ptsd Am I Housebound? Does It Matter?

[hedgey]

I mean, yeah, I know I'm housebound, essentially. I don't go off our property if I'm not with my husband or my daughter. I used to go to the post office by myself, but the post office lady I knew has been relocated, and there's a stranger in there now. I was forever in terror of breaking down and having to call a tow truck.

My husband takes me to the store. He has PTSD as well, but with different, really different symptoms. He doesn't go out without me much, either.

But more to the point... I understand housebound is part of the SMC. I have PTSD at 100% through TDIU, but my other conditions only add up to 20%. Does this mean my housebound-ness is not a separate issue?

I'm just wondering.

Also wondering about my husband, because the therapist has suggested I take his pills away from him because he frequently takes more Ativan at a time than he should. When the therapist said I should take on the responsibility for my DH's meds, I just cried. I'm feeling kinda overwhelmed.

Our house is a disaster. I try to clean it, I really do, but I have problems with both my feet and well, that makes standing or running the vacuum hard to do. I start to try to tidy up the stacks of books and papers, but then I can't think of where to put them, so I just put them back down. The only room in our house which is actually clean is our daughters.

I know, everyone will say 'oh, you can afford to hire help!! You're 100%!!' But that doesn't make us rich or make our house payment any lower. And how do I let a stranger come into my house, even if I could find someone we could afford? And how do I find someone, anyway? And how do you let someone touch your stuff? How do I even stand the humiliation of letting someone see how bad it is?

[jvretiredvet]

Folks here tend to concentrate on that statutory housebound rule (as I refer to it), that is, total disability with an additional 60% combined disabilities.

There also is the housebound-in-fact. 38 CFR 3.350(i)(2) http://www.benefits....ART3/S3_350.DOC

I mean, yeah, I know I'm housebound, essentially. I don't go off our property if I'm not with my husband or my daughter. I used to go to the post office by myself, but the post office lady I knew has been relocated, and there's a stranger in there now. I was forever in terror of breaking down and having to call a tow truck.

My husband takes me to the store. He has PTSD as well, but with different, really different symptoms. He doesn't go out without me much, either.

But more to the point... I understand housebound is part of the SMC. I have PTSD at 100% through TDIU, but my other conditions only add up to 20%. Does this mean my housebound-ness is not a separate issue?

I'm just wondering.

Also wondering about my husband, because the therapist has suggested I take his pills away from him because he frequently takes more Ativan at a time than he should. When the therapist said I should take on the responsibility for my DH's meds, I just cried. I'm feeling kinda overwhelmed.

Our house is a disaster. I try to clean it, I really do, but I have problems with both my feet and well, that makes standing or running the vacuum hard to do. I start to try to tidy up the stacks of books and papers, but then I can't think of where to put them, so I just put them back down. The only room in our house which is actually clean is our daughters.

I know, everyone will say 'oh, you can afford to hire help!! You're 100%!!' But that doesn't make us rich or make our house payment any lower. And how do I let a stranger come into my house, even if I could find someone we could afford? And how do I find someone, anyway? And how do you let someone touch your stuff? How do I even stand the humiliation of letting someone see how bad it is?

[john999]

I think you should get an IMO to say you are housebound. This may be the only way unless you can increase your non-TDIU ratings to 60%. If your psychological problems make you housebound the VA might bump you up to 100 schedular and then they need to consider you for HB.

[Pete53]

100% PTSD with agorophobia equals SMC S rating. Describe your agorophobia to your Doc and ask them for a proper diagnosis.

I don't go anywhere by myself anymore. I usually take my dog with me. One of my kids or my brother or a firned drive me to appointments. I have 100% Panic Disorder with Agorophobia and I get over 300 bucks extra plus the VA Pharmacy fills any outside scripts without requiring me to see my VA Doc for approval.

I have decided to stop going to VA it is just to much of a hassle.

[USNDW]

hedgey,

I know what you are saying. I live in constant chronic pain, with a knee so bad that if my little 7lb yorkie bumps into my foot, it feels like a cattle prod just got shot off in my knee.

But I force myself to do as much as I can, sometimes overdoing it and kicking up my arthritis and fatigue. There are days when I simply don't want to move, but then I remind myself of how fortunate I am. There are people in a lot worse situation than I am in.

If it is just to dust, I get up and dust the house. Maybe I can bathe the little yorkie one day, sometimes I can take out the trash, some days are better, especially when I have some extra meds leftover, and I can do a little more.

It may not seem like much compared to what you used to do, but imagine being homeless, or unable to drive at all, then dig deep, motivate yourself to do 1 small thing every day and just go from there.

I do agree that you should be SMC S with agorophobia, because it renders you housebound. To qualify for SMC S, you don't have to have the 100% rating and another 60% combined. With a rating of 100% (even with TDIU) if you are housebound due to your conditions then you would be eligible as well. I think I read somewhere that the VA considers you housebound if you cannot leave the home enough to be considered gainfully employed, similar to TDIU.

Good luck

[hedgey]

Thanks for all the support, guys. It helps so much to know I'm not really alone.

I saw my VA psychiatrist yesterday, and asked her if I had agoraphobia. She said no, because it couldn't ... oh crud, let me see if I can express what she said... It couldn't exist comorbidly with my PTSD according to the DSM. She explained that I have fear of leaving my home, but I couldn't be dx'd with agoraphobia because I already have the PTSD dx (with depression & panic) and PTSD encompasses agoraphobia. She said pretty much all people with PTSD have agoraphobia, but not all agoraphobics have PTSD.

Does that make sense?

I don't know what that would look like in my records. I haven't looked at my records in so long, I don't know what they say...

I called the wood guy today. Told him we'd need wood, two truckloads.

That was an accomplishment. Got my heart pounding, so the ticker got a little workout...