Mountain Vet

Mine claim is in one notch ahead of yours, the same place as yours "Pending Decision Approval",  (for the same issue <PTSD> .  Mine has sat there for three days now.  Mine was in 'Preparation for Decision' phase for one day.  Research I have done shows it can sail to Prep for notification and then Notification real fast.....  or you can wait.  Stay tuff..  hang in there..  it's almost over.  For what it's worth I also think you will come in at 30-50%.  It's all good brother/sister..  Thanks for your service!
~MV

Mine claim is in one notch ahead of yours, the same place as yours "Pending Decision Approval",  (for the same issue <PTSD> .  Mine has sat there for three days now.  Mine was in 'Preparation for Decision' phase for one day.  Research I have done shows it can sail to Prep for notification and then Notification real fast.....  or you can wait.  Stay tuff..  hang in there..  it's almost over.  For what it's worth I also think you will come in at 30-50%.  It's all good brother/sister..  Thanks for your service!
~MV

Congratulations!!! 

Sounds like you will be good to go. Check out "Floatation therapy" in your area. 

I wish you the best with your claim  MV and that was pretty fast, let us know what hey decided.
take care brother
 
.........Buck

Mountain vet
I think you have an excellent chance getting rated for ptsd, with the stressor's you mention from your service in the middle east.
now how high of a rating is anybody's guess dealing with the VA

The social workers and even the Dr's ask if you ever tried to comment suicide or want to hurt others and if you said yes.
Then that raises a RED flag so-to speak and they are concerned for your safety as well as others & to hopefully cut down on veterans suicide's!

Contention/Conditions the Dr's state in there diagnoses, VA will rate your worse condition but take into consideration of the others which ever is evaluated the highest & from your stressors, and your condition as of now (what your service has caused you) means in my opinion you do have PTSD & for that you will be sent for a C&P exam. and then it will be sent to the Rater.

You need evidence and you have that, you have your SMR's ,Buddie statements from your unit and ''Specialist Doctors'' in this field of medicine to state your condition favorable to you that was likely as not caused by your military service.
usually a combat veteran don't need to prove his stressors but you will have to describe what happen. using the form 21-0781 its in the VA Web site in pdf just print a couple out & be sure to save all your copies of everything you send the VA.

Its up to you if you feel you need to see a private Psychologist For a independent medical opinion ( IMO) but they are expensive...if it was me I'd go with what you mention and if you need an IMO then get it.

You can look up your diagnose and see what it should be rated at if you have a Diagnosed Code the degree or level of your ptsd condition.
here on hadit

Now this would be totally up to you if you want to file a claim or not, as for as the fiduciary statement just check the box that says your competent to take care of your own finances.

Some veterans have PTSD They are so bad they can't take care of there self let alone their finances.

Not sure what your rated 20% for but this diagnose from what you mention looks pretty bad to me and possibly be rated at 100% but PTSD is a hard to get a high of a rated they turn over every stone and try to rate you lower than what you truly deserve...if you go ahead and file a claim and your either get denied or a low rating (we call it being low -balled) you can File a Notice of Disagreement (NOD) This only prolongs your claim but in the end you get what you deserve and you will have a early effective date......for more back pay when you win.


Also when we read these post some times the post is taken out of context for what the poster was pertinent to, I'm sure chuck75 meant well for you, he is a long time elder hadit member and has helped a lot of veterans, I apologize if his post offended you.
I can understand that.


I wish you the best my brother.


..........................Buck

It all sounds very positive to me. Good luck on the C & P. We have C & P PTSD forms here somewhere under a search to show you what to expect.