ptsd Any Advice Appreciated

[Melancholy_Sleestak]

First off, I am a soldier who has been successful in being awarded a diagnosis of PTSD with substance abuse due to Military Sexual Trauma. For this I am surprised, glad and thankful to those that helped me on this forum and those who corroborated my claim.

However, I also filed for PTSD as a result of my experience in Saudi Arabia as a result of SCUD attacks. This was not awarded to me or mentioned in my award letter. It seems they said "Yes you qualify for PTSD and we'll just pick this one reason."

I have not contacted my VSO about this and was hoping to get the opinion of this community.

I am currently trying to get into an inpatient program and I'm afraid of having my successful claim compromised by also discussing the psychological impacts of what I experienced in Saudi Arabia vs being molested by my Drill SGT. The fear of death by chemical weapons was in itself entirely traumatic. Although I had been molested by a Drill Sergeant, the threat and experiences of SCUD attacks were entities in themselves so powerful that there is no overlap aside from the extreme fear in my mind.

To have this just skipped over is infuriating to me. At the time it was so singularly frightening and real that it left no room for any other experience in my past history. It still haunts me.

Do any of you think I should appeal the decision that makes no mention of my experiences in Desert Storm? Should I fight for service connection for PTSD as a result of fear of hostile instrumentalities when I have a currently successful claim for PTSD due to military sexual trauma?

Should I leave it as is in fear of screwing up a 50% disability rating for PTSD due to MST?

Any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks, good luck and appreciation to all.

Edited July 23, 2011 by Tbird
Changed Font Size For Readability

[NSA-Saigon-ET]

The VA can only award for PTSD once, but you can apply for an increase at any time. Of course you must have some evidence that your 50% rating has been under rated by the VA. You should check with your VSO as they are familiar with your case.

[Papa]

Their will be a lot more people that will way in here that are more knowledgeable then me, but I think you can do a NOD or CUE, and request an increase. They will, or should give you another C&P exam. I would request another Doctor other then the first one.

I think what they are saying is that while a person may have several traumatic experiences, you can only have one diagnoses for PTSD.

Papa

[Guest]

The bottom line is VA can only award one claim for mental health disorders. PTSD, Anxiety, Depression all fall under the same category. You can file a NOD because you feel that your mental health condition deserve a higher rating but that is not filing a new claim or CUE. Under the category of PTSD, VA has already awarded your claim so you can not file a new claim for mental health.Yes, I do repeat myself from time to time but just want you to know and understand the regulations. In most cases a VSO will tell you to file a NOD or leave it alone. You must have had mental health treatment records that show/prove that your PTSD warrants a higher rating before the decision was made. If these records were not before the rating board then the only thing you can do is file a claim for an increase.

General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders:

Total occupational and social impairment, due to such symptoms as: gross impairment in thought processes or communication; persistent delusions or hallucinations; grossly inappropriate behavior; persistent danger of hurting self or others; intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene); disorientation to time or place; memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name 100%

Occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood, due to such symptoms as: suicidal ideation; obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical, obscure, or irrelevant; near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively; impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with periods of violence); spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including work or a work like setting); inability to establish and maintain effective relationships 70%

Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to such symptoms as: flattened affect; circumstantial, circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment of short- and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned material, forgetting to complete tasks); impaired judgment; impaired abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships 50%

Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due to such symptoms as: depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions, recent events) 30%

Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational tasks only during periods of significant stress, or; symptoms controlled by continuous medication 10%

A mental condition has been formally diagnosed, but symptoms are not severe enough either to interfere with occupational and social functioning or to require continuous medication 0%

If you received your claim within the last year it is not a CUE.

When did you get your rating?

Edited July 22, 2011 by pete992

[carlie]

First off, I am a soldier who has been successful in being awarded a diagnosis of PTSD with substance abuse due to Military Sexual Trauma. For this I am surprised, glad and thankful to those that helped me on this forum and those who corroborated my claim.

However, I also filed for PTSD as a result of my experience in Saudi Arabia as a result of SCUD attacks. This was not awarded to me or mentioned in my award letter. It seems they said "Yes you qualify for PTSD and we'll just pick this one reason."

I have not contacted my VSO about this and was hoping to get the opinion of this community.

I am currently trying to get into an inpatient program and I'm afraid of having my successful claim compromised by also discussing the psychological impacts of what I experienced in Saudi Arabia vs being molested by my Drill SGT. The fear of death by chemical weapons was in itself entirely traumatic. Although I had been molested by a Drill Sergeant, the threat and experiences of SCUD attacks were entities in themselves so powerful that there is no overlap aside from the extreme fear in my mind.

To have this just skipped over is infuriating to me. At the time it was so singularly frightening and real that it left no room for any other experience in my past history. It still haunts me.

Do any of you think I should appeal the decision that makes no mention of my experiences in Desert Storm? Should I fight for service connection for PTSD as a result of fear of hostile instrumentalities when I have a currently successful claim for PTSD due to military sexual trauma?

Should I leave it as is in fear of screwing up a 50% disability rating for PTSD due to MST?

Any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks, good luck and appreciation to all.

Please don't post so big, most members already have their computers set to

the size they need.

I would not have VA adjudicate/re-adjudicate the PTSD claim.

You can talk about whatever stressors you want in therapy.

If your looking for an increase any additional stressor won't help.

An increase depends on how your PTSD symptoms effect your daily life

especially due to occupational and social functioning.

I - in no way would re-open a claim for already SC'd PTSD - due to the additional theory

of scud attacks, etc...

JMHO

[Melancholy_Sleestak]

Thanks everyone!