Bi-Polar

[gnj1119]

I was just recently on active duty where I was given a diagnosis of bi-polar type 1. I was previously receiving 20% for an ankle and toe injury. I have a total of 8 years. I was active duty from 1993-1998. I was chaptered out for pattern of misconduct. Things like not shaving, excessive dept. things of that nature. I was commissioned in 2008. I have been mobilized from 2009 til the end of 2010. When I was diagnosed the active component REFRAD me and sent me back to my unit. My reserve unit is now de-activating. Now the army is sending me to the IRR. My psychiatrist recommended a MED board. I am about to just resign my commission because the stress and anxiety of having to deal with the system is too much to deal with. My concern is that I have a brother that is Bi-polar and the VA may say that it is not service connected. I have excellent OER's and My enlisted record is also pretty decent. I received an AAM 1 week before my Chapter 14 in 1998. If there was not any documentation or need for treatment prior to being diagnosed on active duty will this qualify for SC disability.

[Pete53]

Welcome to Hadit

[carlie]

Welcome to Hadit.com

Other's will chime in.

[Berta]

"I was just recently on active duty where I was given a diagnosis of bi-polar type 1"

With this inservice Mil diagnosis,the Bi polar should be service connected. But that is a "should".

Dont leave the Mil without a copy of your SMRs and try to get copies of your personnel file as well.

"My psychiatrist recommended a MED board." We have MEB link below.

There is some medical suggestion that bi polar can run in families.But I assume your entrance exam had no prior MH issues listed and you were deemed as fit for service.

Others will chime in here too.

The VA has SCed bi polar vets -to include a good friend of mine.

In helping him with his claim I read many bipolar claims at the BVA web site.

I never saw one that was denied because of any hereditary link. I guess it is possible but the search I just did at google asking if bipolar can run in families didn't seem to pop up with any legit medical sites like Mayo, or John Hopkins, etc.

By all means file the claim.

If the VA denies it saying you got it from a hereditary reason ,they would have to provide an ample medical rationale for that.

Edited January 27, 2011 by Berta

[Bonzai]

Just because one brother is Bipolar doesn't necessarily mean the other siblings will be Bipolar also. I am Bipolar, and none of my five sisters or one brother has Bipolar. Lots of research has been done into what may cause Bipolar, and there can be a genetic factor involved, but not in all cases. I am the only one with Bipolar in my immediate family.

If you had Bipolar as a pre-existing condition, then they would have to prove that. But not only that, they would have to prove that your condition was NOT aggravated by your service. I may be wrong, but if you had Bipolar prior to entry into the service, then they probably would have denied you as unfit. Bipolar can manifest itself during many phases of life, and stress seems to play a big part of it. I know in my case it does, so I try to keep things as low-stress as I can.

Since you have the diagnosis of Bipolar in your Service Medical Records (SMRs), you shouldn't really run into a problem of it being service-connected. How they rate it depends on the severity of your Bipolar.

just my opinion...

Welcome to HadIt!

[justrluk]

I work for a Reserve Headquarters and had almost the same thing happen. DO NOT RESIGN! DO NOT LET THEM TRANSFER YOU TO THE IRR! While in the IRR, you are still considered part of the employable/strategic component, and therefore not eligible for benefits other than what you may have earned while on orders, deployed, reconstituted, etc. upon return/end of tour.

Question: Did you receive TREATMENT while on orders (counseling, meds, etc.)? If so, you need to request that you continue treatment and should be placed in a "Line of Duty" status. The military is required to keep you on orders if you are in treatment and until your condition stabilizes. Check with your treating physician and don't let this issue slide by.

If you're not in treatment, get there. You should be eligible for care based on your length of tour. I can't recall the time that your component might provide care after being on extended active duty, so look into it. If the condition was worsened by being on orders, you should also be able to STAY on orders during your period of treatment (if it warrants in-patient care, etc.).

You need to let the MEB proceed. You, the member can't formally request one, but you can agree with your doc and ask him/her to help you make the best choice. If he or she recommends an MEB, find out who your PEBLO (Physical Evaluation Board Liaison) is and become their best friend. Check weekly; bug the crap out of them.

If you are offered the standard "20%", consider appealing it. This may take some time, and they usually tell you that if you appeal you could lose everything. This is a bunch of garbage. If you appeal, you might want to get representation - OR - you could accept the 20% and move on into the VA system.

I agree with others: get a copy of your medical records BEFORE they are sent to the MEB. Mine were somehow lost on their way back home (20+ years of documentation) and it has cost me years of having to prove other conditions were service connected.

Also, keep documentation of all conversations with your superiors and coworkers regarding your status. In my case, my commander had someone in the room every time we talked once the MEB process started. I wrote every word down (made her really nervous) and used the documentation to prove my treatment by my superiors during the MEB process. Protect yourself with documentation.

Lastly, don't give up or lose hope. You have rights and entitlements in this process.

[gnj1119]

My situation is a little unique. I am actiually a psychiatric nurse. I was working at Walter Reed on the inpatient psych floor. I started to get depressed and suicidal. I talked to one of the doctors there and he had prescribed some medication. After about a week or two the suicidal ideation was getting worse. My co-workers noticed the changes. I was then sent over to Bethesda naval hospital as an inpatient for about a week. After that I returned to work, on a no patient care profile. The depression was still present and I was seeing a psychiatrist once a week. After about a month and a half he decided that I needed an Intensive outpatient program. I was in that for 8 hours a day, 5 days per week. For a little over a month. I still needed the program but my active duty orders expired. My LTC. Doctor tried everything to get the hospital to give me a medical extension of my orders. The Birgade surgeon an O6 told everyone I was not to leave Walter Reed. No one would listen. They made me drive to Ft. Benning to demob then back to my H.O.R in NJ.

At Walter Reed prior to leaving the med board was started i have a S3 profile; no deployment, no weapon, regular work schedule, no overnight duty. However they stopped it due to me leaving. I do not have a LOD form. I am going to drive to DC next week to get copies of all my records. I have a job with the state of NJ and have good benifits so I am not worried about the health care. From the last time I went to the VA i'm not impressed anyway. I have an appointment with a psychiatrist on 2/1/11.