Would This Help Me Win

[sparkle]

Just got a letter that my psychiatrist wrote for me, hope it helps we win with both my VA claim and with the ssd. This is what she wrote. Tell me what you think (John999, berta, T, and carlie) about it, and any others that may like to help me out.

I am writing to provide documentation for -------- regarding her psychiatric history and employability. I am her primary VA psychiatrist since Nov. 2009. During this time, she has experienced persisting mental health symptoms, including anxiety, panic attacks, sleep disturbance, mood swings, withdrawal from others, depressed mood, low enery, and one manic episode. She is diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress disorder have limited her ability to maintain gainful employment during the past year and a half. She is currently engaged in mental health treatment and plans to participate in trauma focused therapy. The goal for treatment is symptomatic improvement and improvement in functioning, however, it is difficult to predict the response to treatment at this time.

Sincerely,

Not sure if this is going to work for me, but I feel it should hold some wt. at less with the SSD so I can get that.

[carlie]

For VBA purposes you will still need a nexus to AD.

JMHO

[sparkle]

For VBA purposes you will still need a nexus to AD.

JMHO

Girl so glad your here to help a sista out, first what is a "nexus" and what do I have to get next to at less try to win something. I was thinking that, that letter would be good enough for me to win or at less make it a little better for me. Been out of it for a few days, I get like that from time to time with my panic attacks, have them about 3 to 4 times a week, writing or talking about things just sometime put me over the top. Girl, I have been working so hard on trying to get my stuff together, so if I am asked to send in more info I will be "Johnny-on the-spot"

[toothpick]

Just got a letter that my psychiatrist wrote for me, hope it helps we win with both my VA claim and with the ssd. This is what she wrote. Tell me what you think (John999, berta, T, and carlie) about it, and any others that may like to help me out.

I am writing to provide documentation for -------- regarding her psychiatric history and employability. I am her primary VA psychiatrist since Nov. 2009. During this time, she has experienced persisting mental health symptoms, including anxiety, panic attacks, sleep disturbance, mood swings, withdrawal from others, depressed mood, low enery, and one manic episode. She is diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress disorder have limited her ability to maintain gainful employment during the past year and a half. She is currently engaged in mental health treatment and plans to participate in trauma focused therapy. The goal for treatment is symptomatic improvement and improvement in functioning, however, it is difficult to predict the response to treatment at this time.

Sincerely,

Not sure if this is going to work for me, but I feel it should hold some wt. at less with the SSD so I can get that.

[toothpick]

I don't know how ya'll are getting nexus letters. Our VAMC health and mental clinics will not produce one, there comment is "the records speak for themselves".

[Berta]

"the records speak for themselves".

But many times the VA will say the SMRs are silent.

It pays for a veteran to clearly establish their nexus by reviewing their SMRs themselves and then sending VA highlighted copies of whatever is in them that will support the claim.

If the claimed disability is due to an inservice accident or event,it can also help if the veteran obtains buddy statements to prove that something occurred that requires an eye witness account.

Buddy statements can be searched here as a topic. The "buddy" has to have same period of service,same unit, and same MOS (in most cases) to be able to adequately describe an event that a veteran became disabled from in service and be able to state the veteran was at the scene of the incident. They need to give contact info in case VA calls them and I feel all buddy statements should be notarized.

Reason I say that as to the notarization is I was the unfortunate recipient for a buddy statement request some time back.

I was asked to state I witnessed an event aboard ship 35 or 40 years ago for a PTSD claim.

I am a civilian and women were not on board ships in those days.

I felt like giving that vet some real PTSD.

A buddy statement -better yet more than one that corroborates the event can definitely help some claims succeed when an inservice nexus is required.This is what I mean:

My daughter helped some vets with their claims.They had all been in the same unit at time of a major stressor and had already had contact with each other. Two buddy statements contained the 'buddy' vet's C file number and statement that VA had already SCed them for PTSD for the same incident which VA had verified and VA could check out their claim and award.Their statements corroborated each other's accounts.

They not only all got their SC, she also translated a Vietnamese document one of them had found in Vietnam that held their SSA numbers on it. He thought it was a hit list from the enemy.And kept it for decades.

