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 ....

[rgero311975]

man i dont know what to say your great.thanks so much and i agree with you 100% i know its a fight now but since its a different diagnosis and ties in with my back,headaches,siacitica,ankle then now i have to get a dr to say that i have a mood disorder due to general pain... i going to see a new private theripist next week. i know that i have to steer this dr in that direction or they will say depression,pstd.etc.... any advice...i am reading up on mood disorders now and getting ready to read your blog.... the only way i thought was to tell my new theripist that i am being treated for depression,pstd,anxiety..etc at the va and that i think i have a mood disorder and that the va is foucused on other labels...and that i feel like this is my major problem and casuing me the biggest thing.....

i havent seen my new phy dr yet...i went to the va theriapist told him i think i ahve a mood disorder due to general medical conditions.. he just siad uh huh ok..i look at his report and it said "veteran said he think he has a mood disorder due to general mediacal conditions" and that it... ok i need help i have read up on this disorder and read the thread, but how do you say to a dr hey i think i suffer from a mood disorder instead of getting a depresion diagnoses? i going to see a private theriapist as i wrote before tommorow but i just dont know what to say...

[rentalguy1]

The first thing you have to do is build a relationship with the doc. That doesn't necessarily mean that you have to see this person for several years. It might only be a few sessions before you get the feel that this doc is either for or against you. Once you feel that you can trust this person, then talk abou this situation. Be straight forward and honest with them. Tell them you think you have the Mood disorder instead of depression based upon the criteria you've found in the DSM-IV. Tell them this diagnosis is important because of a disability claim. Let the doc know the whole story, and tell them that unless a portion of your depression can be tied to chronic pain, then the VA will flatly deny the claim, and that will leave you in the poor house since you can't work any more.

[rgero311975]

The first thing you have to do is build a relationship with the doc. That doesn't necessarily mean that you have to see this person for several years. It might only be a few sessions before you get the feel that this doc is either for or against you. Once you feel that you can trust this person, then talk abou this situation. Be straight forward and honest with them. Tell them you think you have the Mood disorder instead of depression based upon the criteria you've found in the DSM-IV. Tell them this diagnosis is important because of a disability claim. Let the doc know the whole story, and tell them that unless a portion of your depression can be tied to chronic pain, then the VA will flatly deny the claim, and that will leave you in the poor house since you can't work any more.

THANK YOU for taking time out to answer my question and being patient reading my words. That seems like good advice since as we spoke before if I dont get a seperate diagnose instead of depression which they will try to link it to my stabbing then it will be all in vain. I look at mood disorder due to general mediacal condtion with depressed features is what i fall under....again its depression but it mood disorder.......yea i think i have to be upfront and tell the whole story or the theriapist will think hey this is just depression and pstd etc...and va will deny deny.. thanks for the time and support....this site gives me hope and others...