Va Psych Exam

[Nekoiinu]

Hello,

After reading this site for awhile, I thought that maybe someone could help me understand something. Below I put what was on my MEB by my doctor while I was active duty. The ARMY retired me medically at 50% for an axis I mental disorder of Delusional Disorder. I had the DAV at Ft. Carson help me with my VA claim, and all went well and rather rapidly. I filed on 13 July, and got my exam date on 20 August. I went to The Denver clinic about a week ago and talked to the doctor there. He kept trying to tell me that my real problem is that I am bipolar. I kind of disagree with that. I have read on here of some strange things happening like that, so maybe someone with more knowledge can help me understand why they would try to change it to bipolar. Or would he be trying to say that bipolar would by default concidered in this due to the other symptoms? Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Axis I

1. Delusional Disorder, Persecutory Type, treated with some improvement, moderate predisposition, as manifested by delusions of being plotted against, poisoned, and persecuted; auditory and visual hallucinations are episodic and brief in duration

EPTS: No Line of Duty: Yes Impairment for further military duty: Marked Impairment for social and industrial adaptability: Severe

2. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, chronic, moderate, treated with some improvement

EPTS: Yes, not aggravated by service Line of Duty: No Impairment for further.military duty: Minimal Impairment for social and industrial adaptability: Definite

3. Dysthymic Disorder, chronic, moderate, treated with some improvement

EPTS : Yes, not aggravated by service Line of Duty: No Impairment for further military duty: Minimal Impairment for social and industrial adaptability: Definite

Axis II

Personality Disorder NOS (Paranoid, Avoidant, Schizotypal)

Axis III

See MEB

Axis IV

Moderate stress related to adjustment to active duty service, being accused of sexual harassment

Axis V

35

[Berta]

I dont see bi polar mentioned in the write up- that gaf is low-

I think- since Axis 1 is so strong for "Marked impairment for Social and Industrial impairment : severe" and you already have the 50% from the MEB- that this is enough to SC you-

it doesn't matter as far as comp amount or rating goes-what they call the mental disorder.

Then again I think Bi polar has gotten more attention these days and has become a well understood mental disorder but "delusional disorder, etc" is not something most people would quite understand.

Also the diagnosis is what determines the meds and treatment program and I am not a doc so don't know if you should question the diagnosis or not.

Your inservice nexus has been established (the MEB) so if I were you I would -if you are not working- file for TDIU and SSA disability benefits.

[john999]

Delusional disorder sounds like another name for paranoid schizophrenia. Paranoid schizophrenia has a much worse prognosis that bipolar disorder. The VA may be trying to talk it down into something that will mean less compensation.

[Nekoiinu]

I dont see bi polar mentioned in the write up- that gaf is low-

I think- since Axis 1 is so strong for "Marked impairment for Social and Industrial impairment : severe" and you already have the 50% from the MEB- that this is enough to SC you-

it doesn't matter as far as comp amount or rating goes-what they call the mental disorder.

Then again I think Bi polar has gotten more attention these days and has become a well understood mental disorder but "delusional disorder, etc" is not something most people would quite understand.

Also the diagnosis is what determines the meds and treatment program and I am not a doc so don't know if you should question the diagnosis or not.

Your inservice nexus has been established (the MEB) so if I were you I would -if you are not working- file for TDIU and SSA disability benefits.

[Testvet]

given the fact you were medically retired due to it, does it matter what they call it, the VA is going to have to rate it and with a GAF of 35 you should either get 70% TDIU or the 100% schedular yes and like Berta stated file for SSD immediately using your medical retirement papers and their medical records they will use the last day of active service for the last day you worked even if you were on terminal leave etc as long as you were being paid you worked even if you were out on sick days or regular vacation and SSD has a 5 month no work window nefore benefits start so if you got out in July evebn if SSA approves the SSD claim it won't take effect until Jan and they pay a month behind of your check would come the week of your birthday in February SSA has a deal now instead of the 3rd of the month they issue checks the 1,2,3 and 4th Wednesdays of every month and yours will be close to your birthday like mine is the 25th so I got my check on the 22nd as it was the 4th Wednesday in August. It sounds like the system is working right for you at least. good luck with the VARO and SSA

[Nekoiinu]

I dont see bi polar mentioned in the write up- that gaf is low-

I think- since Axis 1 is so strong for "Marked impairment for Social and Industrial impairment : severe" and you already have the 50% from the MEB- that this is enough to SC you-

it doesn't matter as far as comp amount or rating goes-what they call the mental disorder.

Then again I think Bi polar has gotten more attention these days and has become a well understood mental disorder but "delusional disorder, etc" is not something most people would quite understand.

Also the diagnosis is what determines the meds and treatment program and I am not a doc so don't know if you should question the diagnosis or not.

Your inservice nexus has been established (the MEB) so if I were you I would -if you are not working- file for TDIU and SSA disability benefits.

I am not sure if I am replying correctly. I am new to this interface. Thank you for answering my post. I did apply for SSA, but I have been trying to understand how to file for TDIU. I still dont understand how a VA doctor can take a MEB file with a decision of a 50% medical retirement, accompanied with a 2 or 2 1/2 inch thick psych file, and just change it. Can they really do that?

I did not quite understand this part of the post (it doesn't matter as far as comp amount or rating goes-what they call the mental disorder) Does that mean that the marked and severe comments on my social/industrial are really what they are looking at rather the name of the disorder that they are lableing me with? If that were the case, could the VA doctor also change my social/industrial imparement as well? Would'nt the person who is doing the final rating raise an eyebrow if he or she were to see the Army giving 50% to an individual for something serious, and then the examining Va doctor changes it to something remarkably less? Thank you for taking the time to read this.

[Pete53]

Considering Axis 1 Diagnosis I think the Axis 3 Personality Disorder is completely bogus. Like Test and Berta said you have a good claim for 100% VA Disability no matter how they do it.

How old were you when you were discharged?