medman6107

I have started that, I also set up an appointment with a VSO. I am just thankful I can get help, they actually said I should of never been told that I would have to pay for my treatment. I wonder if there was something wrong with my initial claim because the people I talked to were specifically at the Waco regional office but the Salt Lake regional office handled my claim for some reason. That could be normal for the VA

Kind of a longstory but I really need to know what my next steps should be. I started my va claim in 2010 and the the va kind of ruled against me but it's a complicated story: In 2010 I make my va claim for ptsd due to me having to quit my job at the VA because of anxiety attacks when seeing any burned patient I go through one on one inital screening and then sent to group lessons. I get to a point where a one on one eval is scheduled and I am asked to fill out a specific sheet to document my military PTSD causes. I send the sheets off Well a week before my eval I have to reschedule due to my son having surgery and even offer to send the VA prrof he is having surgery, lady tells me theres no reason I should recieve a new eval appointment in the mail. Next I go to schedule a new group session and the clerk tells me I may need to pay for my treatment, and if I'm audited I will need to pay for past treatment. I believed her even though I never heard of that the two months I worked for the VA. When I received that statement I called the va to verify they recieved the paper work I sent off, they say no. I tell them there must be an issue where it was lost by va personel or the mail service. I also mention that I have not recieved my new eval appointment in the mail, this time a man states that I can send off new forms and I should recieve aan eval apopointment in the mail, he will note it on my record. Next day..... Get ready to mail off new sheets this time certified mail but stop by my mail boc. Rejection letter from va due to missing eval appointmnet and them not recieving the paperwork. Obviously ptsd and depression are brother and sister, everything is sucked out of me and I quit, Do not even have the want to file an appeal because I was lied to by a few people. So I just have dealt with it on my own for four years and I have done a pretty bad job at it. Last Friday ... Open up mail box 4 years later VA says we're reevaluatiing your claim please send us evidence in the next 30 days to prove your claim. I have no idea what to do . Do i send in the paper they sent me checking off to wait the full 30 days so that I can gather evidence? Is this normal? Is this a diability increase eval? Now here is kind of my life right now with ptsd: I have to sit facing the front door of public places at all times I make a point to stand behind anyone I feel is sketch , this is mostly due to my time with the Iraqi Army I hate crowds I am essentially a hermit where I once was seen as the life of the party type of guy I still get anxiety attacks when I see burn victims I have called into my job at least 20 times in the last six months because of getting no sleep at all The nights I have no sleep is due to my mind running through some of my dramatic experiences (these do not play out like flashbacks) I sleep on the couch most nights due to me feeling paranoid and that if anyone comes through my door I am there to meet them An average night sleep is 4 hours for me I wake to any sound it's worse when I am not in my livingroom in the fromnt of my house I have attacked my wife when she has grabbed me in sleep and dont realize it Although it has gotten better in four years I still go through random periods of crying. I have had to leave the industry that I want to work in(Medical) and give up on my dream of helping people with medical issues due to my inability to handle situations So now documentation: I can type a sworn statement My wife can type a sworn statement I am a hermit now, so I have only kept in contact with one person I served with and they can make a sworn statement I can prove I performed air rescue operations during hurricane Katrina and there is a news clipping stating where I served in Iraq and one news clipping talking about a mass cal event I went through in Iraq. That it: Is that enough? Will I be punished for not being able to afford treatment through these last four yeares? My only source of treatment is at the va in group sessions and one 1-1 therapy session What should my next step be? **400+ missions through two tours and not one incident of direct fire, all trauma as a medic that I did see was during hurricane katrina and 90% Iraqi women and children, most were burn victims.** Sorry for such a long first topic

This is going to be a wall of text about my story through the VA system and where I'm at right now. along with Questions at the end So I started my PTSD VA claim in late 2010 early 2011, I wasn't even going to file for a claim until I was told to by a va psychiatrist, hell he even told me he's not supposed to make that recommendation. I had such bad issues that I even worked for the VA and had to leave them and the medical field due to anxiety attacks at seeing burned patients. Although I did 400+ patrol missions in Iraq as a medic over two tours, I never witnessed or came under direct fire. What I did see and treat were plenty of Burned Iraqi women and children and american civilians floating in the waters of new Orleans during hurricane katrina rescue operations. That's the short version.... During my claim I had one private session with a counselor and the rest group sessions, I was asked to mail in some sheets documenting what I had seen in relation to ptsd and also had a one on one eval set up. My child needed surgery so I called to reschedule the appointment and the person over the phone stated I would receive a new appointment in the mail. Two weeks after that I am setting up a new round of group sessions and the lady up front tells me that I am probably going to have to start paying for my sessions, and if I'm audited I would have to pay for past appointments. I then called the VA's contact us number to find out the status of the appointment and the paperwork I sent in. Well two things there is no indication that I was ever given a reappointment and they didn't receive the paperwork. I then asked the operator can he note that I have called to inquire about these and the paperwork must have been lost by someone at the VA or the mail service. He agrees and says it wont be an issue. The next day as I'm going to mail out new statements I get a package in the mail saying claim is denied due to not receiving the paperwork and missing the one on one evaluation. I call them again and was told there's really not any thing I can do. I give up, I cant afford to pay for therapy so I just try to function the best I can. Some of what I go threw now is : I always have to be facing the front door of any location I go into I sleep on the couch most nights due to some paranoia of something happening and a feeling I need to be in the livingroom because that's the best place to be to confront anything that happens I average about 4 hours a sleep a night due to constantly waking up at any sound I have become a hermit because I feel I cant relate to most people I dont talk about being a veteran with anybody because I don't want to answer questions I have probably missed 20 days of work in 6 months due to having no sleep, and I'm running out of excuses. This is due to my mind start wondering into reliving traumas I dealt with I have attacked my wife on numerous occasions from when she has grabbed me in my sleep If I think anyone looks shady I position my self behind them the same way I did with the Iraqi military I have lashed out and have tried to start fighs My wife would say I use to take her places to experience the world and now I just want to sit home She would also say I never socialize Crying bouts at randomn times I still start to have panic attacks when I see burn victims. (Yes it is specifically burn victims) Well last week I get a letter in the mail 4 years later with the VA asking for more evidence and submit it in 30 days or else my claim will be decided. I'm still in shock and have no idea where to begin or why I received this. I have not sought treatment since the VA blew me off so my only records will be there from four years ago over a 2 month period, Is that going to be good enough? I can type a sworn statement My wife can type a sworn statement and since I'm kind of a hermit now I only talk to one person I served with and they can write a sworn statement I have some news articles about locations I was at along with a Mass cal that happened on my first day Iin Iraq that I took part in Will that be good enough for the VA? I do not want to be rejected again and would like to receive treatment, Is there anything else I should be looking into? I want to cover all my bases Thank you for your time, sorry if my first post is in the wrong area