ptsd Ptsd Claim Survey Importance?

[cowgirl]

How important is submitting the PTSD claim survey to decision in favor of vet for PTSD? I havent found out how much 'weight' that survey holds exactly. So far, my guess is it considered personal testimony of experience and stressors involved. The weight I am looking for is in a claim with STRs. military and civilian reports. Is the survey required to be completed if the VA sends it out to the veteran?

[john999]

If the VA gives you a survey related to your PTSD claim I would sure as heck take the opportunity to fill it out. They are giving you a chance to rate your symptoms. Guess how you should answer? The VA is initiating this so blast away. Why would you not fill it out? They are asking to be hit on the chin. The rattlesnake is giving you a hoe to chop it with and now is the time.

[JamesBreckenridge]

How important is submitting the PTSD claim survey to decision in favor of vet for PTSD? I havent found out how much 'weight' that survey holds exactly. So far, my guess is it considered personal testimony of experience and stressors involved. The weight I am looking for is in a claim with STRs. military and civilian reports. Is the survey required to be completed if the VA sends it out to the veteran?

Cowgirl, are you talking about an 0781??? If so, YES we need that, in order to help us confirm a stressor. Currently, to get service connection for PTSD on a presumptive basis requires 3 things:

1: An in service stressor (one actually confirmed by records, conceded due to combat medals, or indicated due to "markers" in the records as we often see in military sexual trauma cases). This is where the 0781 comes in, it can give us clues about what to research. "Hmm, vet says he was at Fort Dismal and there was a terrible plane crash there and he worked the scene. His records say he was there, but don't reference the incident. Aha! Google says the incident occurred at the place and time the vet says it did when he filled out his 0781. That's good enough for me, I'll consider his stressor confirmed, and set him up for an examination."

2. A diagnosis of PTSD that meets the criteria of the DSM-IV. Your private doctor's diagnosis isn't going to cut it here. For that matter, neither is the VA doctor in charge of group therapy or VA primary care doctor. It has to be a full blown specific examination just for PTSD, and it has to meet the criteria.

3. The examiner has to draw a nexus between the diagnosis of PTSD and the stressor.

I say presumptive because there are two other avenues for service connection for PTSD. You can get it on a direct basis if you were actually diagnosed with it during service, in which case none of the stressor/diagnosis/nexus rigamarole comes into play. There is also aggravation; a lot of people come into the military as "damaged goods", and are fine for a few years, until something happens and it all comes unravelled. I can ask a doctor for a medical opinion along the lines of "Doc, note that vet has psych issues pre-service but was waivered in and served for three years with no issues. If this condition did exist prior to service, was it aggravated beyond the natural progression by service?" The answer would usually be yes.

Okay, enough about that. Hope it helps.