ptsd Major Depressive Disorder

[frosty69]

I have been reading, but can't seem to find out the answer. does anyone know if you can file for a separate comp claim for Major depressive disorder a (mood disorder) while PTSD, panic attacks with agoraphobia is classified as (Anxiety Disorders) or does the VA say they are the same thing for compensation purposes.

[Jay Johnson]

Unless something has changed recently, all mental disorders fall under "9440 Chronic adjustment disorder", with the exception of eating disorders ("9520 Anorexia nervosa & 9521 Bulimia nervosa"). Again, this is one of those discrimination things for mentally ill vets....you can have several different ratings for "arm pain", but they lump EVERY mental disorder into the "you're crazy" category.

[john999]

Frosty

The compensation for all mental disorders is the same, but PTSD requires a specific stressor. If you are 100% for PTSD you are not going to get another 100% for depression or schizophrenia or any other mental problem.

[Hoppy]

Aside from the compensation issues, filing different claims would have different reasons and basis for service connection. I filed for PTSD, anxiety disorder and schizo affective disorder. The reason being that I did not have to prove the actual stressor for anxiety disorder and schizo affective. I had three different diagnoses from different doctors. All psychiatric conditions were secondary to a life threatening disease that had been previously service connected. Also to complicate matters I claimed that they were all misdiagnosed and that the actual diagnosis was a non pathological adjustment disorder involving secondary avoidance behavior associated with trying to live with a life threatening disease as defined in the DSM IV. I told the DRO that I would have no problem getting such a diagnosis. This was due to the fact that the GAF score I got from Social Security (40) was based soley on the way I live my life as I was instructed by ER physicians (allergy management plan) and Labor law attorneys (employee protections from pre-existing medical comditions) who represented in my unsucessfull attempts to retain employment with city government. When they found out I had this disease the attorny pulled out of vocational rehanilitation against my will. Saying that I could not kill myself under "his labor law" Which, by the way, was main stream. I could not find anybody in the field who represented qualifed injured workers interested in getting me back into voc rehab.

In the end the DRO determined that the multiple diagnosis were entwined and could not be resolved. There are advantages to multiple diagnosis. Just be carefull that they do not call any of them intercurrent injuries not related to service. That was not an issue in my claim since it was clear that my service connected angioedema was base line involved in all of the psychiatric diagnoses. It was clear from my SMR that angioedema onset while serving on active duty. It was also clear that I started avoidance behavior to control the angioedema condition also while serving in the armed forces.

[frosty69]

thanks for the answers, I sort of figured, they would lump everything to together, even though anxienty and mood disorders, by what I have been reading, are different in a lot of ways, but also the same on some issues.

[Jay Johnson]

thanks for the answers, I sort of figured, they would lump everything to together, even though anxienty and mood disorders, by what I have been reading, are different in a lot of ways, but also the same on some issues.

I find it both hillarious and sad that all disorders linked to the brain (the most complicated organ in our body by FAR) are all linked together, but there are probably 100 different diagnosis for "back pain", which is fairly simple by comparison. This is nothing more then typical stereotyping of mental disorders that has been going on in this country for decades.

[john999]

Jay

The VA said I had schizophrenia, depression, panic disorder, dissasociative disorder,PTSD and a couple of other things. They just lumped it all together. They have changed my diagnosis so often I know they have no idea what they are doing. As long as I get my money each month I just shake my head and go along since there is no point in fighting it. Oh, and they tack on a personality disorder just to round things out.