ptsd Exam Coming Up

[rydastar]

a bit apprehensive for this weeks ptsd exam, thurs is a computer exam i am told,? And then fri for a psychiatrist evaluation for my ptsd claim...I hope i can get across my thoughts properly to him/her, as to what i need to say, and not forget things that need to be said.?

i think i need to let it be known that i am on SSDI also, dont know if that helps,but i don't think it can hurt. will up date here when i am done, for my thoughts and let you know. later ryd..

[aza]

I'm reading on this board and want to thank y'all for the information. I'm waiting to hear what happens next after I sent my papers in for a NOD. PTSD.

(They denied my claim 3 months after I sent in the informal. I thought I had a year and wasn't able to get things together in the shorter time frame. Writing the stressor letter pushed me off the deep end pretty bad.)

My VSO said the C&P is supposed to come next. I'm anxious about it. Being grilled by strangers sounds pretty intimidating...

I'm reading that people get rated for various things at once? I'm not able to work anymore, but a lot of that is chronic pain that has gotten worse over the years. That pain I attribute to the PTSD due to the constant muscle tenseness from anxiety. Also headaches-migraines started in the Navy.

Should I say anything about that, too? Or do you do one at a time? Like, get the PTSD rating done, then file for the physical stuff?

Do I talk about everything or just try to stay focused on the PTSD symptoms?

Also--

My counselor at the vet center that I have been seeing worked with me on writing a nexus letter. (She wanted me to be in on it since I tend to be paranoid.) Last week I saw her and she showed me the final letter- said she'd made a few changes, and sent it in. It was a mess. She had me as Mrs.,-I am single -had dates, location, MOS wrong, --basically, if I'd been allowed to edit it first, there would have a lot of red ink. She also didn't use the form they like: "It is my opinion that (it is more likely than not) that Ms. Jane Doe's (the condition) was incurred or aggravated during active service."

My heart sank when I saw what she'd done. What was the point of doing it with me the first time if she was just going to do that? I wish she'd shown me the revised version before sending it, but that can't be helped now. How much damage can that cause?

~aza