Gaf 40 With Severe Depression

[ruby]

Does a gaf of 40 with severe depression?

Have my MRI of my nick back that shows severe bulging disc at 5 levels and 3 level with mild to moderate stenosis. `1 level is severe with cord compression. Should I put in for an increase.

I am SC for traumatic arthritis not ReA. The same complaints that had in the service is the same I have now but much worse.

Ruby

[otey2171]

Not sure about the question for depression.

I had a GAF of 40 and received 70% for depression.

The other stuff I have no clue.

[Josephine]

Ruby,

My GAF was 40 also with a 70% for Chronic Anxiety Severe.

Betty

[Testvet]

Ruby I am not sure about your GAF question either can you be more specific?

If your back is SC and it has gotten worse, I would file for an increase, especially if you have an MRI showing them specifically where the problems are

There are like 3 sections to your back Cervical C 1-5 or 7 not sure

then upper back don't know what they call it

lower back is called Lumbar I have 3 herniated disks L3 - L5/S1

They repaired L5/S1 in 1993 in 2004 they did another MRI showing L3 and L4 and L5/S1 were all herniated again and due to the severity of my heart disease I am not a candidate for back surgery so they give me percocet to help with the pain.

I was diagnosed with a GAF of 30-35 for 3 years when they awarded me 50% and on appeal they granted the 100% P&T with the second statement from my VA shrink stating that he considered me to be permanently and totally disabled just by my PTSD symptoms alone. Tjis was also after a letter in Dec 2004 to President Bush and the appeal was grnated 3 months after I wrote a letter to VP Cheney asking for his help since him and Rumsfeld were in Nixons white house when they used me at Edgewood Arsenal in the chemical weapons and drug experiments in 1974, and I felt my health problems were related to the exposures at Edgewood, either intentional experiments with WMDs or environmental exposures of the 77 toxins in the drinking water and soil of Edgewood.

In less than 90 days I was 100% P&T lol now ask me who I think is in charge?

[john999]

Testvet

A rating of 50% with a GAF of 30-35 is really a crime. They were just taking advantage of a sick veteran and thought they could get away with it. My buddy was on SSD and had a VA rating of 50% until he reopened his claim and quickly got TDIU and then was granted 100% schedular after his C&P. The VA takes advantage of us when we are really hurting. That is what gets me.

[Testvet]

they are worse than any ticks I have run into before, they do like you say take advantage of the vets illness to try and get them to accept less than they and their families deserve, and they are good at game playing, like trying to say I agreed to drop my heart claim when they awarded me the 100% for PTSD, why would I do that when the heart claim was dated a year prior in Nov 2002 and not Dec 2003, and on top of that the AL SO is the one who sat on my PTSD claim from July 2003 until I found it laying in my folder in Dec 2003 along with my appeal on my heart claim they denied back in July 2003, he cost us another 6 months of PTSD compensation, I am glad I revoked his POA and he retired in Jan 2004 he needed to go, sorry azz excuse for a rep for vets.

Edited June 25, 2008 by Testvet (see edit history)

[ruby]

The MRI results could be related to the ReA and they could deny an increase since I am not SC for that yet.

I am SC for traumatic arthritis due to an injury in service.

My neck MRI is bad, c3-c4-c5-c6 bulging with spurs with narrowing of foramen and spinal cord compression.

I was just wondering what a gaf of 40 could get me. I understand it really doesn't mean alot in the end its up to the rater.

Thanks

[Pete53]

Ruby you should be 100% no matter how they get there.

[ruby]

Pete

Thanks, I agree with you but the VA doesn't. I have been fighting trying to get the ReA SC for 3 years it seems I thought that since in service there is proof positive I had changes in my SI joints (found by accident) that it would have been a no brainer. Silly me, to think that. I keep asking for it the wrong way. I hope this time I have asked the right way.

I called and they said its with the rating team--no comp exam yet so it could be a big fat no.

The PTSD I have kept a secret for years until something made me go over the edge. Every week when I go to group, I just get mad that I let them ruin my life and my family's life by my temperment. I am ready to fight tooth and nail today for 100%, tomorrow it's where's my rock I've been hiding under for the last 30 years. I want to crawl under it again.

So I am good about doing things to further my claim after group for a couple of days and then its a struggle to even look at it. I am trying to get my ducks together so on one of those days I am pissed, I will send off my claim.

Ruby

[danang_1969]

Ruby,

My GAF was 40 also with a 70% for Chronic Anxiety Severe.

Betty

Don't know if this will make you feel any better. I started with a 45 GAF from C&P and got 30%. Treating VA doctor has consistently gave a

me a 32 with sever depression. I appealed a hearing loss, and other conditions that were denied in the orginal claim, TDUI, and in filed a NOD for an increase in in percentage in September 2007. I submitted treating doctors records on the 32 GAF, and IMO on my hearing and a ENT VA specalist records on the hearing loss. I was sent for another PTSD and hearing loss C&P in May of 08 and the VA is still working on it as we speak according to the 1-800 number. I have nearly been done in twice with VA prescribed medications that clashed. Ask me what I think about the system.

[ruby]

That's one of the reason's I asked the question, I did research the question first and I saw that people were getting 30-70%. If the gaf is there to help with a rating I can't see how it can differ by that much.

I was wondering why it is so different.

I hate to say this for fear it will come back on me. I think I have a decent rater after reviewing what I ask for in the past I can see how they denied it. If the wording is not right on, its a denial. I have been increase based on test results. I am hoping based on my previous results with this rater he will give me what the gaf indicates and not low ball me.

It really does suck how the VA raters are so different, there should be a system, where if you fall into a category that's what you get. The rater who is non medical (I mean either nurses or doctors) shouldn't have the ability to give you what he thinks you should get.

Thanks for the reply.

Betty,

Thanks for the replying hoping my rater does the same thing.

Ruby

[danang_1969]

That's one of the reason's I asked the question, I did research the question first and I saw that people were getting 30-70%. If the gaf is there to help with a rating I can't see how it can differ by that much.

I was wondering why it is so different.

I hate to say this for fear it will come back on me. I think I have a decent rater after reviewing what I ask for in the past I can see how they denied it. If the wording is not right on, its a denial. I have been increase based on test results. I am hoping based on my previous results with this rater he will give me what the gaf indicates and not low ball me.

It really does suck how the VA raters are so different, there should be a system, up where if you fall into a category that's what you get. The rater who is non medical (I mean either nurses or doctors) shouldn't have the ability to give you what he thinks you should get.

Thanks for the reply.

Betty,
Thanks for the replying hoping my rater does the same thing.

Ruby

Ruby as long as we have an avenue we need to keep on plugging and appealing. Each state is different on their ratings. Some states are very chinchy on their percentages. I saw a link of the percentage stats given by each state on hadit once. My state was next to the lowest and most chincy state giving a proper percentage rating. I have heard some comments that more things are considered other than GAF in a rating. GAF is the scale that accesses severity of a condition. Why wouldn't the GAF score not only matter it but have everything to do with the % rating given? I think sometimes when the vet makes the regional office angry or an individual in the regional office angry in an effort to get the benefits we have coming we get low-balled. If we ask for a congressional inquiry, file a NOD, anything along these lines, they feel we are questioning their authority or their integrity in the initial decision as a result we often will end up getting low-balled in our percentage or gettting put on the back burner with the burner off, in retaliation. Is it right, no, but appears to be the way it is. Edited June 26, 2008 by danang_1969 (see edit history)