ptsd Ptsd/mst Denial

[lp56]

Thank you in advance for sensitivity to these questions. I entered the army in 1976 and the two years I spent in the military was nothing but sexual harassment, intimidation, sexual battery and even rape. Reporting to my superiors what was happening to me only made it worse; in fact, my superiors were very often the ones coercing, intimidating and assaulting me. It is gut-wrenching to think or speak about all the horrible things that happened to me, but I will say that I was so despondant and desperate to get out of the army and away from all the abuse I was suffering that I actually married the soldier who raped and impregnated me. Suicide and abortion were the alternatives. At the time, I made the only choice I could to survive. While married, my ex did horrible things to my children, which gave me the courage to divorce. I have been diagnosed with PTSD due to MST from several VA doctors and the C&P examiner. I have been in therapy for over 2 years. It took over 30 years to confide in a professional about what happened in the military and although I have documented all the stressors well and have many letters from family and friends and one year of psych records, I have no official police reports or medical evidence except the pregnancy to corroborate my claims. My claim was denied because the examiner said it is "unlikely" anyone would marry the person who raped them. They also said one of my journal entries said I laughed with my ex. They also said my PTSD was more likely due from my daughter being molested, which was not service connected. There was no mention whatsoever of any of the other reported MST I documented in my claim or that were in my psych records and how any of that caused my PTSD.

I plan to file a NOD, but want to make sure I do it correctly. Here are my questions about the NOD. Should I send in any additional information, such as more psych records and letter from pastor who counseled me with the NOD? The psych records document everything if someone would only read them. Should the NOD be a standard letter with the required info or should I address the reasons why they denied me? Should I have lawyer represent me or wait to see if I need to appeal further? I was really expecting a Women Veteran Coordinator to contact me because of the sensitivity of the MST claim, but I was not contacted. I am hoping someone with more experience and sensitivity with MST will review my case. I really appreciate any advice on what to do next. Thank you.

[carlie]

Ditto what Carlie said! Read several times! I've attached the txt document and the link is http://www.va.gov/ve...es4/1034853.txt

P.S. Good find Carlie, in fact the only case of Stockholm Syndrome at the BVA for all total years. Did you find anything at CAVC? `Wings

Wings,

Thanks for posting the correct link.

I did not go back and check it after I posted so, I just went

back now and edited for the link and some spacing issues.

[carlie]

Ip56,

I just read over that BVA case again and the Attorney for the Veteran was Joseph Moore.

He is with Bergmann & Moore - they have a link on our website up top.

You might also want to contact them.

JMHO

[lp56]

I recently found what I think is quite a bit of new material evidence for my case and wanted to get some feedback on it. As I thought about additional evidence, I remembered that I had written many, many emails to my former spouse and to my pastor about my experiences in the military.

This week I was actually able to recover over 4 years of emails from 1997 to 2000 to and from my former spouse that documents many of the occurences of my MST and the acknowledgement from my former spouse on everything he did to me, which includes raping me and me getting pregnant as a result. The emails are very telling and anyone reading them will see that this evidence backs up my stressor letter and many of my buddy letters. Fortunately, the emails were backed up and saved from an old computer of mine as Outlook pst files on a hard drive I had kept "just in case" I needed it for some reason. A computer tech restored the files for me so I could print them all out.

The emails I wrote to my pastor documents that I sought out confidential counseling back in 1998 about my military trauma, the circumstances of my son's birth and about my daughter's molestation. We had several email exchanges about the incidents and his promises to keep them confidential before I went into private counseling with him.

As I was sifting through and seperating my own kid's childhood memory artifacts last weekend, I also came across a package my mom sent to me years ago with all my own childhood memory artifacts. In the package were all the cards, letters, pictures, etc., that I ever wrote to her. In those cards and letters were everything I ever wrote to her from 1976 to 1978 when I was in basic training, at AIT and at my permanent duty station. In all the cards and letters from AIT and my permanent duty station, I tell her much of the MST that was happening to me. I never did save her letters back to me.

My DRO hearing is December 20th and I was thinking that I need to put all this new evidence together and send it to them before I get there or should I just bring all the new evidence with me to the hearing? I may be overly optimistic, but I feel more hopeful now because of all the new evidence I found, although it is still not medical or legal evidence. I have also sent a new request for my medical and my official military personnel records, but this time I listed specific dates, hospitals, clinics and such that may show more proof of such things as my pregnancy test, my job transfer, and my repeated request to move out of barracks to avoid sexual harrassment.

Any advice or comments on this new evidence?

Ip56,

I just read over that BVA case again and the Attorney for the Veteran was Joseph Moore.

He is with Bergmann & Moore - they have a link on our website up top.

You might also want to contact them.

JMHO

[usmcgirl]

IP56...WOW! That indeed will help you with your case! MAKE COPIES OF IT ALL! Your hearing is in approx 30 days....I would still submit the copies and take them with you to the hearing. I would also talk to your doctor and provide medical documentation of Stockholm syndrome - if you haven't already I also found this artical which may help you too. http://www.mental-health-matters.com/component/content/article/167

Although that case from the BVA doesn't set a precidence it has been taken into account so it is possible - i would probably seek legal help too or at the very least get the VSO rep that they gave you the contact info for a call and go over it with them as they are skilled in it and it will certainly help! those emails and letters were a score!

[lp56]

Oh my goodness, after reading this Stockholm Syndrome article I understand so much more about the last 30 years of my life. Thank you very much for posting that link.

IP56...WOW! That indeed will help you with your case! MAKE COPIES OF IT ALL! Your hearing is in approx 30 days....I would still submit the copies and take them with you to the hearing. I would also talk to your doctor and provide medical documentation of Stockholm syndrome - if you haven't already I also found this artical which may help you too. http://www.mental-he...ent/article/167

Although that case from the BVA doesn't set a precidence it has been taken into account so it is possible - i would probably seek legal help too or at the very least get the VSO rep that they gave you the contact info for a call and go over it with them as they are skilled in it and it will certainly help! those emails and letters were a score!

[usmcgirl]

you are welcome :)

Oh my goodness, after reading this Stockholm Syndrome article I understand so much more about the last 30 years of my life. Thank you very much for posting that link.