Rating For Depression

[sehinchee]

How much weight does the GAF score have with the raters? I have been diagnosed with a mood disorder secondary to my SC condition. My GAF score is 48 and I have been put on Venlafaxine. My VSO filed a claim for me, as the diagnosis clearly states that the mood disorder is secondary to my SC condition. Anyone have any idea what I should expect?

[68mustang]

sehinchee, hang in there and let us know how it goes.

Mustang, do you get continual VA care for your depression? sure helps me & the family, got two docs. psych - ologist & iatrist.

Best to ya,

Cg"up2009!

I am not being treated for depression, but I am going to my primary doctor for a referral to see someone about it. Thanks.

68mustang

[sehinchee]

So I get a call from my local VA clinic and they need to schedule a C&P exam for my depression. Since my depression has already been dianosed as secondary to my SC knee replacement, why do they nedd to do a C&P? Also, as I am currently on a treatment plan and taking medication for depression, what do I tell the examiner?

[navydoc2]

tell them what you are going through with your family and kids, what a day (your worst) looks like for you. You have to make sure you paint a picture for the examiner so they understand what life is like for you on a day to day basis; from how hard it is to get up to how you feel so bad that you can't leave the house due to depression. Good luck hope this helps.

[sharon]

Be careful about talking about anything that they can say would cause your depression other than your service connected condtion. They will say that it (your family ) is the cause of your depression. Feel free to say how the depression effects your family dynamics.

[oldman273]

This is a topic I am familliar with because of my SC back and knees I have lost over 70lbs in about 3 months I do not eat do not sleep well interact with my kids as they get bummed out I cannot play with them like my neighbors do with their kids. It truly sucks I had just recently put in my claim for depression secondary to my SC back and knees. I had my shrink in his opinion tie them in to what I am going through been taking crud load of meds but I still do not eat or sleep well. I wish you luck with your claim. Only problem I can see is that they will try to put it off on a PTSD claim which is not service connected. I just do what my Shrink suggest and if one thing helps I stick with it. I have weighed the same thing round about for 4 years or so and now my family thinks I am trying to loose weight on purpose. I just have no urge to eat much less do anything else. I stay in constant pain with back spasm and the surgeons have said the way I am right now is about the best I am going to be. VA pain Managment is for the birds..

[sehinchee]

Well,

As it turns out, prior to the C&P exam, I had been seeing a NP instead of a clinical psychologist. At the C&P exam I spoke with a true clinical psychologist who really seemed genuinely concerned for my well being. Of course I got the “how are you doing” question, to which I replied “better that I deserve”. The C&P seemed fairly straight forward, I did not ask for her opinion but she said that depression is very common for people suffering from chronic pain. I did get a copy of the progress reports from the meeting with the NP, both have GAF’s of 48. She also increased to dosage of venlafaxin.