Opinion Of A Personality Disorder,

[Guest Jim S.]

I've been trying to find a law, Regulation, Rule, or anything that says what is needed by a C&P examiner to prove a personality disorder, that which is used by the VA Claims Rater, to rebutt a prior diagnosis of a mental disorder

CFR 4.127 (1973) Inpart reads; Formal psychometric tests are essential in the diagnosis of mental deficiency. If the VA C&P Examiner used such tests, why is his report silent on the matter or if he depended on the tests conducted while Veteran was hospitalized, why are the records in the C-File silent also?

Personality disorder, inadequate type, with modest intellectual capabilities (despite the fact that he was tested during his hospitalization as having a high average intellectual quotient). How can the VA Rater support such an opinion without the VA C&P Examiner providing evidence that supports an apposing opinion on whcih an opposing opinion was given.

Where as it is also noted, that the summery decision by the Navy Medical Board was based on, not only Medical records, but that of the personnel records, of the Veteran to base their opinion on, yet the VA C&P Examiner only base his opinon upon one personal examination and as he states, review of the Veterans history, to base his opinion on and that the VA Rater took as an alternative diagnosis for which the Rater used to deny benefits and compensation on.

Need help in hoaning my argument I am half expecting from my new Service Officer when I meet with him/her about my CUE Claim and whether to go with it or to as for a review of my entire claim in which new and material evidence would be allowed, but where I may loose any EED on my claim.

Help

Jim S. B)

[carlie]

Jim,

I don't know if this helps any but it's what I could find.

Good luck,

carlie

DSM-IV™ Multiaxial System ( Made easy )

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Disoders Diagnostic Criteria ( DSM-IV™ Made Easy )

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Axis I:

Clinical Disorders, most V-Codes, and conditions that need Clinical attention.

Diagnosis Flow Charts.

Axis II:

Personality Disorders and Mental Retardation.

Axis III:

General Medical Conditions.

Axis IV:

Psychosocial and Environmental Problems.

Axis V:

Global Assessment of Functioning Scale.

Personality Disorders

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Personality Disorders are mental illnesses that share several unique qualities. They contain symptoms that are enduring and play a major role in most, if not all, aspects of the person's life. While many disorders vacillate in terms of symptom presence and intensity, personality disorders typically remain relatively constant.

Personality disorders are pervasive chronic psychological disorders, which can greatly affect a person's life. Having a personality disorder can negatively affect one's work, one's family, and one's social life. Personality disorders exists on a continuum so they can be mild to more severe in terms of how pervasive and to what extent a person exhibits the features of a particular personality disorder. While most people can live pretty normal lives with mild personality disorders (or more simply, personality traits), during times of increased stress or external pressures (work, family, a new relationship, etc.), the symptoms of the personality disorder will gain strength and begin to seriously interfere with their emotional and psychological functioning.

Those with a personality disorder possess several distinct psychological features including disturbances in self-image; ability to have successful interpersonal relationships; appropriateness of range of emotion, ways of perceiving themselves, others, and the world; and difficulty possessing proper impulse control. These disturbances come together to create a pervasive pattern of behavior and inner experience that is quite different from the norms of the individual's culture and that often tend to be expressed in behaviors that appear more dramatic than what society considers usual. Therefore, those with a personality disorder often experience conflicts with other people and vice-versa. There are ten different types of personality disorders that exist, which all have various emphases.

There are as many potential causes of personality disorders as there are people who suffer from them. They may be caused by a combination of parental upbringing, one's personality and social development, as well as genetic and biological factors. Research has not narrowed down the cause to any factor at this time. We do know, however, that these disorders will most often manifest themselves during increased times of stress and interpersonal difficulties in one's life. Therefore, treatment most often focuses on increasing one's coping mechanisms and interpersonal skills.

We have developed the information here to act as a comprehensive guide to help you better understand the various personality disorders and find out more information about them on your own. Choose from among the categories at left to begin your journey into recovery from these treatable disorders.

