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

[mike/3/8/cav]

I don't think Mike ever applied for SSDI. Did you Mike? How long have you been rated 70%? Do you receive CRPD? I hope you get the IU. You certainly qualify for it. So you are moving away from Alaska. I must admit that I have daydreamed about getting away from it all and moving up there. I even found Prince of Wales Island, Alaska on Google Earth. However, Washington is a beautiful State to move to, also. Do you have family there? I was born there.

Best regards,

Bob

I applied for SSDI in 2007 and was denied for not having enough credits.

I was awarded 70% sc from VA last October I think was the month. I do receive CRDP which offsets my military retirement.

Yes, we are looking forward to the move and will miss the "Great Outdoors". But I need to be closer to medical facilities, too much travel for me up here. Otherwise we would stay. Yesterday and today we are spending time smoking Sockeye Salmon. We will miss that and of course the hunting and making Venison jerkey.

Mike

[tssnave]

Mike,

Based on this C&P exam, your PTSD rating should remain at 50%. If you will compare the mental health rating schedule with the questions asked at the end of your exam, you will see they line up nicely with the percentages in the rating schedule and the examiner said "no" to 100%, "no" to 70%, and "yes" to 50%.

Total occ/social = 100% (no)

Deficiencies in most areas = 70% (no)

Reduced reliability = 50% (yes)

However, having said that, my C&P examiner said yes to Total occ/social impairment which meant 100% but the VA rated me 50% despite the C&P exam and other evidence to support 100%. I got 100% P&T on appeal but what a hassle.

Here's the mental health rating schedule link: http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/regs/38CFR/BOO...ART4/S4_130.DOC

If you are able to successfully apply for and win SS after the 5:10 year window by using an earlier date of disability than the date you apply for benefits, please let me know. I didn't realize you could apply for SS if you had a mental disorder until recently and I haven't worked for over 10 years. Had I known, I would have applied 10 years ago after I lost my last job but I was told by the SS phone folks that you have to have worked 5 of the last 10 years and by now all my credits are too far in the past. If there is a rule, regulation, or law that lets you put a date of disability the predates your filing I have yet to find it (and I've asked here on hadit which is the only place I know to ask).

Thanks and keep us posted on how things play out for you,

TS Snave

[mike/3/8/cav]

Mike,

Based on this C&P exam, your PTSD rating should remain at 50%. If you will compare the mental health rating schedule with the questions asked at the end of your exam, you will see they line up nicely with the percentages in the rating schedule and the examiner said "no" to 100%, "no" to 70%, and "yes" to 50%.

Total occ/social = 100% (no)

Deficiencies in most areas = 70% (no)

Reduced reliability = 50% (yes)

However, having said that, my C&P examiner said yes to Total occ/social impairment which meant 100% but the VA rated me 50% despite the C&P exam and other evidence to support 100%. I got 100% P&T on appeal but what a hassle.

Here's the mental health rating schedule link: http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/regs/38CFR/BOO...ART4/S4_130.DOC

If you are able to successfully apply for and win SS after the 5:10 year window by using an earlier date of disability than the date you apply for benefits, please let me know. I didn't realize you could apply for SS if you had a mental disorder until recently and I haven't worked for over 10 years. Had I known, I would have applied 10 years ago after I lost my last job but I was told by the SS phone folks that you have to have worked 5 of the last 10 years and by now all my credits are too far in the past. If there is a rule, regulation, or law that lets you put a date of disability the predates your filing I have yet to find it (and I've asked here on hadit which is the only place I know to ask).

Thanks and keep us posted on how things play out for you,

TS Snave

Another question'

My first exam was last year August specifically for PTSD. This last exam was for Mental Health. Is there a difference? Why two exams so close together? Could I be rated for PTSD and seperately for Major depression? Just wondering.

Mike

[mike/3/8/cav]

Just wondering,

Could it be possible that this last Mental health exam could carry a seperate rating other than PTSD? Just wondering because they diagnosed Major depression this time and not the first time.

Thanks

Mike

[purple]

You can have more than one dx....but can only be SCd for one mental health condition.

[mike/3/8/cav]

You can have more than one dx....but can only be SCd for one mental health condition.

Thanks Purple,

I just have a lot of things going throug my mind while waiting on my rating. Sorry to be a bug about stuff. Anxious and waiting is tough as I'm sure you know. You, hang in there and take care and be safe. There are angels on all our shoulders.

Mike