ptsd Mental Health Exam

[mike/3/8/cav]

Results of me last exam,

Treatment: Major depression, recurrent; PTSD

FREQUENCY, SEVERITY AND DURATION OF NON-PTSD PSYCHIATRIC/MEDICAL SYMPTOMS:

Ongoing symptoms of major depression, including persistently depressed mood, anhedonia,social withdrawl,impaired concentration and focus. Depression is ongoing, related to an extent to ongoing health concerns.

NO HISTORY OF SUICIDE ATTEMPTS, NO HISTORY OF VIOLANCE

PSYCH EXAM

General appearance, casually dressed, other, appears older than stated age

PSYCHOMOTOR ACTIVITY: Fatigued

SPEECH: hesitant,coherent,other,halting

Attitude: cooperative

Affect: blunted

Mood: anxious,good,dysphoric

Attention: easily distracted, attention disturbance(short attention)

Able to do serial 7's? No

Able to spell a word forward and backword? Yes

Intact to person, time and place: Yes

Thought process: rambling

Does the patient have sleep impairment: Yes,nocturnal awakening, sleep disrupted. Some dreams related to military experiences about twice a week, not always frightining.

MEMORY:

Remote memory: mildly impaired

Recent memory: mildly impaired

Imediate memory: mildly impaired, veteran complains of increasing memory impairment

PTSD SYMPTOMS

Persistent re-experiencing the traumatic eventby: recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections of the event, including images, thoughts, or perceptions. Recurrent or distressing dreams of the event. Intense psychological distress at exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event.

Persistant avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma and numbing of general responsiveness.

Persistant symptoms of increased arousal

Description of the onset of symptoms: Chronic

Frequency, severity and duration of PTSD symptoms found: Ongoing symptoms of moderate intensity

Identified behavioral, cognitive,social,affective, or somatic change the vegteran attributes to stress exposure: Veteran identifies avoidance patterns and social withdrwal as the primary current symptom of PTSD. He also notes some intrusive thoughts, sleep disturbances, disturbing memories and images with some combat-related dreams,hyperarousal and ongoing mood irritability, hypervigilance with occasional startle response.

DEGREE OF SEVERITY OF PTSD BASED ON PSYCHOMETRIC DATA Moderate

Does the veteran meet the DSM-IV criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD? Yes

AXIS I: PTSD, chronic, moderate

Major depression, recurrent

AXIS II: Deferred

AXIS III: Per medical record

AXIS IV: health concerns, social isolation, continuing symptoms

AXIS V: Global assessment of functioning 55 time frame

State Prognosis for improvement of psychiatric condition and impairments in functional status: Limited prognosis for improvement

Extent to which disorders other than PTSD are independantly responsible for impairment in psychosocial adjustment/life quality: Major depression, recurrent

I hope this second exam does not decrease my compensation as I count on it every month. Currently 50%sc PTSD, total 70%sc.

Thanks for letting me rant and ramble

Mike

[Pete53]

Hard to tell. Are you able to work?

[Wings]

x

x

x

Appears honest and thorough. Looks positive. I do not see any possible way to decrease your PTSD from this exam. In fact, with your major depression related to health concerns, I'm wondering if your health issues are service-connected, and whether or not you have filed a claim major depression? The diagnosis of PTSD "moderate" and "chronic" suggests long-standing, over many years ... Did you file for an increase? I would not worry. ~Wings

[mike/3/8/cav]

Results of me last exam,

Treatment: Major depression, recurrent; PTSD

FREQUENCY, SEVERITY AND DURATION OF NON-PTSD PSYCHIATRIC/MEDICAL SYMPTOMS:

Ongoing symptoms of major depression, including persistently depressed mood, anhedonia,social withdrawl,impaired concentration and focus. Depression is ongoing, related to an extent to ongoing health concerns.

NO HISTORY OF SUICIDE ATTEMPTS, NO HISTORY OF VIOLANCE

PSYCH EXAM

General appearance, casually dressed, other, appears older than stated age

PSYCHOMOTOR ACTIVITY: Fatigued

SPEECH: hesitant,coherent,other,halting

Attitude: cooperative

Affect: blunted

Mood: anxious,good,dysphoric

Attention: easily distracted, attention disturbance(short attention)

Able to do serial 7's? No

Able to spell a word forward and backword? Yes

Intact to person, time and place: Yes

Thought process: rambling

Does the patient have sleep impairment: Yes,nocturnal awakening, sleep disrupted. Some dreams related to military experiences about twice a week, not always frightining.

MEMORY:

Remote memory: mildly impaired

Recent memory: mildly impaired

Imediate memory: mildly impaired, veteran complains of increasing memory impairment

PTSD SYMPTOMS

Persistent re-experiencing the traumatic eventby: recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections of the event, including images, thoughts, or perceptions. Recurrent or distressing dreams of the event. Intense psychological distress at exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event.

Persistant avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma and numbing of general responsiveness.

Persistant symptoms of increased arousal

Description of the onset of symptoms: Chronic

Frequency, severity and duration of PTSD symptoms found: Ongoing symptoms of moderate intensity

Identified behavioral, cognitive,social,affective, or somatic change the vegteran attributes to stress exposure: Veteran identifies avoidance patterns and social withdrwal as the primary current symptom of PTSD. He also notes some intrusive thoughts, sleep disturbances, disturbing memories and images with some combat-related dreams,hyperarousal and ongoing mood irritability, hypervigilance with occasional startle response.

DEGREE OF SEVERITY OF PTSD BASED ON PSYCHOMETRIC DATA Moderate

Does the veteran meet the DSM-IV criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD? Yes

AXIS I: PTSD, chronic, moderate

Major depression, recurrent

AXIS II: Deferred

AXIS III: Per medical record

AXIS IV: health concerns, social isolation, continuing symptoms

AXIS V: Global assessment of functioning 55 time frame

State Prognosis for improvement of psychiatric condition and impairments in functional status: Limited prognosis for improvement

Extent to which disorders other than PTSD are independantly responsible for impairment in psychosocial adjustment/life quality: Major depression, recurrent

I hope this second exam does not decrease my compensation as I count on it every month. Currently 50%sc PTSD, total 70%sc.

Thanks for letting me rant and ramble

Mike

[mike/3/8/cav]

Thanks for the response,

After I got a copy of this exam, I filed for IU. I have not worked since 2000.

I have been diagnosed with Osteoporosis severe and have not filed for compensation although my private doctor did send a report to the VA of this finding.

I guess most of my depression is based on continued unexpected medical problems that just keep croping up at every doctor visit. Every blood draw seems to come up with something different. Last blood draw found low Testosterone, Vitamin D.

The hits just keep on coming.

Mike

[mike/3/8/cav]

After getting this copy of my exam I filed for IU. I have not filed for Major depression.

I think that this last exam will be going to be rated, so I wait.

My private doctor has also sent his latest report that shows I have severe Osteoporosis from a bone density exam I had a few months ago along with low Testosterone and Vitamin D deficiency.

I think a lot of my depression is related to doctors continuing to find medical problems.

I have not worked since 2000, but have done some menial things since. I just don't feel up to going out and doing something that will cause me to break a bone again.

Mike, Thanks for your responses.

[Pete53]

I would not pay much attention to GruntDaddy Mike, He has been here all of three weeks. The GAF of 55% may be a problem but the only thing that you can do right now is wait. Do you have Social Security? If you do you should make sure VA knows about it., If you don't you should apply for it. 9 years not working is a long time. The VA should address that.