ptsd Please Help...ptsd Question

[gbachman]

I have just returned home from my 6th tour since 9/11 a few months ago(4 w/ USMC and 2 with Army). As time has gone on, I notice that stuff isnt right, and things have changed. I have alot on my mind about stuff I have done and seen.

I am currently employed in a civilian job, as I am in the National Guard for the military side, and my civilian job has good ins. So with that, my question is this. If I were to ever lose my job for whatever reason, and I was being treated for PTSD, what would be the best way to go about doing things right now, so I could make a service claim in the future if I had too?

Should I go to a civilian doctor first, get diagnosed, and then take that to the VA, or should I go to the VA, and get diagnosed by them? Would a civilian doctor's recommendations hold more weight?

Liked I said, I am not looking to get rich, or even use this until I needed it. I just want yall's opinion into the best way to go about this process.

Thanks for all of your input...

[Testvet]

you should HAVE the diagnosis of PTSD BEFORE you file a claim if you file a claim first and then hope they diagnose you with PTSD all you are doing by trying this is highlighting the fact that you are seeking compensation before you have even been treated let alone diagnosed by a VA doc

if they get that notion in their heads and make notes of it in their files you may end up fighting with the VA for years before you get a claimed approved if ever if you have PTSD then seek treatment and the diagnosis before filing a claim as soon as you GET the diagnosis then submit your claim have it ready to go if you can point out one "stressor" that can be verified then that will make the claim that much easier to process, yes I know they are saying that the new rules are supposed to give weight to claims based on just being in a combat zone but the VA is the VA and the better YOU make the file documented the easier it will be to have your claim APPROVED if you want to fight with the VA

just tell them that the new rules said that you don't have to PROVE a stressor incident just that you have PTSD and it was caused by things you saw in the war zone and as sure as little green apples you will be appealing their denials for years make it easier on yourself and give them as much information as you can PTSD is stressful enough don't make it worse by filing a flimsy claim and appear to be a "check seeking vet" once they lable you that way you will spend the rest of your life fighting that initial image

I was tagged as a "crusader" trying to make them admit a human experimentation program harmed me and they made me miserable for 7 years don't repeat MY mistakes make your claim easier as easy as you can fighting with the VARO is not fun and just makes your depression worse......

as a combat vet you can go to a Vet Center for diagnosis and treatment if your VAMC is far away most big towns have Vet Centers or go to VA mental health but I think you have to register at the VAMC for an ID card and get into their data base I had my primary care doc refer me to mental health I had been a patient at the VA since 1997 for cardiac issues I never asked to see mental health until Dec 2002 they got me an appt in Jan 2003 and I have been in treatment ever since I was rated at 100% P&T for PTSD and the cardiac claim was approved by a BVA Judge in April 2009 long fight just because I pizzed them off please don't make the same mistakes I did

[Berta]

What gets me about the new PTSD regs is that the diagnosis has to come from a VA mental Health provider.

What if the VA doc says in their opinion a vet does NOT have PTSD. It seems to me under the old scenario that the vet could get an IMO from a outside shrink stating the vet DOES have PTSD but under the new regs I dont think that would raise the bar enough to be considered Relative Equipoise.=even if the IMO came from Sigmund Freud.

VA mental health providers certainly have the expertise to diagnose PTSD properly but many here know how the VA can improperly diagnose PTSD.

I still think about an Iraq combat vet interviewed on TV with TBI residuals and obviously had PTSD.AN IED causing TBI IS a STressor!

The VA told him he had a Personality Disorder and denied his claim.

That kind of VA crap makes me want to give the VA

PTSD.

[Guest Cliph]

Unfortunately, you are incorrect:

"10. As the regulatory revision seems to require an enhanced role for the examining VA mental health professional, whose role is it to determine whether the claimed stressor is consistent with the Veteran's service?

VA adjudicators, not the examining psychiatrist or psychologist, will decide whether the claimed stressor is consistent with the Veteran's service."

You have made a couple of other inaccurate assumptions also, but........whatever.

Unfortunately, you are incorrect:

"10. As the regulatory revision seems to require an enhanced role for the examining VA mental health professional, whose role is it to determine whether the claimed stressor is consistent with the Veteran's service?

VA adjudicators, not the examining psychiatrist or psychologist, will decide whether the claimed stressor is consistent with the Veteran's service."

You have made a couple of other inaccurate assumptions also, but........whatever.

Unfortunately, you are incorrect:

"10. As the regulatory revision seems to require an enhanced role for the examining VA mental health professional, whose role is it to determine whether the claimed stressor is consistent with the Veteran's service?

VA adjudicators, not the examining psychiatrist or psychologist, will decide whether the claimed stressor is consistent with the Veteran's service."

You have made a couple of other inaccurate assumptions also, but........whatever.

[Guest Cliph]

I'm unclear what the source of Number 10 is, but is says10. As the regulatory revision seems to require an enhanced role for the examining VA mental health professional, whose role is it to determine whether the claimed stressor is consistent with the Veteran's service?

So it seems that we are saying the same thing, that is that the examing VA mental health professional to decide if the Vet's story about his service is realitic given that Vet's service, NOT adjudicators. At any rate, the Officiail News release is available at VA.gov, so all may read it for themselves and apply one's individual interpretation of the new Reg.

[Guest Cliph]

you should HAVE the diagnosis of PTSD BEFORE you file a claim if you file a claim first and then hope they diagnose you with PTSD all you are doing by trying this is highlighting the fact that you are seeking compensation before you have even been treated let alone diagnosed by a VA doc

if they get that notion in their heads and make notes of it in their files you may end up fighting with the VA for years before you get a claimed approved if ever if you have PTSD then seek treatment and the diagnosis before filing a claim as soon as you GET the diagnosis then submit your claim have it ready to go if you can point out one "stressor" that can be verified then that will make the claim that much easier to process, yes I know they are saying that the new rules are supposed to give weight to claims based on just being in a combat zone but the VA is the VA and the better YOU make the file documented the easier it will be to have your claim APPROVED if you want to fight with the VA

just tell them that the new rules said that you don't have to PROVE a stressor incident just that you have PTSD and it was caused by things you saw in the war zone and as sure as little green apples you will be appealing their denials for years make it easier on yourself and give them as much information as you can PTSD is stressful enough don't make it worse by filing a flimsy claim and appear to be a "check seeking vet" once they lable you that way you will spend the rest of your life fighting that initial image

I was tagged as a "crusader" trying to make them admit a human experimentation program harmed me and they made me miserable for 7 years don't repeat MY mistakes make your claim easier as easy as you can fighting with the VARO is not fun and just makes your depression worse......

as a combat vet you can go to a Vet Center for diagnosis and treatment if your VAMC is far away most big towns have Vet Centers or go to VA mental health but I think you have to register at the VAMC for an ID card and get into their data base I had my primary care doc refer me to mental health I had been a patient at the VA since 1997 for cardiac issues I never asked to see mental health until Dec 2002 they got me an appt in Jan 2003 and I have been in treatment ever since I was rated at 100% P&T for PTSD and the cardiac claim was approved by a BVA Judge in April 2009 long fight just because I pizzed them off please don't make the same mistakes I did

[Chu Lai69]

Is a VET Center PYSC considered a VA PYSC and not a private IMO?? May be a dumb question, but if a VET CENTER PYSC dx's you with PTSD caused by your Service and that you are not able to work because of it, does that count as a VA PYSC dx of your PTSD?