off without a hitch I really hope that that will open up more avenues for mental health treatment. I've got records requests out for almost everything at this point so all I can do is wait for that to come in and get sorted through before I even think about approaching the VA. I also broached the subject of a medical MJ card and got flat out told in no uncertain terms that he wouldn't give me one claiming it has harmful side effects yet proceeds to write me a prescription for an anti psychotic...wtf...

not sure what state you're in bro but maybe you should talk to somebody about a medical marijuana card I know it helps me for ptsd with the only real side effect of killing bags of doritos which, as far as I'm aware, isn't illegal :D

So a few things to report I dropped a request for my Official personnel file from the Natl' Archives and a request for my SMR's from the VA which confirmed that they had them. Should have the OPMF in about a month and the SMR's in about 3 months. My current therapist says it's clinic policy to schedule a 3hr window of review with me to go over my files with them before they will release them to me which I find odd. I also will be starting my SSA disability case as well. Also starting to get a hold of other incidental but needed pieces of information. Not much other to do than to wait for everything to arrive.

I intend to get all my records ahead of time before I even walk into a VA hospital so I'm as armed with information as I possibly can be. I want to be able to refute every denial I can as early as possible. Also having my SMR's ahead of time will allow me to submit them for at least 1 private medical opinion.

I was discharged May of 2000 so I have some time to go before I run up against the wall I'm hoping to have better luck with the ADRB. Depending on finances you bet I'll have a lawyer present.

I wish I could prove that I was denied treatment by my Section Chief when I initially sought help...guess that's not something you put in an official report. I don't mind devils advocates it helps me to see the angles they may try and come at me from. I guess what I'm hoping for is that they see the root cause as being PTSD and everything else that follows as a result of that illness. I was seen by somebody after my first awol which is where the PD diagnosis came from. I also recall writing a letter stating my frame of mind at the time wonder where that may have gotten to... Oh also while I have you on the line. I got my Discharge Certificate but I was actually looking for my complete jacket is there an official name for that so I can request it from the Nat. Archives? Much obliged

I checked those and honestly I don't think either one applies to me. I didn't have a pattern of willful misconduct and I also didn't go awol for 180 days. I think I can attribute the AWOL to PTSD and having a psychotic break of some kind. Hope the powers that be see it that way. Do you see a lot of discharges and if so what do you do for a living???

Also on a completely different topic. It appears that at least the ADRB (Army Discharge Review Board) is taking a more lenient stance on upgrading discharges that have to do with PTSD. They are still denying a majority of cases from what I've read but overall I suspect it's definitely worth a shot going that route. And if you get denied by the VA then it's probably your only route. the DRB has two ways to go about doing things. 1. Requesting a records review. This is just the board going over your file without you having to be there. However they look at your discharge from the point of view that it is indeed correct. 2. Requesting an in person hearing, usually held in D.C. before a panel of 5 Officers/NCO's you have to convince a majority that the service erred in your discharge. If you go with the Hearing then you cannot do the records review afterwards no matter what the outcome is. There may be an appeals process for the hearing but I have yet to come across what that is.

from what I'm reading on the web and from what people are telling me it does appear that the VA can choose to disregard the character of your discharge. Whether they will or not...well... I imagine if it where that easy there would be less horror stories about the VA floating around. Take a look a few posts back in this thread at the 38 CFR links. Their full of whats called "mandatory language" words like "shall" "must" etc etc. If you fit the criteria for something then I believe they are obligated to adhere to the law/regulations. Of course I don't expect them to willingly roll over without being reminded of the law. I suspect that if you don't call their attention to things they'll be more than happy to play ignorant.

Hey T8 thanks for all the insight. I guess I would have gone down this road years ago had I even know it existed. I guess better late than never. It seems the 38CFR link you gave me is just chock full of gotchas. (d) A discharge or release because of one of the offenses specified in this paragraph is considered to have been issued under dishonorable conditions. (1) Acceptance of an undesirable discharge to escape trial by general court-martial. This seems to be one that might affect me. I assume the VA can overrule this if they are so inclined? much obliged for the help.

I'm probably not going to go to the VA until I have copies of my SMR's so I can prepare a solid case. Needless to say I won't be accepting any meds or doctor visits until I'm approved. I've got some time to do an army discharge review hearing if I need to but from what I'm reading they don't often upgrade a persons discharge. I'm really hoping I can go the Character of Discharge route through the VA. Not gonna hold my breath though. In the event that the VA denies me HC/Comp is there an appeals process? Thanks.

any idea how long of a time frame the RO's decision is?

So I assume that this is only for health care and not for compensation? Also will they only treat me for PTSD or can I use the VA for any other medical issues I have?

not to be rude or anything but maybe you could start your own thread instead of hijacking mine yeah?

So I got my DD Form 214 I'm confused because it mentions nothing about personality disorder. It says I have an OTH discharge. The separating authority is 635-200 chapter 10 (I think. Looks like somebody had a toner explosion all over this form so it's very hard to make out) My separation code is KFS and my reentry code is 3 Not sure what all this means as I don't really understand "legalese" type stuff so I'm not sure where this leaves me. Can somebody offer some insight into the best way to proceed forward?

so things get better and better, or is that worse and worse... I think I might actually have to go and get my discharge upgraded from PD to something else and apparently I'm up against the 15 year statute of limitations for the army records review board. Depending on when my discharge date was in either 99 or 2000 (I don't recall exactly) Wish my DD214 would hurry up and get here. I kinda went ballistic last friday once I started reading about how the military uses PD to cut you off at the knees as far as healthcare and compensation are concerned. Ended up talking to a crisis response team and a few police officers. I'm getting some mixed signals from people. On the one hand I have the VA telling me that I can submit my DD214 to them for consideration of a waiver for healthcare not sure how it would affect a compensation claim and my psychiatrist is thinking that I should be able to get diagnosed as ptsd by the va and then be able to file a claim. I'm not sure who or what to believe. Wish my head would stop spinning.

I think I read somewhere, possibly here, that VA doesn't have to lend any weight to an SSA finding of disability? and as far as I'm aware SSDI is either you're disabled or not, there aren't any degrees of disability with SSA like there are with the VA. I could be wrong so best to check with people more knowledgeable. Jason

That is helpful Motherof3. Wish I could get rid of this crap in my head I'm so tired of carrying this stuff around. Truth is always nice just wish people would stop distorting it

I do recall reading a thread here where the argument was raised that I was presumed fit for duty for the service and also recieved a security clearance. Could this possibly help me head off a potential problem?