It was from a very high Military Vietnamese official and they all received additional awards from DOD with her professional translation.One got the Distinquished Flying Cross.I am very proud of what she had done for these veterans.

I am quite sure their claims would have succeeded without the Vietnamese document but they would have never seen the additional awards on their DD 215 without it.The document had statements regarding each veteran of their specific bravery for the same incident they claimed PTSD for.Brave actions which saved lives.

and in that way it was additional corroboration too.

One of the best things new vets can do is to stay in touch with units members when they leave the Mil. The internet has made it easy to search and find buddies and many units have their own web sites that span decades of unit history, members covering many times of service, and even reunion lists.

The new PTSD criteria regards "hostile activity" and that new reg is in the PTSD forum.

Other claims might need a nexus statement from an independent medical doctor after a thorough review of the SMRs and current clinical records.

The letter Sparkle posted might help her with SSDI and the PTSD claim but the doctor has not made a nexus statement so that will still have to be established for the VA claim.

Edited September 9, 2011 by Berta

[sparkle]

"the records speak for themselves".

But many times the VA will say the SMRs are silent.

It pays for a veteran to clearly establish their nexus by reviewing their SMRs themselves and then sending VA highlighted copies of whatever is in them that will support the claim.

If the claimed disability is due to an inservice accident or event,it can also help if the veteran obtains buddy statements to prove that something occurred that requires an eye witness account.

Buddy statements can be searched here as a topic. The "buddy" has to have same period of service,same unit, and same MOS (in most cases) to be able to adequately describe an event that a veteran became disabled from in service and be able to state the veteran was at the scene of the incident. They need to give contact info in case VA calls them and I feel all buddy statements should be notarized.

Reason I say that as to the notarization is I was the unfortunate recipient for a buddy statement request some time back.

I was asked to state I witnessed an event aboard ship 35 or 40 years ago for a PTSD claim.

I am a civilian and women were not on board ships in those days.

I felt like giving that vet some real PTSD.

A buddy statement -better yet more than one that corroborates the event can definitely help some claims succeed when an inservice nexus is required.This is what I mean:

My daughter helped some vets with their claims.They had all been in the same unit at time of a major stressor and had already had contact with each other. Two buddy statements contained the 'buddy' vet's C file number and statement that VA had already SCed them for PTSD for the same incident which VA had verified and VA could check out their claim and award.Their statements corroborated each other's accounts.

They not only all got their SC, she also translated a Vietnamese document one of them had found in Vietnam that held their SSA numbers on it. He thought it was a hit list from the enemy.And kept it for decades.

It was from a very high Military Vietnamese official and they all received additional awards from DOD with her professional translation.One got the Distinquished Flying Cross.I am very proud of what she had done for these veterans.

I am quite sure their claims would have succeeded without the Vietnamese document but they would have never seen the additional awards on their DD 215 without it.The document had statements regarding each veteran of their specific bravery for the same incident they claimed PTSD for.Brave actions which saved lives.

and in that way it was additional corroboration too.

One of the best things new vets can do is to stay in touch with units members when they leave the Mil. The internet has made it easy to search and find buddies and many units have their own web sites that span decades of unit history, members covering many times of service, and even reunion lists.

The new PTSD criteria regards "hostile activity" and that new reg is in the PTSD forum.

Other claims might need a nexus statement from an independent medical doctor after a thorough review of the SMRs and current clinical records.

The letter Sparkle posted might help her with SSDI and the PTSD claim but the doctor has not made a nexus statement so that will still have to be established for the VA claim.

Berta for some reason you seam to know just what i need and how to get that over to me, because i hear and feel the love and understanding in your writing to me. My ear and eyes are more open when you write the information. I will follow what you have said and try to find a buddy, but it's been so long and i have not hear or seen a one sense i got out over 30 years age. I will check the internet to see if i can find someone that will be able to help me and if not i will just have to put my trust in God that he will work it all out for my good. I thank all that have took time out to give me help in finding the answers to all the questions i have post here. At this time let me just say THANK YOU ALL!!!!