ptsd Justification For Decreasing Your Ptsd Rating

[MPsgt]

The VA will come up with many justifications for lowering your SC rating for PTSD. I haven't had it happen to me yet. However, I'm willing to bet. If you don't utilize the VA crisis line or your local VAMC Psych Ward for treatment. They will use this to justify decreasing your rating at your next C & P exam. Can somebody prove me wrong?

[Philip Rogers]

I'm rated 100%, P&T(over 20) for PTSD. First applied in '89 and was awarded 30%. I appealed, appealed and appealed and won 100%, in '99, retro to '89. I've never had a problem. I don't take psych meds. I do weekly group sessions and have for at least 15 yrs.

pr

[mobie16r]

Not necessary,if the veteran is order another C&P exam,his/her condition could have worsen and get a increase in rating.

mobie

[11cvolley]

The VA will come up with many justifications for lowering your SC rating for PTSD. I haven't had it happen to me yet. However, I'm willing to . If you don't utilize the VA crisis line or your local VAMC Psych Ward for treatment. They will use this to justify decreasing your rating at your next C & P exam. Can somebody prove me wrong?

They have to prove your condition improved to win. I would venture a guess that the ones who go to the VA every week claiming mental break downs or whatever else to build a file for getting SCed and then stop having mental break downs ect after they win are the ones that the VA will try to decrease. When I tried going back to college I recognized a veteran that was in the ER when I was there. He complained about migraines and how loud noises, stress, soda, sun, heat, ect would set his migraines off. Well here he sat in his car listening to music that you could hear and feel the bass at lease 20 yards away. He was drinking red bull like it was water. It was probably 95f and sunny that day. Of course he stood outside with the sun in his face talking and carrying on about a party he went to that past weekend.

So just remember that any story you hear about the VA. Good or bad. Don't take it at face value. Yes IMO the VA is shit; however, for every honest negative opinion there is at lease 10 more from people that failed at scamming the system.

[MPsgt]

I'm rated 100%, P&T(over 20) for PTSD. First applied in '89 and was awarded 30%. I appealed, appealed and appealed and won 100%, in '99, retro to '89. I've never had a problem. I don't take psych meds. I do weekly group sessions and have for at least 15 yrs.

pr

Outstanding! It's good to hear some are being treated fairly with PTSD. However, the younger men and women seem to be falling through the cracks. Many are reluctant to initially seek treatment or admit they have a problem. Then there are the ones that go half hearted to treatments and expect to be left alone to fight PTSD. Typically, those are the ones that deal with the VAMC C & P exams to justify not lowering their rating. I'm not a Vietnam Vet but, I do know that if it wasn't for these men and women. We would not have the treatment and care we veterans get today. Amen

[MPsgt]

They have to prove your condition improved to win. I would venture a guess that the ones who go to the VA every week claiming mental break downs or whatever else to build a file for getting SCed and then stop having mental break downs ect after they win are the ones that the VA will try to decrease. When I tried going back to college I recognized a veteran that was in the ER when I was there. He complained about migraines and how loud noises, stress, soda, sun, heat, ect would set his migraines off. Well here he sat in his car listening to music that you could hear and feel the bass at lease 20 yards away. He was drinking red bull like it was water. It was probably 95f and sunny that day. Of course he stood outside with the sun in his face talking and carrying on about a party he went to that past weekend.

So just remember that any story you hear about the VA. Good or bad. Don't take it at face value. Yes IMO the VA is shit; however, for every honest negative opinion there is at lease 10 more from people that failed at scamming the system.

Kudos! Thank you for replying. I couldn't have said it better myself. I just don't have faith in the politics of the military or Gov't. Many things I came to learn were crap. I had a false and nieve view of the world prior to the military. Today, everything is a test of personal belief and religious faith. After a year and half of treatment, I realize life will never be the same. It's just painful to watch men who are still fight the fight and trying to keep the VAMC at arms length. I guess it will always be apart of living life with PTSD.

[john999]

One way to protect your rating is to go to the VA for treatment of PTSD. You don't have to love it. You don't have to really believe in it, but just go. Take the meds. If you don't like them then throw them out. Until the day you have 100% over 20 like Phil you are vulnerable. Consider you can also have a therapist of your own privately that you have more confidence in and see both. That is what I do. I have seen the same clinical psychologist for many years. He helped me, and not the VA, but I have gone to the VA for the last 15 years and I am TDIU for the last ten years I still see the VA and I complain and get my meds changed etc. This is my real job now. I am building a mountain of documentation. Phil sees his group and that is documented in some fashion. I saw a group for many years and that was a great way for me to progress. When the VA responds to some congressman or someone else about me that start off say "This veteran is a severely disabled veteran with multiple conditions blah, blah" That is what I want them to say because they are not likely to reduce a "severely disabled vet". I don't mean to fake it either. I mean to document it every chance you get.