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Is My Disability Service Connected?

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elmersnutz

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Within my first year of discharge from the Army in 2000, I saw a Doctor for mental health problems and they prescribed to me the Schizophrenia medicine zyprexa. That doctor and all the others I have seen up to now, couldnt give me a defenit answer to what was wrong with me. Until I began hearing voices and had to be sent to a psychiatric ward in 2009, I was diagnosed as being a paranoid Schizophrenic with depression.

My questions are: Does me seeing a Doctor within one year of discharge and being put on Schizophrenia medication make a good claim for service connected disability? Also does never getting a diagnoses from any of my doctors up until I started hearing voices and was diagnosed as being Schizophrenic hurt my claim?

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  • HadIt.com Elder

You have a claim and be treated within a year helps but you will have to get your ducks in a row to win a claim. You will have to be able to document symptoms but even more important is to get a Doc's opinion that you have it now and that in the Doc's opinion it started during your service.

Yes you can win your claim but it will not be easy.

Veterans deserve real choice for their health care.

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  • HadIt.com Elder

Did you file a claim within one year of discharge and did you ever get treatment or have documented symptoms of schizophrenia while in the service? I filed a claim for schizophrenia within one year of discharge. I got 10% back in 1973 and the VA did ignore my IMO, so it is not a cake walk. I had in-service treatment records and they still tried to shaft me. I agree with what Pete said about getting your ducks in a row. You might even get a lawyer if you claim is denied. What kind of discharge did you get?

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Did you file a claim within one year of discharge and did you ever get treatment or have documented symptoms of schizophrenia while in the service? I filed a claim for schizophrenia within one year of discharge. I got 10% back in 1973 and the VA did ignore my IMO, so it is not a cake walk. I had in-service treatment records and they still tried to shaft me. I agree with what Pete said about getting your ducks in a row. You might even get a lawyer if you claim is denied. What kind of discharge did you get?

I recieved an Honorable discharge. No I didnt recieve treatment or have anything documented while I was in the Army.

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