Pd/personality Disorders

[Rockhound]

I'm not at all sure that the PD I was given in 1974 conformed to DSM I/II or any other diagnostic manual of that time. I have been unable to determine what was used to define the type of PD I was given.

My PD read thusly: "Personality Disorder, Inadequate type, associated with inadequate educational experience."

As far as I can dissern today, it does not conform to the DSM IV. Does this fact give me any grounds to reopen a claim since my current psychiatrist has stated in my medical records in the progress notes, that she can not see, by her own observations, medical records, and from results of a MMPI-II test, that I do not have any know personality disorder that she knows of.

It is said that, Personality disorders are long-term patterns of thoughts and behaviors and as far as I can find out, their is no cure, although psychotheripy and medication can supposedly lesson the symptoms.

I their is no cure and I'm told I don't have one now, Then how could I have had a PD in the first place?

Rockhound B)

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[Rockhound]

If she says you don't have a PD, and do have a medical mental disorder then you should be able to reopen the claim. Will she draw a conclusion that the disorder you have now is the same one you had in service?

Problem there. She went on maternaty leave. She is the second Psychiatrist to do so, the first one did not want to come back full time right away and the VA wouldn't let her come back part time. Now I am in limbo for a Psychiatrist. If I am given a new one, it's going to take time to get the both of us to trust one another, to be of any help in my claim. Maybe things will work out.

Rockhound Rider

[Hoppy]

Rock,

This is a complex issue that can only result in service connection by getting a shrink to write reports that your condition today is either the same as what you had in the service or that the inservice symptoms were early symptoms of what what you have now. You need to establish a nexus.

Shooting down the in service diagnosis of PD is a piece of cake because as you say the VA is required to evaluate disabilities by the criteria in the DSM IV. The rest of this paragraph contains points brought to my attention by VA shrinks. Many personality disorders that were listed in the earlier DSM's were dropped because the diagnostic criteria was to vague. Many of the the military shrinks diagnoses of PD were inadaquate because they were based on a single interview.

The hard part is establishing symptomplogy in the service that can be linked to a current condition. Veterans who I know that were able to win this type of claim had several notations of symptoms while in the military. They also had records of symptoms after discharge when after a review of the entire history the shrink was able to determine that there is a link to the current condition. I know of several people who were able to win claims 25 to 30 years after discharge. Some used VA shrinks. Some used private doctors. The PD's were changed to anxiety disorder or PTSD with in service stressors. There are other diagnoses that will work.

The VA pulled every trick out of the book to battle the claims. However, with strong medical evidence and a long fight they won their claims. C&P examiners favorite trick was to say that you have no significant mental disability at this time. The other trick is to continue the PD diagnosis.

There is no way for me to predict whether or not you can win this claim. It depends on the evidence of record and your ability to find a shrink who will go to bat for you. My preference is to use VA shrinks if you can find one who will battle for you. I know of two people who got favaroble reports in the last year from VA shrinks. I know of one who got a favorable report from a VA shrink about seven years ago.

If you have a current diagnosis or can get one, file the claim and get a good SO. You probably have enough evidence to cause the VA to schedule a C&P to resolve the issues in this claim. However, I do not recommend that you rely on the C&P process. If you can find a shrink to go to bat for you then the C&P will have to rebutt your doctor to shoot it down. VA C&P examiners do not like taking on other VA doctors who previously wrote opinions based on numerous visits and test results.

Edited June 30, 2008 by Hoppy