ptsd Ptsd Question

[jtl111]

Back in 1989(during my Air Force career) I was attacked and beat up pretty badly. I was unconscious for approx 3 hours and sufferd a concussion. My left ankle was broken and I now have a plate and screws in my ankle to remind of this incident daily.

The Air Force immediately rendered me not qualified to serve and discharged me. They gave me a 10% rating on my ankle and a check for 20000.00 They taxed the crap out of the check and i was left with the scraps.

Anyhow since the incidence I have had panick attacks,severe nightmares, anger issues, marital problems and work issues with my fellow employees and bosses. Things have gotten worse since the attack and I did not do anything earlier because I wasn't aware of what was happening to me. I have taken the advice of a fellow vet at work and filed for PTSD.

My question is this. I am currently being traeated by a Liscensed Professional Counselor. She wrote a statement to the VA with a diagnosis of PTSD. Will this hold water with the VA or will I have to go in and see their pscho guy. I really don't want to tell my story again because it upsets me terribly and is very embarrising.

Please help.

[johnjjr]

The rules have changed concerning SC for PTSD. It must now be diagnosed by a VA psych to be SC'd. You don't have to ditch your private psych, just get a VA psych to diagnose PTSD also.

[Testvet]

if the private shrink is helping then by no means stop going to them just keep in mind that the VA is mot going to reimburse you for their services fee basis will not send you any funds for these visits, but you need to be able to trust the person treating you

you might consider using the VA doc to write your prescriptions that your private shrink writes so you can get them for free thru the VA that would save you some out of pocket money

since they changed the rules to only VA docs being able to diagnose PTSD I haven't seen any BVA claims where any of the vets have not used VA docs and only used private care docs so I can't give you any advice to bypass the VA system entirely, I don't think you can nor should you use the system the way it is supposed to be used, let them do the intake and let them make the diagnosis, docs like to feel like they are in charge or "God" some take the GOD complex to far but that is another subject lol

I would get into the VA system and keep going to your private shrink if you need the comfort level

[Pete53]

If this was me knowing what I know now after years of battling the VA I would ask my private shrink if I have panic disorder caused by the attack. PTSD has panic attacks but sometimes it is much easier to get a diagnosis for Panic Disorder than PTSD. My opinion only.

As far as your path it has been pointed out that now you have to have a VA qualified Medical Doctor to give you a dx of PTSD that VA will accept. As bad as that looks sometimes it is easier to get the VA to say you have it than in other places. So you might consider seeing a VA Doc and establishing your claim.

Good Luck to you.

[john999]

If you are in a combat zone and have a panic disorder and continue to have them you will probably get a PTSD DX in this day and age. Sometimes people who have a panic attack may go on to have chronic dissociative disorder with all its weird symptoms that look so much like PTSD. If any of these things happen after traumatic event it could come under umbrella of PTSD. Panic, chronic anxiety, dissociative disorder, depression and PTSD all look alike given a certain patient history.

[vet and wife 4 life]

I started with the shove of my cousin who called the 800 life line. someone who listens doesn't judge. Than they followed up with a call and an apointment. Dr said PTSD. At the VA. The stresser of my husbands death left me no where to hide from what I called my secret & the child I kept and we raised. CALL I know you can do it. 1800-273-8255

[Abdullah]

I don't really see that the question was answered.He asked if an LPC can submit medical evidence to get a claim approved. I have great interest in this topic because I just filed a claim and 90% of my evidence comes from an LPC.I keep getting different answers. Any insight into this would be appreciated.