ptsd Help On Applying For Increase Of Ptsd

[101airborne]

Hello, I am currently applying to increase my rating due to a worsening of my symptoms. I am current;y rated 50 percent. I talked to my VSO today and we decided to start the process. I currently see a psycologist once a week and he recomended that I apply for more compensation and he will write a letter on my behalf. I am about to lose my job because I can no longer function in a work place environment. Some mornings I dont even want to get out of bed. With the advice I have been given so far, I should get a letter from my boss stating that he is contemplated firring me because of

inability to concentrate.

1. irritability

2. unable to take orders

3. lack of motivation

I am also getting a letter from a former pastor that has known me for 10 years and who has talked me out of sucide multiple times.

I have been on 6 anti-depressents and 3 different sleeping pills. My wife divorced me.

I am seeking 100 percent with unemployment and I would love for anyone to tell me anything that can help me with this process and my new c&p I will have to go through.

I am rated 10 percent for a wrist fracture and 10 percent for tinnitus, 50 percent for ptsd = 60%

If someone wants to email me or write on here that would be great.

[Josephine]

Hello, I am currently applying to increase my rating due to a worsening of my symptoms. I am current;y rated 50 percent. I talked to my VSO today and we decided to start the process. I currently see a psycologist once a week and he recomended that I apply for more compensation and he will write a letter on my behalf. I am about to lose my job because I can no longer function in a work place environment. Some mornings I dont even want to get out of bed. With the advice I have been given so far, I should get a letter from my boss stating that he is contemplated firring me because of

inability to concentrate.

1. irritability

2. unable to take orders

3. lack of motivation

I am also getting a letter from a former pastor that has known me for 10 years and who has talked me out of sucide multiple times.

I have been on 6 anti-depressents and 3 different sleeping pills. My wife divorced me.

I am seeking 100 percent with unemployment and I would love for anyone to tell me anything that can help me with this process and my new c&p I will have to go through.

I am rated 10 percent for a wrist fracture and 10 percent for tinnitus, 50 percent for ptsd = 60%

If someone wants to email me or write on here that would be great.

Welcome to Hadit,

My opinion is being that you are already rated at 50% for PTSD, and seeing your Psychologist once a week.

Does your Psychologist feel that your symtoms are worse? Is he a VA Psychologist?

If he does, have him write a letter for you to this effect and the reasons he feels your illness has increased.

Have him also place in the letter your job situation, does he also know this.

If your pastor knows of your suicide attempts does your Psychologist?

Have you been seeing the same psychologist for some time?

I know that is a lot of questions, and I am sorry for that.

Josephine

[101airborne]

my psycologist does, he is the one that says that I should apply for more compensation and recomended me to the vso. He will write a letter for me.

he works at the vet center for the VA so he is a VA psycologist.

He does know of my job situation

my psycologist does not know of my sucide attempts because I do not want to be hospitalized. Does the sucide intentions really matter? By the way, Im not going to comit sucide, I have no intentions and I am trying to get help.

I've been seeing this psycologist for 4 months. I was shuffled around before that and I've seen multiple psycologist and social workers.

hope this helps

[rentalguy1]

Know where you stand in the rating criteria prior to filing your claim for increase, then ask for that specific rating. Be sure that your symptoms that meet the rating criteria you specify are in your records. From what you have said, I believe you would meet the 70% rating criteria, but not higher.

You will need a single rating of 60%, or a combined rating of 70% with at least one rating at 40% or higher to be eligible for individual unemployability. There are exceptions to this, but that is the criteria. You will also need to be unemployed (pretty much at the time of filing the claim), or it will be denied. Also, if you find yourself unemployed, be sure to file for social security benefits.

You should also file for any secondary conditions that are caused by your service connected conditions, such as side effects that your medication might cause. Good luck!

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

[Josephine]

my psycologist does, he is the one that says that I should apply for more compensation and recomended me to the vso. He will write a letter for me.

he works at the vet center for the VA so he is a VA psycologist.

He does know of my job situation

my psycologist does not know of my sucide attempts because I do not want to be hospitalized. Does the sucide intentions really matter? By the way, Im not going to comit sucide, I have no intentions and I am trying to get help.

I've been seeing this psycologist for 4 months. I was shuffled around before that and I've seen multiple psycologist and social workers.

hope this helps

By all means have your psychologist write the letter for you describing how your symptoms have increased and what they are.

If you meds have changed or increased, be sure he places this in his letter also and how the meds effect you and your daily life.

Having thoughts of sucide will not necessary place you in the hospital, but he definitely needs to know this.

If you want to get the letter from your employer, show it to you doc also and he can comment on this to.

If he feels you are no longer employable due to your illness, ask him to write this in is letter also.

With this type of letter, I see no reason, for you not to receive your 100% unemployable.

Hope this helps and the letter from your Pastor would be ideal also.

I am sure others will have opinions for you also.

It sounds like you have things pretty much squared away.

Remember this is only my opinion, for I do not have the knowledge of a service officer.

Always,

Josephine

[101airborne]

thanks for the info rentalguy1 and josephine. Anymore info would be greatly appreciated. One big concern for me is if i should get fired or quit. Either way, I can't work with people anymore but it just puts you in a tough financial position, you know. I can barley survive with my 60% but i belive it is possible. My vso said it didnt really matter if i was working or not when we started the claim but if yall think it makes a difference, maybe it is something i should think about before we get started with it. thanks

[iraqx2]

You have a very good case of an increase. I would first get copies of the medical report. Review it and hopefully, your shrink was noting everything properly. That is so vital. I take it that it has been over a year since your rating was granted? If not, an NOD can be filed. Others can chime in on what avenue to take to get your increase.

Best of luck.