ptsd Question

[Moody]

I hope this is in the right place I am rated for PTSD and DDD but the pian form my back is so bad it makes me feel like I can't do anything and depressed should I claim depression as a secondary condition or will the va not rate it as I am already rated for PTSD. I really don't know how all that works so any help would be appropriated. Thanks.

[Moody]

Yeah that's where I am at the DDD has gotten to the point where it pretty much effects everything I do and then you throw the ptsd in with it sometimes it can be to much. I have had several episodes where I have laid in the floor crying from my DDD it just makes me not wanna do anything the only reason I work is cause I have to for my wife and soon to be child :) but its getting harder and harder to keep on going.

[halos2]

Have you put in a claim for PAIN? DDD? DJD? Do you have diagnosis's for these? Do you take prescribed pain medication? If so who prescribed them? What were they prescribed for? VA or civilian physician? Do you have Fibromyalgia? Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Do you work? What diagnoses do you have other than PTSD? Lots of times one may have PTSD with Depressive Disorder or PTSD with Major Depressive Disorder...What does yours state?

[Moody]

As far as ptsd it just says serve chronic ptsd. And my back was diagnosed as DDD my t9 10 I believe and my l345 s1 I am on vicodin 10s and ambein and Prozac. I see pain management at least once a month sometimes two or three time a month depends on if they give my shots in my back or not I do work but its getting to me.

As for my claim I just put in an increase for ptsd and put a new claim in for a back condition.

[Moody]

I don't know what DJD is.

[broncovet]

I think DDD is Degenerative Disk disease while DJD is Degenerative Joint Disease.

Since you apparently put in for an increase, your best bet is to see if your medical evidence is in order. Have you ordered your C file and checked your evidence?

If your evidence is not in order, you may need an IMO/IME.

Has your VA doc specifically stated your conditions got worse?

One way to check to see if you are eligible for an increase is to look at your symptoms, along with the criteria for PTSD/mental health disorders, and see what they were on your effective date of the present rating, and compare those symptoms to what your doc reports now, paying attention to the symptoms listed on the criteria page. You see, the VA has to rate on the criteria, but you do not have to meet all the criteria to obtain a particular rating. The Va sometimes uses the term your symptoms "most closely approximate a ____ % rating".

But you will need to show your conditions worsened since your rating to get an increase. If you felt you deserved a higher rating when you got rated earlier, the remedy is to appeal the disability percentage. If you did not appeal within a year, you often shoot yourself in the foot because after a year, you now have to try to meet the stricter "CUE" standards, where the "benefit of the doubt" evaporates.

Finally, you can seek an increase based upon "new and material evidence" but case law suggests your effective date of this increase will be the date you submitted N ew and Material evidence.

[carlie]

Moody,

I have combined your info together for some questions.

1)

" I hope this is in the right place I am rated for PTSD and DDD

but the pian form my back is so bad it makes me feel like I can't do anything and depressed

should I claim depression as a secondary condition or will the va not rate it as I am already rated for PTSD.

I really don't know how all that works so any help would be appropriated. Thanks."

2)

"I have put in request for and increase for th ptsd and I just put in a new claim for the DDD I am still waiting to see what they say.

That was back in feb but my conditions have gotten worse and I haven't even gotten a decision back yet."

Questions:

Your profile shows you are SC'd at 30 %.

What are your current service connected (SC'd) conditions and what percentage evaluations for each ?

Apparently you are not yet rated as service connected for DDD as you post,

"just put in a new claim for the DDD" and are "still waiting to see what they say".

In reading what you have posted, I am thinking that so far you are only SC'd for PTSD

and that it has been evaluated as 30 percent disabling.

I am thinking you have submitted a request for an increase in evaluation for mental health

and added a claim for SC of your DDD.

If this is all correct so far, then the next thing I'm thinking from your posts, is that you are also wanting to get your

depression - (due to the pain from your DDD) adjudicated as SC'd.

If this is correct - first VBA would need to grant SC for your DDD and assign an evaluation percentage for it.

Next, they would need a mental health professional to opine on the depression to see if your depression is due to the DDD

and if it is - they can SC it as a secondary condition to your DDD.

They would also need the mental health professional to opine on the depression itself

and how it impacts your daily life, especially in regards to Occupational and Social functioning.

Bottom line is you will get only one evaluation for mental health. If both PTSD and depression are

adjudicated to be SC'd - then you should receive whichever evaluation would be highest as they are comorbid.

This is my understanding.

JMHO

As sharon posted, " Your increase will be based on range of motion on your back vs pain"