Depression Secondary Too Degenerative Disk Disease

[rgero311975]

Well i am trying to get service connected depression due to my back which is rated at 40% as of march 1,2009 which was previously rated at 20%.. Well my question is this...I was stabed and almost killed by someone that broke into my house about 4 years ago so i have pstd and depression and panic attacks..the VA know this ....i recieve my medication and have been treat by va doctor and outside dr for these conditions........ My back has gotten worse as you can see my rating just went up recently.... Since I have allready been diagnosed with depression not connected to serve can and how and what should i do.......I mean my back limits me physically and emotionally ...sex, daily activity,mood,personal realtionships,.....yes i was depressed before but my back limits me and it affects me the most..and the pain meds make me depressed...

Thank you ..this site has gave me hope and thank god for all of you guys...rentalguy1 you have a lot of good post ....

[john999]

I would not even discuss or bring up the stabbing incident. If the VA brings it up you will probably need to get a medical opinion to rebut there attempts to blame your depression on the stabbing as opposed to the chronic pain from your back. Don't give them anymore ammunition regarding the stabbing. You are probably going to have to separate out the effects of your back pain from the stabbing, but don't bring it into the equation until you have to do it. I, too, had some NSC conditions that sort of were intertwined with my SC condition around chronic pain. I had to get an independent medical opinion to convince the VA that my NSC pain conditions were not the cause of my mental health issues at that time. Sometimes the less you say about NSC issues the better.

[rgero311975]

I would not even discuss or bring up the stabbing incident. If the VA brings it up you will probably need to get a medical opinion to rebut there attempts to blame your depression on the stabbing as opposed to the chronic pain from your back. Don't give them anymore ammunition regarding the stabbing. You are probably going to have to separate out the effects of your back pain from the stabbing, but don't bring it into the equation until you have to do it. I, too, had some NSC conditions that sort of were intertwined with my SC condition around chronic pain. I had to get an independent medical opinion to convince the VA that my NSC pain conditions were not the cause of my mental health issues at that time. Sometimes the less you say about NSC issues the better.

i agree with you totally but the va knows about my depresion from the stabbing and the details about it. i know they will try to use my stabbing as a casue of my depression. I was just thinking since my back got injured in service 13 years ago even though i never report depression to any doctor untill after my stabbing that i could tell them that i was allready depressed thne the tstabbing made it worse and now with my back geting worse it has increased my depression....along with the meds and all..... i know the va c&p guys will try to put all on my stabbing in an escapegoat for them.. i was just going to get to thme before they will me..

[rgero311975]

You are going to have to see a Doc that can help you. Chronic pain probably can trump or at least give you the benefit of doubt

yea i think so since my pain from my back was first and i still getting worse

[john999]

I get where you are coming from but you might want to wait until you get the rating so you know exactly what reasons they are going to use to possibly deny your claim, and then you hire a doctor to attack those specific reasons for denial.

[rgero311975]

I get where you are coming from but you might want to wait until you get the rating so you know exactly what reasons they are going to use to possibly deny your claim, and then you hire a doctor to attack those specific reasons for denial.

yea i know wait game its just i know they will try to use stabbing thing even though my back was hur 14 years ago..and staqbbing 5 years ago... i guess from now on when i see every dr i going to focus on my depression due to my back....

[rgero311975]

yea i think so since my pain from my back was first and i still getting worse

yea my back was hurt in 1995. my stabbing in 2002. even though i never seen a theraipist or anyone for my depression until after my stabbing and got my 30% for back ddd in 2005 and recently got 40% for ddd. i just know the va is going to try to use the stabbing as weight against me...saying osmething like yes you have depression diagnoses but most likely came from stabbing since i never seen a dr about depression for my back pain until recenttly... it just my back pain is mental physcially disability..