Interesting Claim For Mdd Secondary To Pain - Updated

[Hoppy]

MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

I AM SORRY THE BOARD WILL NOT LET ME COPY AND PASTE WHAT I WROTE AND i AM NOT GOING TO RE TYPE IT.

I WILL TRY LATER.

INTERESTING CLAIM OF MDD SECONDARY TO PAIN

Until the research studies determine that they can isolate the many potential factors that could be causing the correlation between pain and MDD the VA C&P examiners and the raters should stay out of the business of pretending that they can isolate separate and distinct issues which would allow for the denial of a secondary claim for MDD in any veteran who has had a long ongoing condition that creates chronic pain.

The veteran sustained multiple injuries to both lower extremities during a training accident. The injuries were rated at a total of 30%. Many years after the injuries and decades of chronic pain the veteran was experiencing either more frequent pain or more severe pain in association with his job duties. At the time of the increase in pain the veteran became further disabled due to MDD.

The literature is full of research data showing a higher incidence of MDD in individuals suffering long term pain. At the time of the first denial this high incidence was not discussed by any of the C&P examiners and VA treating clinicians. Later the veteran obtained an opinion indicating the relationship between pain and MDD.

The claim was denied again because the rater was of the opinion that the MDD was not due to pain related issues. Rather the rater determined that the veterans MDD was triggered by the veterans concern that he would not be able to provide for his livelihood and other difficulties incurred at work. The other difficulties at work were not specifically identified by the rater or by any examiner.

The veteran denies that he represented his depression as being associated with his concern by his inability to provide for his livelihood. The veteran did not even think that he would have discussed this because it was not an issue. Thus, it is possible that the VA examiners threw this in the mix for the purpose of denying the claim. Considering the fraud that I can prove that became part of the record in other cases I have worked the possibility that false evidence was created in this case is very real. The veteran was treated by non VA doctors at the time the MDD onset. The veteran is going back to the treating clinicians to get evidence that their records will not support an etiology of MDD triggered by the concern over his ability to provide for his livelihood.

Here is the issue that needs to be known to veterans. This rater did not feel that the veteran’s concerns as to his inability to provide for his livelihood was directly connected to the pain and thus was not service connectable. Given the rater believed the now contested reports from the doctors that had established this issue. This is yet another problem that was created by doctors. The doctors stated that the MDD was triggered by concern over the veteran’s inability to provide for his livelihood rather than pain related to the service connected injuries. Possibly the doctors created a false issue that providing a lively hood triggered the MDD. However, the issue whether it was created or real does not make sense to me.

Myself and people I have dealt with have had disabilities and “concerns” about their future. However, people with disabilities do not necessarily develop MDD. The normal solution for individuals with chronic pain who are concerned about the future is that they get some vocational rehabilitation and go back to work. The possibility that the individual’s inability to provide for their livelihood through vocational rehabilitation may be attributed to ongoing increased levels of pain and difficulties managing pain could easily have triggered MDD. This ongoing concern with oain and pain management was specifically identified as ongoing in the reports This onging problem with pain and pain management would need to be eliminated before any doctor could isolate the concerns involved in the veterans ability to provide for his livelihood as separate and distinct from pain and pain management to such an extent that the examiner could determine that pain and pain management was not still an issue that triggered the MDD. If you are still experiencing unresolve issues with increasing pain and pain management this would be a bar to taking the steps that would relieve any concern over the ability to provide for your livlihood. The issue of pain and pain management underlies the ability to return to work and thus resovle the concern for your ability to provide for your livelihood and is not separate and distinct from the issue of providing for your livelihood..

Edited February 19, 2012 by Hoppy

[Capt.]

Hello Hoppy,,,

I am having the same problem. Hopefully one of our Moderators or T bird can tell us what we have to do to perform this operation.

I am very interested in what you are going to post as am also having the Depression and Anxiety Issue from the intense pain of the Peripheral Neuropathy. I think others here will be able to relate to this issue too. Hope your doing fine Hoppy and catching some of those swimming dinners from the house. I wish I was there too. Calif....... grilled Monkfish......... "poormans lobster" my favorite. Yum Yum . NEVER GIVE UP. God Bless, C.C.