How Do I Get A Higher % Rating? Elders?

[freddie]

I have a gaf of 50 and this is giving me a 50% pension my rating was done in 1997 with a previous one in 1995 and at that time the doc said i was bipolar then changed his mind and said alcoholism and depression in 97 the doc disagreed and said that was wrong and i had lived under this miss diagnosis i am now fighting my case once again with a current gaf of 50 can i expect an increase? i have only been able to work sporactically for 12 years i have also spent 5 and 1/2 years in an alternative treatment program the va has documentation for 3 and 1/2 years so what i am asking is will i get this case won? can you help me? thank you

freddie

[Johnny K.]

Freddie,

I just got my service connected PTSD rated at 0% by a Decision Review Officer and I have a GAF of 55.

I am wondering where the rating percentage comes from. I read the hadit.com faq's but must have missed 0% somewhere.

Thanks,I need an answer, too.

Doc Johnny K.

Edited September 20, 2007 by Johnny K.

[Jay Johnson]

PTSD is very subjective and GAFs are typically only used AGAINST you and not for you....you have to focus on the supporting evidence and the criteria listed in the regs for each rating percentage.

[Johnny K.]

PTSD is very subjective and GAFs are typically only used AGAINST you and not for you....you have to focus on the supporting evidence and the criteria listed in the regs for each rating percentage.

Dear Jay,

Just where in the regulations can I find that kind of info. Right now I am baffled by the b.s.

But, at least, the DRO told my wife and I we "did a good job" at end of the hearing.

Thanks,

Doc Johny K.

[Jay Johnson]

9440 Chronic adjustment disorder

General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders:

Total occupational and social impairment, due to such symptoms as: gross impairment in thought processes or communication; persistent delusions or hallucinations; grossly inappropriate behavior; persistent danger of hurting self or others; intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene); disorientation to time or place; memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name 100

Occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood, due to such symptoms as: suicidal ideation; obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical, obscure, or irrelevant; near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively; impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with periods of violence); spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including work or a worklike setting); inability to establish and maintain effective relationships 70

Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to such symptoms as: flattened affect; circumstantial, circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment of short- and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned material, forgetting to complete tasks); impaired judgment; impaired abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships 50

Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due to such symptoms as: depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions, recent events) 30

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 continuous medication 10

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 0

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Your evaluation needs to meet the criteria listed in one of the above categories (or at least mostly so) in order to reach that level of disability.

Edited September 20, 2007 by Jay Johnson

[Johnny K.]

9440 Chronic adjustment disorder

General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders:

Total occupational and social impairment, due to such symptoms as: gross impairment in thought processes or communication; persistent delusions or hallucinations; grossly inappropriate behavior; persistent danger of hurting self or others; intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene); disorientation to time or place; memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name 100

Occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood, due to such symptoms as: suicidal ideation; obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical, obscure, or irrelevant; near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively; impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with periods of violence); spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including work or a worklike setting); inability to establish and maintain effective relationships 70

Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to such symptoms as: flattened affect; circumstantial, circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment of short- and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned material, forgetting to complete tasks); impaired judgment; impaired abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships 50

Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due to such symptoms as: depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions, recent events) 30

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 continuous medication 10

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 0

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Your evaluation needs to meet the criteria listed in one of the above categories (or at least mostly so) in order to reach that level of disability.

Thanks Jay,

That was quick research! I will look it up in context. Is it listed in the VA mental disorder descriptions?

Doc Johnny K.

[Jay Johnson]

Thanks Jay,

That was quick research! I will look it up in context. Is it listed in the VA mental disorder descriptions?

Doc Johnny K.

That's pretty much everything on the ratings criteria...you can look it up for yourself here (it's in Ch. 4). It's not the end all be all of getting the rating you want, but it's a good guideline for what they're looking for......