kent101

It was only a few months after being there they said I don't need more coping skills, though my treatment notes showed no improvement. What are veterans supposed to do when they aren't better but are told they don't need any more coping skills? Should the veteran keep going to therapy anyways when they're told nothing else needs to be done for coping skills?

I went to a Vet Center and I told them all the holistics, massage, meditation and things I'm doing to cope with PTSD. After that they said it sounds like I'm doing all the right things. I'm not better from my symptoms, I just know some things to do to cope with them. I'm not sure what the point of going to therapy is after that. You think that's a way the VA is trying to reduce ratings?

Is the VA going to try and lower a veteran's rating if the veteran stops going to therapy after the veteran has been told by a therapist that they don't need any more coping skills? At the next C&P exam couldn't the veteran say "the therapist told me I didn't need to come in anymore because I had all the coping skills I need".

I feel better, I had read they were trying to deny COLA as apart of the budget cuts. Over the last three years I'm paying an extra $2000 a year on rent and food alone.

If a Veterans gets TDIU that 100% rating makes the Veteran eligible for college loan forgiveness. When a college loan is forgiven it counts as income and must be filed on a tax return. Since a Veteran isn't allowed to make above poverty level could college loan forgiveness cause the VA to misinterpret the income reporting requirement as possible work and propose reduction in TDIU? Say the Veteran was forgiven $30,000 and reported it to the IRS. Now the IRS has on file that the Veteran made $30,000 that year. When the VA checks Social Security records and sees the Veteran reported $30,000 in income while on TDIU couldn't they interpret that as the Veteran having worked? Anyone ever hear of any problems with this?

I blanked out some things I didn't want the VA to know about in my private psychiatrist notes. They accepted them, it said so in my award letter. The Vet Center therapy doesn't show up on myhealthvet, I checked. You have to sign an authorization to release those to the VA.

This therapist told me I could talk to his supervisor when I canceled our therapy. Makes me wonder if the supervisor doesn't care what this therapist does? I was going to report this therapist to the state but it appears this therapist isn't licensed with the state. I guess it's because the Vet Center is a federal job and they don't require state licensing? These notes aren't recorded with the VA so I'll just blank out with a marker what I don't want them to see if I use them at the next C&P exam. The Vet Center doesn't share with the VA unless authorized.

I don't know, but I do know the therapist was doing a hatchet job on me. My character was maligned in the treatment notes. The notes claimed I'm "naturally(personality)" negative and "Clearly never had any close relationships in life". I was already service connected for PTSD before ever seeing this therapist. I dumped the therapist and changed to a new one.

They say it's "pyramiding" to separate mental disorders. It's OK as long as you get an increase for more symptoms.

Thanks, I was already SC'd for PTSD during my last C&P exam by a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist is a veteran and has PTSD too.

It's hurt my trust in the Vet Center. I thought you could open up more there without it coming back to haunt you, apparently not. I need those treatment notes for my next C&P whenever that may be. I now know that I can't stray from the topic of my PTSD because the therapist can use anything I say against me. From now on all I'm talking about is PTSD symptoms and nothing more.

The therapist said it's not their place to be judgemental and they can't diagnose. Yet in the treatment notes the therapist said it's in my "nature" to a have a certain emotion. Isn't that a slick way of not diagnosing but implying that it's my "personality". No, the emotion started after my PTSD got worse, it's not "natural" to me. Then the therapist claimed I didn't need any more coping techniques when I was never asked what my coping techniques are. I'm highly rated for PTSD. The way I see it the therapist was judgemental and indirectly trying to pin me with a personality disorder. The VA doesn't have access to those notes. I'll fix my situation by getting a new therapist.

Thanks, that's what I suspect is going on. It seems the therapist is trying to create a long list of making it look like I'm getting better and better when nothing has changed. Thankfully the VAMC doesn't have access to those notes. I'll change therapist.

I'm SC'd for PTSD. The Vet Center doesn't share information with the VAMC unless I authorize it. It doesn't hurt as long as I keep those notes private. It seems deliberate when a therapist makes something up about my childhood when my childhood was never discussed.

It's a counselor with less than a PH.D. Yes, the counselor wrote that I had problems my entire life establishing relationships. That's not true and I can easily prove it. It's annoying because it invalidates that my problems with relationships started because of PTSD.

The therapist claimed I had problems establishing relationships my entire life when we never discussed anything about my life before I joined the military.

What do you do to correct records when a therapist lies?

I currently just take breaks without telling my employer about it. If they found out I would be fired because my breaks aren't a "reasonable accommodation". If I did get caught and fired without telling my employer about my disability then am I causing myself trouble if I can't work anymore because of my service connected disabilities? Because the form is going to ask my employer how my disabilities interfered with my employment. Does the VA expect veterans to tell employers about their disabilities?

Thanks.

Thanks.

If I do I'll get the doctors note saying I can't work and the VOC Rehab letter.

My VSO sent me the letter earlier this year.

I'll do my best to stay employed.

I never got an award letter in the mail. I didn't get a c&p exam copy.

If I was to quit my job and just got PTSD at 70% 6 months ago should I file for TDIU or NOD for 100%?