Swag

Hi everyone . I was awarded 80% combine rating last year . 70% for my major depression . 10% for tinnitus, 10% for cervical strain and 10% for scoliosis. And 0% for migraine . I have been impatient to the mental hospital for about 10 day in Dec 2018 , and been on and off with mental health doctor appointment since thereafter , because I am worried that they gonna put me in hospital again . I have been diagnosed with PTSD apart from major depression . And my migraine has actually getting worse . I feel like 0 percentage for my migraine is under rated and I want to get my rating to 100% . But I have read online that people are saying when filling for increase , I could also get a decrease . And if I would file the increase , how should I go about ? Hire an attorney? Or use VSO ? or just do it myself ? Am really hoping someone would give me some advice and weight the pro and cons to help me make a decision . Any input would be appreciated.

Hi everyone, so this is a question and an update for everybody at same time . My claim has entered into preparation for decision last Friday , and I’m really nervous and excited at same time . I’m nervous of what they will rate me and excited that this claim is one step closer to get finished . Do you guys have a general idea how long will this phase take ? Thanks . I will keep update my status as it’s moving forward to give people an Idea of the timeline . Thanks

No , I don’t think so because I never saw combat . But I’ve been thru some scare situations that left me nightmares @Berta

Did you see the headache ? Do you think I’ll get something out of headaches ? @Buck52

1. Diagnosis ------------ a. Does the Veteran now have or has he/she ever been diagnosed with a mental disorder(s)? [X] Yes [ ] No If the Veteran currently has one or more mental disorders that conform to DSM-5 criteria provide all diagnoses: Mental Disorder Diagnosis #1: Major Depressive Disorder, with anxious distress Mental Disorder Diagnosis #2: Other Specified Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorder Mental Disorder Diagnosis #3: 3. Occupational and social impairment ------------------------------------- a. Which of the following best summarizes the Veteran's level of occupational and social impairment with regards to all mental diagnoses? (Check only one) [ ] No mental disorder diagnosis [ ] A mental condition has been formally diagnosed, but symptoms are not severe enough either to interfere with occupational and social functioning or to require continuous medication [ ] Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational tasks only during periods of significant stress, or; symptoms controlled by medication [ ] 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 [ ] Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and Productivity [X] Occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking and/or mood [ ] Total occupational and social impairment Veteran's diagnoses: [X] Depressed mood [X] Anxiety [ ] Suspiciousness [ ] Panic attacks that occur weekly or less often [ ] Panic attacks more than once a week [ ] Near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively [X] Chronic sleep impairment [ ] Mild memory loss, such as forgetting names, directions or recent events [ ] Impairment of short- and long-term memory, for example, retention of only highly learned material, while forgetting to complete tasks [ ] Memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name [X] Flattened affect [ ] Circumstantial, circumlocutory or stereotyped speech [ ] Speech intermittently illogical, obscure, or irrelevant [ ] Difficulty in understanding complex commands [ ] Impaired judgment [ ] Impaired abstract thinking [ ] Gross impairment in thought processes or communication [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 work like setting [X] Inability to establish and maintain effective relationships [X] Suicidal ideation [ ] Obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities [ ] Impaired impulse control, such as unprovoked irritability with periods of violence [ ] Spatial disorientation [ ] Persistent delusions or hallucinations [ ] Grossly inappropriate behavior [ ] Persistent danger of hurting self or others [ ] Neglect of personal appearance and hygiene [X] Intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living, including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene [ ] Disorientation to time or place It is at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) that these symptoms also incurred during military service. This is an opinion in regards to concurrently completed DBQ NEURO Headaches (including migraine headaches): MEDICAL OPINION REQUEST Does the Veteran have a diagnosis of (a) headaches that is at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) incurred in or caused by (the) headaches during service? OPINION: Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not (50/50 probability) caused by or a result of headaches noted in the service. RATIONALE: People with depression often experience headaches and other forms of chronic pain simultaneously. The depressed patient often presents a wide variety of complaints that can be categorized as physical, emotional, and psychic. The physical complaints include chronic pain and headaches. Review of veteran's strs revealed complaints of headache and a host of psychiatric complaints which prompted brain imaging and psychiatric evlauation. 1. Diagnosis ------------ Does the Veteran now have or has he/she ever been diagnosed with a headache condition? [X] Yes [ ] No [X] Migraine including migraine variants 3. Symptoms ----------- a. Does the Veteran experience headache pain? [X] Yes [ ] No [X] Pulsating or throbbing head pain [X] Pain on both sides of the head [X] Pain worsens with physical activity b. Does the Veteran experience non-headache symptoms associated with headaches? (including symptoms associated with an aura prior to headache pain) [X] Yes [ ] No [X] Nausea [X] Vomiting [X] Sensitivity to light [X] Sensitivity to sound [X] Changes in vision (such as scotoma, flashes of light, tunnel vision) c. Indicate duration of typical head pain [X] Less than 1 day d. Indicate location of typical head pain [X] Both sides of head 4. Prostrating attacks of headache pain --------------------------------------- a. Migraine / Non-Migraine- Does the Veteran have characteristic prostrating attacks of migraine / non-migraine headache pain? [ ] Yes [X] No 5. Other pertinent physical findings, complications, conditions, signs, symptoms and scars ----------------------------------------------------------------------- a. Does the Veteran have any other pertinent physical findings, complications, conditions, signs or symptoms related to any conditions listed in the Diagnosis Section above? [ ] Yes [X] No b. Does the Veteran have any scars (surgical or otherwise) related to any conditions or to the treatment of any conditions listed in the Diagnosis Section above? [ ] Yes [X] No c. Comments, if any: No response provided. 6. Diagnostic testing --------------------- Are there any other significant diagnostic test findings and/or results? [X] Yes [ ] No If yes, provide type of test or procedure, date and results (brief summary): NCHCT-negative it took a lot of your time to read this and thank you very much

