ptsd Mental Health Intake

[donews]

I grabbed the most recent medical records when I was at the VAMC today.

It contained the information from my mental health intake consult (even tho the roi person said I was not allowed to have my metal health records with prior doctors consent.)

It has a section for diagnosis and reads as follows:

Axis I: Major Depression, r/o Depression secondary to dementia

Axis II: deferred

Axis III: see list above

Axis IV: no psychosocial stressors at this time

Axis V: 49-51

Does any of this make sense to anyone?

If so please help me understand.

She also stated somewhere in there that further evaluation was waranted to decided if I had a PTSD.

I had another appointment with a Mental Health since then, but those records were not included in this packet.

[donews]

Hotcoffee1

As for the Dementia, that one intake is the only time it has ever been mentioned. And she never mentioned it to me, it just is in the record.

During the latest mental health appointment I had in Jan 2008 with my actuall assigned doc, she never mentioned Dementia.

Well the C&P examiner in 2006 assesed my GAF at 52.

The regular primary care Mental Health intake person gave me a GAF of 49-51 in 2007.

I have no clue as to what my assigned mental health doc gave me in Jan 2008 until I get the records. I will post an update here when I get them. It will be interesting if she puts everything she said in the record.

During my 1st (and only so far) appointment with her in Jan 2008, she did say that I had a low GAF and I had symptoms of a PTSD but she couldn't say at that time that it met some sort of definition for something or another. She also stated that it was clear to her that I had Major Depression that was directly related to my service in Nam and had been aggrivated by my SC heart diseases and other SC medical problems as well as chronic pain and the death of my wife. She said it was clear to her from my records that I had in service stressors, whatever that means.

Its all odd to me that the C&P doc blamed my depression on my Heart Conditions (Which finally under appeal my Heart Conditions became Service Connected). The Intake mental health nurse seems to say it has something to do with my medical problems and or dementia. And the newest person in the dance said it is service and health related.

Thank you all for the help with the jargon. Every little bit helps me to understand some more of what they are saying. I will post more updates as I get the records.

[tssnave]

D,

Here's my favorite version of the GAF scale and interestingly enough, the VA is supposed to use it.

http://www.desertpacific.mirecc.va.gov/gaf...-scale-6-07.pdf

However, my C&P exam stated that I

A) had no work activities, which would put me at 30 for Occupational

:) had some difficulty sustaining coherent conversation, which would be around 45

C) had suicidal thoughts, squarely at 50

If you added up the three areas and divided by 3 to get an overall average GAF I should have been given a GAF of 42 which would have perhaps gone a long way to the VA considering me for 70% out of the shoot. However, I got a 49 and was rated 50% despite the examiner stating I was 100% impaired because I can't work due to symptoms of my sc bipolar disorder so I'm in the NOD line trying to get 70% and IU.

Anyway, hope this helps. At least you will know how it is they are supposed to assign the GAF. Now, whether or not they do is really just luck of the draw with the shrink you talk to. And, FTR, I thought I got a fair shake from my C&P shrink even though I think she was a bit high on the GAF.

Good luck with your claim. Keep us posted on its progress.

Thanks,

TS

[tssnave]

Anybody know how to get the smirky little smiley face guy :) to NOT appear when you type "" [capital letter B and a right closed end parenthesis] it annoys me.

Thanks,

TS

Edited February 16, 2008 by tssnave

[tssnave]

Hotcoffee,

I'm still thinking "deferred" may mean they haven't decided one way or the other on the PD issue for donews.

This is from the DSM-IV-TR section on Axis II posted at Barnes and Nobel at this link http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearc...nly=EXC&z=y

"If no Axis II disorder is present, this should be coded as V71.09. If an Axis II diagnosis is deferred, pending the gathering of additional information, this should be coded as 799.9."

What do you think?

Thanks,

TS

[donews]

I will be keeping you posted as I get more information / records.

One new question that I have is:

Should I go ahead and roll with the reopening the original Depression claim, seeing as the original C&P Examiner said it was Heart Disease related so they denied it, but now I won my 3 year battle for Service Connected for my Heart Diseases so I could claim it as secondary to the Heart Disease?

or

Should I wait a while and see if I get a PTSD thingy ma jiggy from the Mental Health people and then ask for depression as secondary to the PTSD instead of the HEart Disease?

Hope that all makes sense. Sometimes I don't make sense to myself.

[Tbird]

when you post before you push add reply above will be a section that says posts options uncheck Enable emoticons.

Anybody know how to get the smirky little smiley face guy :) to NOT appear when you type "" [capital letter B and a right closed end parenthesis] it annoys me.

Thanks,

TS