Mh Progress Notes

[hurryupnwait]

Hi All

In my mental health notes it states.

Axis 1 depression NOS, R/O mood, D/O secondary to GMC,

Anyone have any idea what this means?

Happy Trails

Paul

[purple]

i really could care less what my "GAF" is....like i said, i was just curious after always hearing everyone on here talk about it...i just know how i feel; for a doc to assign a number to it really seems stupid to me.

kinda like that idiotic pain scale they use now......."how would you rate your pain on a scale of 1-10?" omg.....that is so stupid.......sorry, threadjack.

[tagandbag]

Purple I understand where you are coming from if you feel physicaly, mentally messed up you know yourself how you feel. It may seem stupid for a doctor to ask you how you feel on a scale from 1-10 or assign a a gaf (global assement of functioning) score. Think about it though, I'll use this analogy. If you go to a jewlery store and by a oz. of gold they measure it. They need a standard to go sell/buy and the price is in the standard. I dont think they just want throw a handful of nuggets in your bag and say here ya go, that will be 50.00. So if you stop and think about it, almost everything that goes on around you is based on numbers. In a nutshell its is probably good for you, myself and other vets, that they have these standards and for that matter everyone. Just some food for thought.

T&B

[tssnave]

The thing that bothers me about the GAF score is that when I was researching cases for my claim, no matter what what your GAF score was, it could be used against you and be supported by court cases. If your GAF is high then they cite it as being high and can use it as a basis to low ball your claim because case law says they need to take your GAF into account. However, if it is low, they ignore it because case law states the GAF is not to be the sole determiner of your disability.

The GAF score, IMHO, is just one more example of (to quote Jim Strickland) how the VA plays their game with their ball and their rules which they will apply any way they please.

FTR, my C&P GAF was 49 which they cited in support a 50% rating even though it should support a 70% rating. But, when the VA ignores evidence in your SMRs, letters from treating docs, and their own C&P examiner's statement that you are 100% disabled why should their abuse of the GAF score surprise any of us?

Just my two cents on a topic that still iks me because it is just one more way the VA abuses the regulations that are supposed to support the veteran.

TS Snave

[poolguy11550]

Should the VBA weight the GAF score? Absolulty, but that is not the whole picture of evidence concerning a claim. The real problem is inconsistency.

[tagandbag]

TSnave, I have to agree on your opinion on the GAF, working for or against, you never know. I would like to know how many people know, when they are actually being tested for GAF. I am 95% sure mine was done during my CP exam. From what I understand it is not supposed to be done during the CP an feel I should have had a second CP, as a follow up to make the actual rating for my PTSD/depression disability. Why do I think this, you ask, let me list my reasons below.

#1. The first thing the examiner said to me after saying hello. They have decided to rate you for PTSD, because of incoming rocket mortar attacks.

#2. During the exam there was not any conversation about stressor, or other stressors.

#3. The exam consisted mostly personal questions about childhood, family, certain choices I made and why I made those choices.

#4. The examiner ask me how did you get such a cushy mos. I thought the examiner was being subjective and condenscending at this time and I bit my toungue.

#5. My SOC said we are rating you at 30% and a higher value of 50% is not warranted at this time.

In my opinion they decided to SC me prior to my CP exam and I never had a GAF exam. So they used the CP to really perform a GAF, to come up with a rating. Did it help? I think it did, but put me at 30%vs50%. It could have been 0,10 etc. and at least I got this far. Just some food for thought.

T&B

[john999]

Yeah, the GAF thing is not the be all and end all. The VA is all over the place with GAF scores. Some get 30% with a GAF of 50 and some get 70% with the same GAF. What you really need is a good report that describes your level of disability and your symptoms, and how that interfers with daily living and work. How can any one really put a number on mental/emotional disorders?