Disability Claim For Bipolar Disorder - Any Help Would Be Appreciated!

[kkarlson]

Hi everyone,

I have been reading through several posts from people with similar issues. I have a few specific questions that I would love to get feedback on, though I also know that each and every claim is unique and there is no such thing as time frames or standards associated with a VA Disability Claim. However, any advise or personal experience you can share would go a very long way!

Background on my story:

I was medically separated from the US Air Force after a little over three years, honorably, after being found to be Axis 1 bipolar 2, Axis 2 personality disorder, self-defeating traits, and ADHD by a medical review board at Lackland Air Force Base in 2007. My separation paperwork clearly states that my condition was found to be NOT EXISTING PRIOR TO SERVICE and/or PERMANENTLY AGGITATED BY MILITARY SERVICE. This, I know, is in my favor. I didn't file a claim right away because I was unsure of how to go about it, then later found out that it can be done online, so that is what I did. I opened my claim for bipolar 2/ADHD along with degenerative disk disease (also diagnosed during service,) back in June of 2011 with the Chicago, IL Regional Office. We are coming up on a full year now and I have supplied more than sufficient documentation (including medical records during service, medical records for current treatment, letters of support from family and friends etc.,) and the VA has had it on file now since my claim entered "Review of Evidence" status on October 24, 2011, yet I have had ZERO correspondance from the VA. I have called on several occassions inquiring on the status to no avail. I continue to receive notifications stating that "We continue to review your claim and it will be processed as quickly as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience." I understand that the VA is very far behind due to being under-staffed, and the explosion of claims coming in from soldiers returning home from overseas (God bless them all.) I am not complaining about how long it has taken to this point, but I would like to know if there is a light at the end of this tunnell. Anyone shared in a similar claim that has any insight as to where it will go from here would be fantastic (i.e. will I need to have a C&P Exam since I was diagnosed while in the military and it was found to be not existing prior to service? How much longer might this go? What kind of rating can I expect? etc.)

I believe I am at least 50% disabled due to this condition. I am writing this long post because I am going through yet another manic episode, shaking from the Adderall I have to take daily just to remain focused on my job and family. This condition has caused me to distance myself from those who care about me, contributed to several episodes of infidelity with my previous wife (obviously we divorced,) a loss of employment (working again, but was laid off due to work related issues,) extreme mood swings, sleep deprivation, mild memory loss, panic attacks, impussive spending, alcohol abuse, increase in narcasistic tendencies, eating disorders, drug abuse (not illicit drugs, but stimulants,) severe depression and self loathing, self-defeating traits etc. It has been terrible to deal with, needless to say. Not only for me, but for my family as well. I had a really rough experience while in the Air Force and I was both physically and verbally abused quite often, starting in basic training and all the way through my three + years. I began to lash out and fight back which made matters much worse. To this day, while I have fewer stressors, I continue to battle tendencies caused by this disease. I have documented all of these issues for the VA so that is all part of my claim.

If you have read my entire rant and haven't run for the hills yet, I applaud you and sincerely appreciate you hearing me out. Like I said earlier, if anyone has any first-hand knowledge as to what I can expect moving forward, it would be wonderful. Here are the questions I would like to get some "best guesses" on:

1. Considering the evidence I have mentioned above, what would be a "reasonable" rating percentage in your best opinion?

2. How much longer can I expect to wait to hear about a C&P Exam, or my claim entering the prep for decision phase (considering the thoroughness of my claim and assuming they have everything they need to make a decision, of course.)?

Once again, thank you in advance for any help you may be able to offer.

Best Regards.

Edited April 18, 2012 by kkarlson

[kkarlson]

John,

Thanks for the reply. Truly appreciate it. I have never been hospitalized but I am very confident that the symptoms I suffer from are closely related to bipolar disorder. I say closely because I have never been diagnosed by a private physician; I was diagnosed while in the service and discharged medically for it. I did see a phychiatrist for about a year who prescribed me several different types of medication, trying to find the right balance. Since he is not a psychologist, he didn't give any "medical opinion." At the very least, the VA will be able to see my attempts at finding a proper medication through this doctor which can't hurt.

[kkarlson]

Well, I had my bipolar C&P examination this past Friday and today was my C&P examination for degenerative disk disease and overall I feel they both went quite well. The exam for bipolar was about 1 hour 15 minutes, the psychologist was very sympathetic to all of my "symptoms" and at the end; she went through and checked off a majority of the rating symptoms that she was presented with... I am not sure if that is the end-all-be-all in this case or not. I feel it will only get stronger with the written evidence that I provided when I filed my claim back in June of 2011.

The exam for the DDD today was FAR less subjective. The examiner didn't ask how symptoms affected my quality of life of anything like that. I gave her the records I was provided by a chiropractor I had been seeing for about 4 months but could no longer afford, she did a reflex and range of motion test, then ordered an x-ray. I was out in about 1 hour!

I recently sought representation by a VFW rep that I was referred to by a family friend and he was a big help in explaining the process. I would recommend to anyone who is currently in the process of a disability claim, or thinking about initiating one, to seek the assistance of a VFW representative. Many of them worked for the VA at one point and they can be a wealth of information to you! He told me that all claimants who filed their claims PRIOR to July of 2011 will have their claims processed by July 1st of 2013, so that was obviously GREAT news to me since I just met the cut off. Also, he informed me that since I was service connected prior to discharge and I received severance pay that will immediately come off the top of any award received by the VA. That was a bit of an unexpected (and disappointing) bit of news I would have known two years ago had I been represented by the VFW sooner. Lessoned learned!

My fingers are crossed for a favorable outcome since I don't want to have to go back have to file an appeal. The advice that I would give those who recently filed, or are waiting for their C&P exam would be to BE PATIENT! I can tell the VA is working their butts off to go through as many cases as possible, with as much accuracy as possible and this type of thing takes time. Don't check the status every day; you will drive yourself crazy. Calling the VA call center will NOT expedite your claim in any way, shape or form. Expect your claim will take upwards of two years or more... it may be less, but remember that if you are given a disability rating, you have essentially had savings bonds you were waiting for to mature before you can use them... you will get that retro pay which can be significant. I will check back in over the next few weeks to share the results.

[Sgt_Mac81]

Forgive me if someone already answered this- But does the VA recognize ADD/ADHD?

[kkarlson]

_{I don't believe they do (someone correct me if I'm wrong) because ADD/ADHD is rarely diagnosed in adulthood, therefore making it a personality disorder which the VA doesn't service connect. I am by no means an expert in this area, but when I was in my C&P exam, the examiner told me that I wasn't ADHD since that would have been identified during my childhood. She said that I was bipolar and that those symptoms often relate to those of ADHD. I am hoping that statement from her is in my favor since they DO service connect bipolar.}

Edited June 11, 2013 by kkarlson

[john999]

The thing to look for is if she says your bipolar is at least as likely as not aggravated or had its onset during your military service.

If your pre-service exam did not mention a mental disorder you are presumed to be fit and healthy. People who have breakdowns after three years of service should be SC'ed. It is not like you were in for two weeks and it became obvious you had bipolar.

[kkarlson]

_{The VA is FLYING through the decision process! As of Monday, my claim was under the "Gathering Evidence" phase, waiting for the C&P examiner to send results to the Regional Office. Yesterday it was "Pending Decision" and today it changed to "Pending Decision Approval." Not too sure how long that step takes, but I am hoping it is quick. Anyone who knows; will I be able to see the results on the eBenefits site once they are available or will I have to wait for the results to come in the mail?}