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Ptsd Due To Mst *triggers*

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shortpig

Question

While I was in the Army I was assaulted by a permanent party SGT and I was a trainee at AIT in New Jersey. I was set up to lose the court case by my legal council provided by the military.

They rushed me off the base to another where I ended up with a suicide attempt. Then they pushed me out of the service as quickly as possible. I have fought this battle for almost 35yrs and can't do it alone anymore. I have filed a claim for benefits and compensation. Of course the base cannot locate the criminal claim file now. I am seeing an independent Dr who has diagnosed me with PTSD and all that goes with it. She will be putting her pkg together for me to take to my C & P appt end of next week. I do have a job and really have no problems at work on a normal day. That is my life away from my home where I hide the rest of the time. Property is fenced and guarded by large dogs. My daughter does most of my shopping and takes me to my appts and anywhere I have to go. She and her hubby also live with me. The only real or close to real evidence I have are stmts from relatives of the incident and how my life changed after it.

So any advice on what to do or how this might play out will be greatly appreciated.

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  • HadIt.com Elder

201 File is your personal records. You need to find evidence in medical records. Your hospital and ambulance trip have to be somewhere and that should prove your stressor.

Good Luck

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  • HadIt.com Elder

Shortpig, a fun name nevertheless!

Reply to your stressor letter question. Stressor letter examples are varied, but I know I wrote mine in a whirlwind. I think I talked the attack in a direct and matter of fact way like a police report, then my exact feelings to drive it home - names, places, reports changes to me, career, loved ones, performance & assignment changes and to finish, day-to-day permanent effects on my life now. Honestly, I procrastinated a few weeks, mostly denying it, working it over and threw it together all at once. Rewrote the draft just a bit and finished it, left it be, hands off. Dont know if I reread it since, but it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do in my life and I wrote that in too. Result - 30% sc mdd (includes ptsd w/mst). Aint over yet, but I get treatment and still work hard to know the events weren't by my choice.

There is a VA fast letter 08-08 that updates guidance for PTSD not based on combat.

Also see 38 C.F.R. §3.304(f)(4) for PTSD claims based on in-service personal assault. That and Manual 21-1 describe the type of 'evidence' that can be used to support a ptsd claim.

Take care,

Cg'up2009!

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hi, i am new to hadit. i have been pursuing a claim for PTSD since 1990. i have received my 5th denial and am in the process of finding a lawyer. My mst occurred almost 40 years ago, but i had what i believe is called "late-onset PTSD". it was not until recently that my mst experience was unlocked in my memory, partly because i was drugged at the time. i think i was the original date-rape.

i just wanted to say, don't give up. put it away for awhile if you need to, but don't give up. i was alone in my claim mission for many years, and only recently found wonderful support on the internet, both here and at vetwow3. there have been many time i wanted to burn all my claim papers and forget about it. but one doesn't forget; it is the nature of PTSD to help one repress trauma, including the trauma of filing a claim. i am glad now that i didn't do it, even though it may still be a battle to get a service-connection.

i am at this website because i still need help with my claim. this kind of help and information was not available at one time, so take advantage of it and keep on fighting for your care as the military promised all of us.

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looking for silverwings. this is gypsy. i hope this is how i am supposed to utilize this website to get your help.

i just received my 5th denial. requested my C-file in December 2008 when i reopened my claim; i haven't received it yet. i'm tired of the heartless VA regional office. i am looking for a lawyer. i did get good help on what to put on my statement in support of claim, but was waiting for my C-file before i submitted it to see what all they had on me, then i got my denial letter yesterday. what do i do next?

i feel like going to the women's trauma clinic and EXPRESSING MY FRUSTRATION re: the claims process. i am tired of them telling me that "the VA hospital and the VA regional office are two separate offices and we don't talk to each other". don't they get it? this claims process is traumatic in itself. Why don't they get this and help us?

i only have access to internet at the public library, so it will be days before i can see if you reply. i hope i can figure out how to see your reply.

thanks, silverwings. i really need to finish this.

Gypsy

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Today my boss let me leave work, go to advocates office and see what was going on. The Advocate wasn't there but much to my surprise his supervisor was and so was his assistant. First the supervisor sat down with me and wasn't surprised to hear that I hadn't had my emails answered or my phone calls returned. Then he got me in right away to the assistant. He was able to locate my file and let me search it for my records. Thank goodness they have my medical records and yes they show the trip by ambulance to the hospital and the exam. Funny thing is that between the two most important words in a totally different hand writing, squeezed in and tiny was the word alledged. Obviously added at a later date. We will see how far they get with that one. Also to my surprise my exit physical statement showed me with back pain, and depression. Imagine that. My records regarding suicide attempt were also in there and records on how they sent me up the chain of command and threatend me with being disciplined if I didn't accept their expeditious discharge. Now with my stressor letter and these records and my private Dr's statement and letters from family on how I have been since coming home 33 yrs ago and the drastic changes I made emotionally from when I originally joined the service hopefully I will be able to get the help I am looking for. We know the VA has the same medical records as is in my file and that is a biggy.

I sure appreciate all the help I am receiving here. I will say to all of you if you like furry critters might I suggest you type in the website: www.dolittlefarm.net and meet the friends who have got me up in the morning and given me a reason to still be here to go to bed at night. I do believe you will enjoy the tour.

Wish me luck everyone but hopefully I won't need it.

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shortpig,

be sure to fill out this form, coz if you get all the way

to BVA your claim can be remanded for VA not supplying the form

to you. The remand adds a whole lotta extra time to overall

processing time. http://www.va.gov/vaforms/form_detail.asp?FormNo=21-0781a

>my stressor letter was 15 pages long and I regret not staying

on topic for VA purposes and instead rambled on about stuff that wasn't relevant

and gave VA too much personal info. And of course, they have now used

the info I gave them against me to deny my claim!

my best advice is stick with the topic....you know the facts--

who, what, where, when

good luck,

Cindy

http://www.va.gov/vaforms/form_detail.asp?FormNo=21-0781a

They did not offer me treatment for the suicide attempt they just sent me thru the chain of command. Their favorite words were "You aren't cut out for this MANS Army"!

They made that very clear to me. I received a general discharge under honorable conditions. There is a letter from one of the Senior Officers that spoke with me stating that I had a bad attitude and therefore it was in the best interest of all concerned that I be released from the military. It also states that the chain of command had tried to assist me but I wasn't accepting of their assistance. Not once did they offer me any psycological assistance.

What is a 201? I have had trouble getting my medical records. When I requested them they told me they are on loan to the VA. My Advocate was supposed to search for, locate, and get them for me but he won't respond to my phone calls or emails. I'm going to try to find time today to leave work and go stand in front of his office. I need to know what he has acquired and what he has sent to be added to my file.

The assault happened on base, I was taken to the base hospital in an ambulance, they caught him the very next morning. Then when it went to court they believed him not me even though I had been badly beaten and He tried to kill me. I don't remember who told me after the trial but it was either an officer on base that they let him off because he only had 6mos left in the Army and they wanted him gone. He would not be allowed to reup.

My next question is how graphic does my Stressor letter have to be regarding what happened?

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