Mentally Disabled, Dont Know How To Procede

[hulamatt]

I was hospitalized in AIT for ajustment disorder with anxiety.....returned to reserve unit, developed paranoid schizophrenia, shortly before going active 6 moths from completion of Ait to active army, finally became diagnosed with schizo while active duty...my question, can i SC teh schizo from my time in Ait being that i developed it within a year after getting out of AIT, or should i focus on, my active time, and that being the time i was diagnosed....i also have in my SMR's as psychosis as being a chronic problem, should i put in a claim for psychosis, and schizo, or just the schizo, i havent had psychosis in 3-4 months....not sure, i put all my marbles in to the schizo, since it is easier, and you can only get paid for one mental health condition, i aslo havent put in a claim for the anxiety ajustment disorder, because i knew i can only get paid for one, so again i went with the schizo....I would have put in for the schizo had i not been trying to stay in , and i did not know anythign about compensation, but since i am no longer able to serve, got an other than honorable from the last enlistment because of schizo and awol, i thought the government was coming after me. so i left....another twist, i remember and this is what my schizo stems from is being given a red pill at the end of basic training and not knowing what it was, i ran into someone at my unit that said the samet thing happened tohim withint months at the same place as my basic, but i doubt a buddy letter would hold since he was not in my unit and did not know me at the time, i've got a hearing coming up on the 17th to determine if my service was honoarble or dishonoarble at the VA, so well see how that goes

[Wings]

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If the evidence in your service medical records (SMR'S) documents a formal diagnosis of schizophrenia while active duty military --that is the VA claim you should file. The diagnosis, if formally diagnosed, might explain or mitigate the AWOL.

You should also plan on filing the necessary Forms for upgrading your military discharge due to a medical condition.

Good Luck at your VA Hearing, hope you have a service officer there to help you. ~Wings

[Pete53]

Good Luck on your hearing. I agree with Wings

[carlie]

I also hope you have a Veterans Service Officer.

[john999]

Definitely get your schizophrenia claim in within one year of discharge. Get the discharege upgrade review also. Whatever you do don't miss any deadlines for your claims or discharge review. You need a sympathetic VSO at your discharge hearing that understands how the schizphrenia could cause you to go awol. A letter from a doctor might also help. What would be even better would be if a shrink could be a witness at your hearing to explain your condition. The people at the hearing don't know psychosis from garden shears.

[hulamatt]

Definitely get your schizophrenia claim in within one year of discharge. Get the discharege upgrade review also. Whatever you do don't miss any deadlines for your claims or discharge review. You need a sympathetic VSO at your discharge hearing that understands how the schizphrenia could cause you to go awol. A letter from a doctor might also help. What would be even better would be if a shrink could be a witness at your hearing to explain your condition. The people at the hearing don't know psychosis from garden shears.

hmmm currently im in the middle of psychiatrist have to get a new one since my old one told me they wouldnt review my smrs and inpatient report because she said only combat vets get anything from the va, so i dont have a psych doc to come, i wonder if i hired one how much they would charge, id like to have the VA doc that saw me, and said i should be held responsible for anything, but i cant get a hold of her, her office is in a locked mental ward, has no voicemail, and hasnt returned notes left by the nurses i called...i guess im just going to have to try and explain it as best i can to them

[john999]

Get the claims and worry about explaining it later. If you let a year pass before you file your psychosis claim it will be much harder to get it SC'ed. If you wait more than three years for discharge review it gets much harder. I think you need a lawyer or good VSO to help you. The more mentally disabled you are the more likely the VA is to nail your hide to the wall. How long has it been since your were discharged from active duty?