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

[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