Bipolar Misdiagnosed

[Laurak]

I went to medical about a month and a half from my discharge date. I complained of difficulty breathing. I was told I had asthma and given inhalers. The inhalers didn't work and I returned to medical three more times. I was discharged. 11 years later I was diagnosed with anxiety and bipolar disorder. I felt the same difficulty breathing that I had prior to my discharge. Do you think my VA claim for misdiagnosis will fly? I appplied for disability but I'm not sure if I'll get it.

Also, I frequently hallucinated on my ship and the command was aware of it. I think it was hallucinations due to stress. I didnt want to go to medical becuase I didnt want to get kicked out on a medical release because I felt that no one believes psych issues and I'd be seen as a mooch and a slacker. I know that's stupid in retrospect. My hallucinations are in my service record but not my medical record. Can I get some compensation for that? Should they have forced me to go to medical?

[sharon]

Send in a copy of your service records that state that you had hallucinations. You also need to have your doctor state that your current bi polar condition is connected to the symptoms that manifested while you were still on active duty.

[john999]

Do you still suffer severe symptoms of Bipolar disorder such as hallucinations? Did you get any treatment between the times you were discharged and the time you were DX'ed with bipolar? If you were having hallucinations and your commanders knew it they sure should have sent you for a medical exam just for safety reasons.

[Laurak]

They didn't order me to medical. The XO had me transfered to a land unit and said the reason for that was because I was engaged. I thought the story didn't sound right because I had been engaged to a shipmate for a year before they transfered me and since we weren't married there is nothing in the regs that said we cant serve together. we always acted professional and there were many days at sea when we didnt even speak to each other. when the xo discussed my hallucinations with me he asked if id been sexually harrassed and i told him that i had been. i told him what happened and expressed that i didnt come forward sooner because i didnt feel strong enough to go through an investigation and trial. the story i told was verified by another officer. the xo said that just by telling him i had reported the issue and that i didn't need to do anything further. he said to me that he believes the hallucinations were caused in part by the sexual harrassment. he also asked if i was faking the hallucinations just to get compensation. I told him no that i wasnt aware of any compensation available to me. there was no scam going on my part. he just said to me that i will find out if he liked me when i go to get the money. so i dont know what to think of it. im worried he didnt like me and is screwing me out of benefits.

i didn't get any sort of treatment from 96-05. My symptoms started in 06 and I've been getting treated ever since. The anxiety I felt during the last few months of service I now recognize as anxiety caused by bipolar. Its the same sensation as feeling like I can't breathe.

[john999]

I was in the army. I cannot imgine talking to my CO, Ist SGt or XO about any mental health problems. I am a male and if I had been sexually attacked they would have laughed at me. I did talk to a shrink one time in Vietnam because of a black out I had. He recommended to my CO that I be immediately discharged due to being emotionally unstable....black out....unstable...due....! The CO just ignored it. I did every day of my tour. The shrink did also say that I had dissociative state due to personality disorder. Dissociative disorder is a mental health disorder that is compensable and I suffered from it and other conditions for years after Vietnam.