ptsd Psychiatrist Finally Got It

[huskerfanfl]

I have been going to the VA psychiatrist for two years now. This whole time I have been telling her that I do not like to be around people and have anxiety attacks when I get around too many people. In fact, sometimes it takes everything I got to leave the house. She has asked me before if I have thought about suicide (yes) thought about hurting others (yes). I also do not sit where I can not see what is going on around me and keep my eye on everybody when I do sit. At one time I told my psychologist that I cannot watch certain kinds of movies because they make me physically ill. I guess I confused them when I just applied for compensation for anxiety/depression, but my psychiatrist looked at me last week and asked if I had seen active combat (which I had and had seen even more people killed in training. I was in the first Gulf War so it was not as bad as the current one or Nam, at least in my humble opinion. She asked if I wanted to attend counseling for PTSD to learn how to live better with my ailment, but I told her that I already plan things so that I am not around people if I can help it. Shopping late at night, or early in the day on days when there are not people at the store, when we eat at a restaurant we go when it is not the normal mealtime.

I know that the good folks here on the board offer such great advice and I appreciate it.

[john999]

I would call the VA on Monday and make an appointment with mental health. When the VA reviews your file before they make a decision they will look at your medical file with VA. It helps to have something for them to look at instead of blank paper. Now if you have private records that is also good, but if you can afford it you should have both. You must generate evidence that your present condition is worse in order to get an increase. Don't rely on a C&P exam. If you have a service connected disability or are trying to get one then you should get treatment for it at the VA. Every time you visit the VAMC you are generating more documented evidence of your condition. I have been P&T for 7 years and I see my shrink every three months no matter what to get meds and to tell him that I am getting worse. I would stay in the system until the day I die. You may even get the VA to bury for free.

[Josephine]

This is just my opinion, reading your post, you symptoms sound so much like mine.

I would continue to seek the TDIU and a higher evaluation for the already SC conditions. The money is the same and is much easier for you to prove. Not saying you can't prove them, just less stressful for you.

Others may not agree, I am sure I could have proved PTSD, but stayed clear of it.

As for the group therapy, it may be wise to go, even if you do not open your mouth.

Continue going to the VA for any kind of treatment offered and meds.

If you decide to file for PTSD, I would definitely wait, for it will

slow down your claim as John said.

Always,

Betty

[Erich]

"I have been going to the VA psychiatrist for two years now. This whole time I have been telling her that I do not like to be around people and have anxiety attacks when I get around too many people. In fact, sometimes it takes everything I got to leave the house.I told her that I already plan things so that I am not around people if I can help it. Shopping late at night, or early in the day on days when there are not people at the store, when we eat at a restaurant we go when it is not the normal mealtime."

===================

Your behaviors are exactly like mine and they finally diagnosed me with PTSD. If you are 80% now then you should absolutely be 100% with the PTSD included. My symptoms go all the way back to Vietnam and I only just recently became aware of the cause. I always knew I had some kind of "nervous condition" that was related to my service but never put all the pieces together.

I hope you will not let your condition go like I did because when it finally hits... it will hit you like a ton of bricks... if it hasn't already. Either amend your current claim or else file after this one is decided. In the meantime, go to your local vet center and start the healing process... That is what I am finally going to do... my 2nd appt with the vet center is Tues.

[1994andcouting.....]

The main reason I did not want treatment is that I had done treatment for 2 years and the psychologist insisted on treating me for adjustment disorder which was her opinion of what was wrong with me. She felt that I was having trouble adjusting to civilian life after retiring. This despite the fact that I was totally out of the army 1993 - 1997 other than Individual Ready Reserve, was in the reserves 1997 - 1998, and then served full time in the reserves 1998 - 2004. SO essentially, I was working with civilians, and living with civilians for 11 years preceding treatment.

I have had to quit therapy several times because I have lost so many jobs for being off work. If I tell my current employer that I have to go, they may want to know why and for once I want to keep a job and take care of my kids and not lose it because Im out so much. I have already been 'warned' that missing 11 days in my 1st 6 months doesnt look good (even though the majority of the days was to take care of my mom who was sick). My boss said if they didnt need me so much and if she didnt 'like me' I would have already been fired. So now Im waiting on the decision from the VA regarding depression and Im hoping that getting out of the therapy sessions wont hurt me in this claim, this time. The irony in all of this is that the study group I was in was an MST PTSD study so YES I have it, BUT I dont know if I can use that to benefit my claim.

I have to come in to work every day (like now Im here on a Sunday to make up some time I took off for an appt at the VA two weeks ago, sigh...) and fake it just to make it through the day. This whole situation is a catch 22 and you are damned if ya do and damned if ya dont.

Edited November 2, 2008 by 1994andcouting.....

[LarryJ]

I feel I must voice my decenting opinion about refusing mental health theripy. I don't feel that a Claim for VA benefits and/or compensation should be penalized if you refuse theripy as a part of your treatment plan.

However, theripy does help provide a continuity of treatment, which can then possibly be used as evidence to help further your claim, that regular visits with your psychiatrist may be lacking.

I refuse offered group theripy, although some of my reasons are similiar to huskerfanfl, my main objection to it, is simple and my psychiatrist had to agree. 99.5% of group theripies at the VA hospitals are geared towards combat Veterans, which I am not. I can not relate to them in a way that I feel I am benefiting from the group.

That is why I feel the VA Hospital should also provide one on one theripy treatments for certain individuals, if nothing else, to help them transition into a group they can relate to.

Rockhound Rider

You may not feel that refusing treatment should not reflect negatively on your claim, but you must look at it like this: If you go to a civilian doctor, complaining of chest pain, he tells you "you are having a heart attack and we need to get you to a hospital" and you refuse to get into the ambulance and continue to lay there, grabbing your chest and moaning "save me, doc"....if I were the doctor, I'd have to go pick up my kids from baseball practice.

[Rockhound]

Not that I want to argue this point with Larry3. But if the guy refuses to go to a hospital, is not to say he is refusing treatment, nor does it preclude any options the Dr may have. If the heart attack is severe enough, all the doctor can do is do what he can with what he has at hand. hopeing that the patient looses consciousness, at which point the Dr. can then use his own sound medical advise and ship the patient off to a hospital. That is of course the patient hasn't a signed written and notorized living will, which precludes any life saving measures by anyone, but usually these are only if by saving their life, doesn't mean they would be kept alive by artificial means.

I'm not argueing that someone should refuse sound medical advise, I am only advocating that no one has the right to force a course of treatment on you, in order to receive an award of disability benefits. I would always sudjest following a Dr's advise or if you are not sure, then seek a second opinion, or as in my case, I didn't feel the benefit I would get from the theripy group they were offering me, would be of any theriputic value that was better than I was already getting at the time.

Many times I have noted in my progress notes that the person writing them believes, that I have little insight into how my many problems combined, are affecting me. I on the other hand feel I may have to much insight and that is why I am still alive today and have not yet given up hope that, for some of my problems, their may be some relief and/or cure, so that my quality of life will have some improvement, maybe even enough so that I can start driving myself around again and/or even possibly returning to driving long haul big rigs again.

Although realistically, given my present age and resent results of my cognitive dysfunction, returning to the workforce may only be a hope unfulfilled.

Rockhound Rider