ptsd Advice To Write Claim For Ptsd

[Signal6]

How much detail should I put in my letter asking for PTSD SC? Do I write a long detailed letter about all my problems and issues, or just a short version that includes the diagnosis by the Dr. I don't want to waste a lot of time if it doens't matter and everything will be decided by the Dr. diagnosis and C&P.

Any examples that someone is willing to share or if you are willing to read my letter and provide feedback please let me know. I would post my letter thus far here, but not sure if that is appropriate.

Thanks

[Medic4849]

start now ......just facts .....and dont try to do it all at once.... it was painful,emotional and depressing for me to do it, but you must and will do it.

good luck.

Iwould read your letter brother,but thats a personal choice you make.

[carlie]

Signal6,

Check your PM section.

carlie

[da_old_ chief]

Just try and put the facts down You don't have to do it all at once. Putting down the stressors took me 2 weeks to do

[Berta]

It helps to put down the most likely verifiable stressor (s) first, although if this is the initial request for PTSD comp, they will ask you for more info in the VCAA letter they will send about 3 months after they get the claim.

I dont know if the VA still uses the PTSD questionnaire form.They gave this to my husband prior to his going into the PTSD 21 day inhouse program at Buffalo.

It had a month by month area for his year in Vietnam and what stressors or events occurred. He also attached a separate page to give them more details as to time and place of the stressor and what happened.

Just like da old chief-this took him a week to do- he paced the floor constantly and didnt get much sleep.

I thought he had told me all of his stressors until I saw that chronological form he filled out.I was stunned by it.I still have it but it wouldn't help anyone unless they were in 1st MarDiv 65-66-Amphibious Trackter Battalion on the same dates he gave for his stressors.

The important thing about stressors is that you have to give them enough detail that they can find the stressor event in the unit history. Also now is the time to attempt to find a buddy if you feel you will need a buddy statement to verify something that the JSRRC cannot find in the unit records.

Also one of my husband's stressors was the death of his best friend in Vietnam.He was supposed to be waved into an intersection outside of Danang that had been swept that AM and there were visible American vehicle tracks over it-for some reason hs friend in a tank at his left was waved into the intersection first. The tank exploded and killed his friend throwing my husband

about 100 ft away from his Deuce and half. Of course his friend was dead and Rod retrieved his body from the wreckage.(after the road had been swept the enemy rolled American jeep tires over it so it appeared there were no hidden mines at the intersection)

I don't know if the VA verified this stressor . At some point we went to the Wall and made pencil etchings of the panel with his buddy's name on it.His rep told him to send one of them to the VA to verify the stressor but I dont recall it ever being mentioned in any decision.He had other stressors they could verify as well.

Wall tracings can help prove a stressor this way.

If you have the PH, CiB, or CAR on your DD 214 the VA will most likely concede the stressor without having to check it.

In all other cases they need enough details on the stressor to verify at least one of the stressors with the JSRRC (Joint Services Records Research Center).

Edited February 26, 2010 by Berta

[Signal6]

Thanks for all the responses, I do have a PH and CAB, both on my DD214. I will just list everything in the request and probably do it again when I get the response and VCAA letter. The one question, do I need to list all stessors or just a couple major ones?

[Berta]

A PH is a Major stressor as well as the CAB denotes combat that certainly would have most likely involved stressors.

These would be the strongest ones but you could list more if you feel you should.

But I sure don't think you would even need to.