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

[Nekoiinu]

The Schedule for ratings for mental disorders is at:

http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/bookc.html#q

Also -you can receive both VA comp and SSA disability at the same time-

I think you have to apply for SSA disability within five years of leaving service or last employer-

Veteran- you should NEVER be ashamed of whatever they diagnose you with.

I sure honor your service and this is a bonafide service connected disability- a sacrifice you suffer with due to your service.

Do you have a copy of the MEB report? If so how did you get it? from NARA?

The Mil sure dont pay and rate anyone at 50% MEB for a personality disorder-Axis one part one is your main disability.

I agree with John and Jay too-this seems more like schizophrenia, paranoid type and possibly with PTSD as well-

but whatever the VA diagnosis is -

it happened during service and they owe you compensation.

It saddens me that a diagnosis itself can get a vet down-

Most of the vets I know well here in NY are combat vets-not all are combat -but just about all of them have schizophrenia, manic bi polar, or PTSD, or depression and are all service connected for these disorders and some physical problems too.

And they are all brilliant and wonderful and should -in my opinion- like many of the men and women here with mental disorders-

be running the Veterans Administration and they could shape the place up real quick.

Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of.

Lewis Puller (CHesty's son) was a VA Central Office lawyer- catastrophically physically disabled from Vietnam and also the first to say he had major mental problems from the war.Audie Murphy- the decorated war hero had a fabulous movie career too- he also had Major issues due to PTSD.

One of my best friends is Bi polar manic-

when he finally won his VA claim after 12 years-

he wanted to thank me for my help by taking me to lunch -

in Ireland-!!!

Luckily the VA gave his wife control of his comp- otherwise he would have spent almost 200,000 in retro in a weekend

We laugh about his manic symptoms- he has learned to deal with them as well as the hesitance many have to get to know him- they think he is nuts-he is

far from nuts-----

the best kind of friend anyone could have.

I guess my long point is that-

mental disorder is not ones fault and it is nothing at all to be ashamed of.

No disability is.

Years ago one of the national magazines did a full photo story of Max Clelland in the nude-

This former Vietnam vet wanted people to see how his amputations looked and also how difficult it can be for amputees to do simple things sometimes-

it took him 2 hours to get ready to go to work everyday-

he worked as the Secretary of the Veterans Administration.

We should go back to Julius Caesar's times and treat all disabled veterans with the honor and respect they deserve.His disabled war vets often didnt want to even leave his military service.They never paid taxes again after the war campaigns,and their communities provided their food and all of their medical needs and extended them Honor their whole life.

Things sure have changed.

Mental illness is not a mark of lack of intelligence or anything else- it is just mental illness-

But A lot to deal with -especially when others dont have a clue about it.

We do have a clue here.

You found a good place to come to.

For what is is worth I put up a snapshot of the main part of the MEB decision. I left out all of the blah blah blah stuff. Sure you have seen them before. Thank you ever so much.

[Wings]

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Hello and Welcome! Glad your finding some helpful answers.

I've been out of the loop for awhile, but I have retained some recall of the MEB, PEB process.

Here's a link for anyone wanting to read up on the basics http://www.louisvillelaw.com/federal/physi...2.htm#topofpage

Keep in mind that the VA does tend to rate higher than the DOD.

ALSO, looks like DOD didn't rate some medical conditions becuase they did not render you UNFIT. The VA doesn't go by the "presumption of fitness" statue - that's why they can and do rate higher than the DOD.

~Wings

Edited August 25, 2007 by Wings

[Testvet]

Neo just remember we are like you some days are better than others, the vets here and family members are just working to help each other thru the process of dealing with the VAROs, there are many years of experience here and some really sharp people, someone here usually has an answer to a problem you might wait a day or two but someone will reply we just keep politics off the board lol, easier on the blood pressures

[Jay Johnson]

The military is almost always going to retire people at 50%, I'm sure they've rated people higher, but I've never seen it.