Just Got Out Of Mental Heath

[ranger11bv]

I just got out of the mental health ward at the VA in Phoenix. I was wondering if I should file and what for??

[Quibley]

Ranger: I currently have a 16 month old ongoing PTSD claim secondary to personal assault, along with TBI and TDIU. I will let you know in a few days how it went. At the top of the PTSD forum,Carlie placed the actual form you fill out to claim PTSD secondary to personal assault. Sadly these cases are very hard to prove and very hard to win. If you have no direct evidence such as hospital, sick call or police reports, you are at least going to need a buddy statement from someone who served with you who had some knowledge of your assault. The secondary sources of evidence such as requests for a transfer to another military duty assignment; deterioration in work performance; substance abuse; episodes of depression, panic attacks, or anxiety without an identifiable cause; or unexplained economic or social behavior changes are all fine and dandy but at the end of the day you need something definitive. If you don't have any type of evidence whatsoever, your only hope is having a doctor opine that you have PTSD and that he or she believes that it is at least likely as not that your PTSD is the result of an in-service physical assault.

Without direct evidence of your assault or buddy statements, you are almost certainly destined to be denied by your local VARO and your only real shot is the BVA. I've looked at a few hundred PTSD - physical assault cases in the BVA archives and they sometimes award PTSD secondary to personal assault if the veteran has strong IMO's and VA doctor opinions that they sincerely believe that the condition is the result of the in service assault and you have your secondary sources of evidence in order.

I'm not going to sugar coat it for you. Non-combat, physical assault PTSD cases are some of the most difficult cases in the VA system to win. It is possible but you are going to have to really do your homework. Research, research, research.

With your combat service in the gulf, I'm surprised you don't file PTSD based on that. Also, you can always file for depression.

If you have any questions, I'll do my best to help.

God bless and good luck.

Quibley

Edited August 4, 2010 by Quibley

[Berta]

I agree with Commander Bob and Quibley-as the new rules should help you- with your combat service.

I can sure understand that the assault has definitely caused you many problems-it would bother and distress anyone- but we feel that the claim has a much better chance under the new regs because you seem to fit into them and to be the very type of veteran these regs should help.

Have you gone over the Gulf War regulations ,under our Gulf War forum? I wonder if the joint pain has ever been or could diagnosed as fibromyalgia.

Still your strong point as I see it- and others here do too-is the PTSD.

List of problems - Computerized:

Bipolar D/o NOS

Joint pain

Mood Disorder

Occupational problems (you think....)

Personality disorder NOS

PTSD

Headaches

Depressive Disorder NOS

Is this list from a VA rating decisions?

Edited August 5, 2010 by Berta

[carlie]

ranger,

Do you have any SPN code listed on your DD214 ?

What reason did DOD provide for the discharge of General - Under Honorable Conditions ?

You posted you just got out of the MH unit with a Diagnosis of "PTSD w/ depression".

I would certainly high tail it to ROI and get a copy of your recent hospital stay to verify

what the MH people wrote up. If they actually listed PTSD they may have provided a nexus.

Your Axis info would be quite important.

Also, in your "List of problems - Computerized", that "Personality disorder NOS"

may work against you, especially if it's connected in any way to your discharge of General - Under Honorable Conditions.

[LarryJ]

I'm still trying to figure out what is a "List of Problems - Computerized"? I must be sorta slow this morning.

[john999]

If Ranger was discharged due to a PD and let that discharge slide for 20 years it is going to be some trouble. We all know that many vets with PTSD have been discharged as personality disorders. No question in my mind that if you qualify for a PTSD claim by being in the Gulf War combat zone that would be the way to go. Trying to prove that an event happened in basic training 25 years ago is going to be almost impossible unless the event was reported. The non-combat PTSD claim is probably a loser while the combat PTSD claim under new regs is a winner. It took 40 years for this to open up so every vet who has PTSD symptoms and who was in a combat zone should file now before they change this rule again and make it harder. You don't get many gifts from the VA but this is one.

[ranger11bv]

I agree with Commander Bob and Quibley-as the new rules should help you- with your combat service.

I can sure understand that the assault has definitely caused you many problems-it would bother and distress anyone- but we feel that the claim has a much better chance under the new regs because you seem to fit into them and to be the very type of veteran these regs should help.

Have you gone over the Gulf War regulations ,under our Gulf War forum? I wonder if the joint pain has ever been or could diagnosed as fibromyalgia.

Still your strong point as I see it- and others here do too-is the PTSD.

List of problems - Computerized:

Bipolar D/o NOS

Joint pain

Mood Disorder

Occupational problems (you think....)

Personality disorder NOS

PTSD

Headaches

Depressive Disorder NOS

Is this list from a VA rating decisions?

Its from the copy I got right after my stay at the MH ward.