ptsd Ptsd

[Bob-e]

If as a boy I had witnessed my little brother drown (CPR resuscitated) in the family pool then as an adult I witnessed one of my classmates in SAR school drown (Oxygen bottle resuscitated). The SAR drowning exacerbated the earlier PTSD from childhood. Does that fall under the purview of the law?

Also, as a Navy whistle-blower in 1985., when the US Navy branded, slandered and libeled me publicly in the press, and in the very halls of Congress while I testified to Congress about the $320,000,000 fraud, waste and abuse on the USS Kitty Hawk. The mental trauma I received prior to that from being thrown into the streets with seventy-two days left on active duty, without any support from the Navy, made me feel as abandoned as Chuck Connors in the television show Branded™. Being branded, and drummed out of service, and then having the VA turn its back on me since 1993, has left me twenty-five years later with Dysthymia, MDD, PTSD and Panic Attacks.

I am not in good health and am mentally and 100% physically permanently disabled. I went to the VA last week for a meeting with my third psychiatrist in five months. Yeah, one part assembly-line socialized medicine, one part shuffle the buck and the final piece - having my psychologist insult me multiple times.

Anyway, I had a melt down and yelled at the new psychiatrist, which turns out is NOT a good way to let off anger. Of course, until the VA approves my service connected, and service caused claim, the shrinks can't actually talk with me about what is causing my mental problems and anguish - Catch-22.

They almost admitted me - that scares me. My wife was there and assured them just because I yelled doesn't make me dangerous. I was just pissed-off about be pissed-on by the VA.

I just want fair and legal compensation, and treatment, so I can have an opportunity to once again see happiness in the world - instead, of hidden threats from ghostly foes.

Please read my blog if you want to know more: http://cid-5d732de5984e829c.profile.live.com/

[Berta]

What was the exact wording of the VA lastest PTSD denial to you regarding their reasons and bases?

Can you cover any personal info and scan that part of the decision and post it here ?

[carlie]

This is the best I could find on the mortality rate:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/sear...=clnk&gl=us

There is not anything in this link AT ALL, that supports the statistics that stated,

"95% of people with Dysthymia do commit suicide."

carlie

[carlie]

I am confident the PTSD will ultimately be awarded to me along with the rest of the ensuing medical issues, except the tinnitus. If however, I can't get an answer from the VA by the end of June I will look into finding a lawyer to help me. Perhaps a member may be able to give me a referral? I just don't want to lose 20% of all of the money I will have for the rest of my life. I am unable to work due to physical disabilities.

Bob-e

Bob-e,

The lawyer doesn't get 20 % for the rest of your life.

The lawyer gets their percentage out of the amount thats awarded when your claim first gets granted.

VA is not going to read all of the other stuff you keep posting.

All that will count towards a claim for PTSD is if you can get :

1) VA to concede and verify that a stressor occurred on active duty.

2) That you currently have a disabling condition, due to that stressor.

3) A Mental health doctor to provide a nexus between these two

that they can and do fully support with full medical rationale.

This is ALL that will matter to VA in adjudicating your claim.

jmho,

carlie

[Pete53]

I am going to rant about Lawyers so be warned if you want to pass or ignore it.

I see over time many Veterans who fight the idea of hiring a Lawyer. And yet although 20% of a retro check can be a lot of money I submit the following.

I won Social Security in 4 months using VA Medical Evidence. It took me 5 and 1/2 years to win and than I lost 27 months of back pay cause of VA trickery. Every day I see Veterans who say that they are cheated out of proper effective dates and many who complain of long waits.

If I had been able to hire a lawyer in 1991 I submit that a Lawyer would have gotten the claim finished sooner and I would have gotten a proper effective date. So instead of paying a lawyer 10 or 20 thousand I lost the use of a proper check for 5 and one half years and and over 53 thousand dollars by my estimate not to mention the grief and hardship I endured.

So when I see a Veteran bitching about paying a lawyer I really have very little sympathy.

When we are injured and we fight the VA we make a lot of mistakes and it is personal also. I know because of dumb things I did I lost time and money.

If I had it to do over and the VA would allow Lawyers I would have hired one as soon as I saw what a bunch of bastards I was dealing with.

So if you don't want to hire a lawyer that is your business but I see a lot of people who get wrapped up and obsessed with their claim and it sits and sits and sits.

There has been rumors that claims who are handled by lawyers are given to special teams at VA.

The VA is not your friend and they are not here to help you. Your claim is yours not your Service Officers or anyone else. Many Veterans see a Service Officer who helps them fill out paper work and go home under the delusion that someone is minding the store and as most of us know that really does not happen.

The fact is most who have been on Hadit a few months are better informed than 90% of the Service Officers.

Just my opinion.

The VA uses Laws and Regulations and medical evidence. Going to VA for treatment is something but unless you submit and ask the right questions I doubt that your Rating Officer even reads it.

[bandido60]

Carlie

No Ma'am

[john999]

When I first filed for IU I made many mistakes that came back to bite me in the ass. This was because I just did not understand how the VA really operated. If I could have hired a lawyer to avoid these costly mistakes it would have been a bargain. Many lawyers have doctors they send patients too for opinions. You can bet they get value for their money. I had to wing it, and some of my doctors made minor mistakes that the VA used to deny me. It was because the system was a mystery to all of us at the time.