To be diagnosed with a disorder in this category, a psychologist will look for the following criteria:

Symptoms have been present for an extended period of time, are inflexible and pervasive, and are not a result of alcohol or drugs or another psychiatric disorder. The history of symptoms can be traced back to adolescence or at least early adulthood.

The symptoms have caused and continue to cause significant distress or negative consequences in different aspects of the person's life.

Symptoms are seen in at least two of the following areas:

Thoughts ( Ways of looking at the world, thinking about self or others, and interacting. )

Emotions ( Appropriateness, intensity, and range of emotional functioning. )

Interpersonal Functioning ( Relationships and interpersonal skills. )

Impulse Control.

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Personality Disorders

Antisocial Personality Disorder: Lack of regard for the moral or legal standards in the local culture, marked inability to get along with others or abide by societal rules. Sometimes called psychopaths or sociopath's.

Avoidant Personality Disorder: Marked social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and extremely sensitive to criticism.

Borderline Personality Disorder: Lack of one's own identity, with rapid changes in mood, intense unstable interpersonal relationships, marked impulsively, instability in affect and in self image.

Dependent Personality Disorder: Extreme need of other people, to a point where the person is unable to make any decisions or take an independent stand on his or her own. Fear of separation and submissive behavior. Marked lack of decisiveness and self-confidence.

Histrionic Personality Disorder: Exaggerated and often inappropriate displays of emotional reactions, approaching theatricality, in everyday behavior. Sudden and rapidly shifting emotion expressions.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Behavior or a fantasy of grandiosity, a lack of empathy, a need to be admired by others, an inability to see the viewpoints of others, and hypersensitive to the opinions of others.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder: Characterized by perfectionism and inflexibility; preoccupation with uncontrollable patterns of thought and action.

Paranoid Personality Disorder: Marked distrust of others, including the belief, without reason, that others are exploiting, harming, or trying to deceive him or her; lack of trust; belief of others' betrayal; belief in hidden meanings; unforgiving and grudge holding.

Schizoid Personality Disorder: Primarily characterized by a very limited range of emotion, both in expression of and experiencing; indifferent to social relationships.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder: Peculiarities of thinking, odd beliefs, and eccentricities of appearance, behavior, interpersonal style, and thought (e.g., belief in psychic phenomena and having magical powers).

[Guest Jim S.]

Thanks Carlie: But I don't think they had the benefit of the Multiaxial system back in 1973, nor do any of the personality disorders shown appear to have any resemblance to the type they gave in 1973 either. Nor do I think that a CUE claim will allow any of this, since everything I am speeking of, must be in accordance with what was the rule during 1973.

What was the prevailing medical opinion as to what constituted a personality disorder, what guidelines must be followed to come to such an opinion in 1973?

It's apparent to me that the VA is going to have to get some proof to support their denial, but their is nothing that lists specifically what in the Veterans history nor with test results that differed with his opinion.

Their being nothing independent of the examiners own opinion to support his conclussions and that of the VA Rater that an alternative diagnosis had been offered.

Thanks for the help though, it may come in handy if I should go the route of a review of the claim instead.

Jim S. B)

[Pete53]

My currrent diagnosis is Panic DIsorder with Major Depression. Some clerk at the VARO in Waco diagbosed me with a personality disorder even though the Military did not.

The way to refute an improper personality disorder is to dig in and get very specific. If you graduated from High School, did not get in trouble with the law, get into fights, be disruptive to others you can challenge the diagnosis on the spot. If you had personality symptoms just remember that a good outside Medical Opinion can include the personality disorder as secondary to the diagnosed mental condition like PTSD, Depression or other compensateble condition.

The diagnosus of personality disorder in itself is usually a temporary diagnosis that requires more evaluation. Many of the personality disorder diagnoses made in 1973 are not even in the DSMV today.

Don't give up. I suggest that you dig into this diagnosis and read up on personality disorders and write down why you don't fit the assessment. So if you got promoted in the military, did not commit felony crimes, get into fights, burn things, torture animals than the chances are you do not have a personality disorder. Just my opinion.

The people with personality disorders are the asswipers at the VARO who deny valid claims and torture Veterans.