Hi guys , thank you very much for replying me ,I am new to the va and have no idea what is going on , and i wanted to repy your posts but this site is little complicated to navigate around . thank you all for your time and if theres anything you think i need to know please just follow the post . thank you again and thank you for your service.

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1. Diagnosis ------------ a. Does the Veteran now have or has he/she ever been diagnosed with a mental disorder(s)? [X] Yes [ ] No If the Veteran currently has one or more mental disorders that conform to DSM-5 criteria provide all diagnoses: Mental Disorder Diagnosis #1: Major Depressive Disorder, with anxious distress Mental Disorder Diagnosis #2: Other Specified Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorder Mental Disorder Diagnosis #3: 3. Occupational and social impairment ------------------------------------- a. Which of the following best summarizes the Veteran's level of occupational and social impairment with regards to all mental diagnoses? (Check only one) [ ] No mental disorder diagnosis [ ] A mental condition has been formally diagnosed, but symptoms are not severe enough either to interfere with occupational and social functioning or to require continuous medication [ ] Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational tasks only during periods of significant stress, or; symptoms controlled by medication [ ] 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 [ ] Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and Productivity [X] Occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking and/or mood [ ] Total occupational and social impairment Veteran's diagnoses: [X] Depressed mood [X] Anxiety [ ] Suspiciousness [ ] Panic attacks that occur weekly or less often [ ] Panic attacks more than once a week [ ] Near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively [X] Chronic sleep impairment [ ] Mild memory loss, such as forgetting names, directions or recent events [ ] Impairment of short- and long-term memory, for example, retention of only highly learned material, while forgetting to complete tasks [ ] Memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name [X] Flattened affect [ ] Circumstantial, circumlocutory or stereotyped speech [ ] Speech intermittently illogical, obscure, or irrelevant [ ] Difficulty in understanding complex commands [ ] Impaired judgment [ ] Impaired abstract thinking [ ] Gross impairment in thought processes or communication [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 work like setting [X] Inability to establish and maintain effective relationships [X] Suicidal ideation [ ] Obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities [ ] Impaired impulse control, such as unprovoked irritability with periods of violence [ ] Spatial disorientation [ ] Persistent delusions or hallucinations [ ] Grossly inappropriate behavior [ ] Persistent danger of hurting self or others [ ] Neglect of personal appearance and hygiene [X] Intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living, including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene [ ] Disorientation to time or place It is at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) that these symptoms also incurred during military service.