ptsd Depression Service Connection Vs. Ptsd Possible Triggers

[MikeR]

Well I am waiting on the results of my foot after my second C&P, I have been sending in evidence constantly in support of the PTSD claim. The records center sent back a vague acknowledgement of one stressor, and informs for me the vet to provide more in formation on the second set of stressors. I did, as much as possible. The person in charge of the MACOM HR basically told me that they have the most vague non-detail records for old members of the organization. I have provided all I can, letters, write-ups, awards, buddies, etc... The VA psych provided service connection, and a diagnosis for Severe PTSD (Which is my claim). My other diagnosis is Severe Depression, for which the VA notes I was treated for on Active Duty. I have yet to claim it. Assuming they deny my PTSD claim, will they offer the Depression, or do I have to claim it on a new claim?

Edited June 3, 2009 by Tbird
POSSIBLE TRIGGER Added to Topic Title

[MikeR]

That is what I need to know. They want to tie the stressor to symptoms of re-experiencing etc, as required by the PTSD diagnosis.

Have you tried to find any news paper articles from local press. They recognize that you were there.

Can you remember names of people or a CO who was there with you. Have you tried to find them.

What was your MOS or job classification. I will try and search how claims were handled for other individuals who worked as an investigator.

I was trained as civilian Private Investigator and I am pretty good at skip tracing. I also have some resources for finding someone who is still on active duty. Maybe I can help finding a CO or other people familiar with what was going on in Haiti.

I will be back online Thursday night Pacific Time.

Hoppy, I don't want to put the names of Agents online.

Mike

[Hoppy]

Mike,

"The veteran should be advised to be as specific as possible, to include providing, relevant names, dates, places, and descriptions of stressful events."

They might be asking for names of people so as to search for them your behalf. Definately provide them with names and ask them to assit with locating these people. Maybe I can help by passing along some techniques I use to find people and you can do them on your own. More on this later.

The other information can be used by a clinician. However, if they are requiring it for the purpose of verifying a stressor they might be asking for to specific of details. Get this info if possible. There might be another way to argue this claim if you can not get this info.

As far as Haiti goes this is what I will be researching.

The VA has been told by the court that they are seeking to specific of verification of a stressor for combat veterans. There is a decision that I will post Thursday when I get back to my computer that we used on Yoggies claim. The case is used to allow veterans with non-combat MOS's to be viewed as in combat if their unit as a whole came under attack. I think this case would have relevence to a rescue operation where the unit as a whole was exposed to a disaster.

The most famous cases of PTSD did not involve the military. The rescue workers who responded to the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City has been recognized in the literature on PTSD.

On the CID I will research how individuals with the same MOS have had there claims adjudicated. I still need an MOS or specific job description that is supported by your DD 214 or other documentation.

Edited June 2, 2009 by Hoppy

[MikeR]

Mike,

"The veteran should be advised to be as specific as possible, to include providing, relevant names, dates, places, and descriptions of stressful events."

They might be asking for names of people so as to search for them your behalf. Definately provide them with names and ask them to assit with locating these people. Maybe I can help by passing along some techniques I use to find people and you can do them on your own. More on this later.

The other information can be used by a clinician. However, if they are requiring it for the purpose of verifying a stressor they might be asking for to specific of details. Get this info if possible. There might be another way to argue this claim if you can not get this info.

As far as Haiti goes this is what I will be researching.

The VA has been told by the court that they are seeking to specific of verification of a stressor for combat veterans. There is a decision that I will post Thursday when I get back to my computer that we used on Yoggies claim. The case is used to allow veterans with non-combat MOS's to be viewed as in combat if their unit as a whole came under attack. I think this case would have relevence to a rescue operation where the unit as a whole was exposed to a disaster.

The most famous cases of PTSD did not involve the military. The rescue workers who responded to the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City has been recognized in the literature on PTSD.

On the CID I will research how individuals with the same MOS have had there claims adjudicated. I still need an MOS or specific job description that is supported by your DD 214 or other documentation.

Thanks ,

There is a buddy from CID I have been trying to reach. Not many people have been sympathetic to this particular cause. I spent a lot of time getting innocent people out of trouble. We had a 60% plus turnover rate after 3 years. I was totally burned out from that, and never really recovered. It's like spending 12+ hours per day for almost 3 years in other peoples personal hell. There are so many victims of MST that I spent a lot of time trying to get justice for, what I see the VA doing to them makes my stomach really churn. I have been in and out of therapy, so far the only thing that works is the drugs. There are not many cases like mine, it's a code of silence sort of thing. I appreciate all of your help. The Haiti operation was not trouble free as most people believe. Once we got past the beginning of the operation, we had Hurricane Gordon. In our camp we were in water pretty deep, and we thought we were going to die. The island lost about 1200 people, and the Engineer unit I was with was assigned to dig out a village. I know I prayed more there than anytime in my life. I had spent years trying to be normal. It's damn hard. No matter how many degrees I have gotten there are things I can't shake. One Psychologist I worked with stopped with me as he was getting nightmares just from talking to me. Since I was an Intern in CID and was like free labor from my unit, and quit CID school halfway through it, it' s not on the DD214. I have provided orders to the school, and award copies from that unit. As well as Happy Birthday greetings from the Unit Commander. I have search the BVA cases, and am starting to think that Cop Shock in the military is breaking entirely new ground.

Mike

[Rockhound]

I can sympathise with you, even though I don't think I suffer with PTSD. I was a Navy Hospital Corpsman and witnessed and even particiipated in life and death situations more than I want to remember. Not my life and death, but of others I was attempting to save. I held duties taking care of premature babies, which had me crying myself to sleep on a few occasions, when a baby under my care died, litterly in my hands. As you would guess, I didn't last long in that duty as you might guess.

I also manned an ambulance during after hours duty and serviced and transported the injured and ill people. Mostly helping the injured, from a simple accident to a multiple car wreck with some having died and others with major and life threatening injuries that would have a normal person gaging from the blood and gore of it all.

Like you, all this would be hard to document, giving the time having past and it would stretch the benefit of the doubt quite severly. My most scary situation didn't involve any blood and gore, but it was in some ways, had me and others worried about our exposure for a couple of weeks. I noted one of my patient for yellow jauntice, which turned out to be viral hepatitis. I had to put the ship on quaritine for a couple of weeks while the shps crew was in a near panick by the end of the quarintine. The only good things that came out of that epiisode, was that the ship, after the quarintine was lifted, the ship got a complete and very exstensive wash down

Anyway, as you can see, I sympathise about your need to know and document that which most would hope and pray, to forget in time so we don't have to experience the visions over and over again.

Rockhound Rider B)

[Hoppy]

Mike,

“The clinical evaluation noted that the veteran had an adjustment/personality disorder and was being followed by "CMH" and psychiatry. Such relevant records are not contained in the claims file and therefore a remand is necessary to obtain them.”

This is very interesting. These records need to be obtained. Adjustment disorder can be a provisional diagnosis used in the early stages of immediate onset PTSD. This is due to the fact that the diagnosis of adjustment disorder requires a stressor.

Adjustment disorder (AD) The diagnostic criteria in the DSM-IV are

A. The development of emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to an identifiable stressor(s) occurring within three months of the onset of the stressor(s). B. These symptoms or behaviors are clinically significant as evidenced by either of the following:

1. marked distress that is in excess of what would be expected from exposure to the stressor

2. significant impairment in social or occupational (academic) functioning

C. The stress-related disturbance does not meet the criteria for another specific Axis I disorder and is not merely an exacerbation of a preexisting Axis I or Axis II disorder.

D. The symptoms do not represent Bereavement.

Once the stressor (or its consequences) has terminated, the symptoms do not persist for more than an additional six months.

The dual diagnosis of personality disorder and adjustment disorder may not be a problem.

However, disability resulting from a

mental disorder that is superimposed upon a personality

disorder may be service connected. 38 C.F.R. § 4.127.

“Such may include, if necessary, obtaining the veteran's service personnel records”

Do you have a copy of your personnel file. I recently read a personnel file for a veteran and it had some surprises. Who ever wrote up his quarterly marks had a lot to say.

This is the case that might have some relevance if you can establish your unit as a whole was engaged in a rescue operation.

"Credible supporting evidence" does not mean that

the veteran must definitively establish his personal

engagement in combat. Suozzi v. Brown, 10 Vet. App. 307, 311

(1997) (requiring corroboration of every detail, including

the veteran's personal participation, VA defined

"corroboration" too narrowly). Rather, the veteran's

presence with his unit at a time when his unit is attacked

tends to show that that the veteran experienced such attack

personally, without specifically showing his personal

participation. See Id.; see also Pentecost v. Principi, 16

Vet. App. 124 (2002).

Edited June 5, 2009 by Hoppy

[MikeR]

Hoppy,

I have not found anything in the file, which is ironic as they approved the HSM for us. They did not say why on the medal file. I included this in the records that I provided the AMC. I am also attempting to locate a buddy via all possible means. I know where he lives, but his phone info has changed, as his ex-wife has as well.

Mike