Daignosed Anxiety And Depression

[huskerfanfl]

I went to see the VA psychiatrist yesterday and was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. Although I have not seen the written diagnosis (probably is not done yet anyway), the psychiatrist stated that the aniety and depression are tied in to my other disabilites. I go in on the 29th to decide my course of counseling and then once a month for three months to learn coping strategies. I have alos been prescribed Celexa as well as another pill to take as needed for sleep.

Is this all normal?

At what point would I/should I put in a new disability claim? I would think they would want to see how I was doing on the medicine first anyway.

[Pete53]

Patrick:

I am glad that you are here and apologize if my remarks offended you. Its an opinion and that is all. It took me 5 and 1/2 years to get 100% when Soical Security did it in 4 months. The Gulf War did me in I might still be working or dead if not for that. I don't know.

My experience with the VA is that often times a low level rating person will assemble records from a Veteran SMR's and than on a whim or something else make their own diagnosis and label the Veteran. When the Veteran decides to fight the first decision the VA does everything it can to hide some of the stuff they have done. Why I don't know I was lead to believe that the VA should want to help Veterans get a fair claim done in a reasonable amount of time.

In the past we have had former VARO people drop in and help Veterans with a difficult claim find the help they need to pust their claim forward.

I have read your postings and for the most part I find them very helpful. In the future I will try not to be as blunt about VA as my opinions are as I firmly believe that the Higher Purpose for Hadit is to help Veterans with thier claims.

My medical records were withheld from me and that is part of my problem with the VA.

So welcome to Hadit and I salute your service and appreciate that you can help many Veterans who are on the outside with no clue what is needed to manage a claim. No matter what anyone says the responsibility of the claim is always on the Vet. I don't think it should be that way but it is. I would love to hear what you have to say about SO's but that is another story.

Peace Brother we are really on the same side.

[Patrick428]

Pete53.

No need to apologize for anything. I am the last person on earth that would be offended by anything a person does except in some cases. I am more offended at what the VA is doing to veterans even though I worked for the VA for some time. I am here and on other forums becuase I had the luxury of being a psychologist for the VA both in the Vet Center system and doing C and Ps. I understand the system and like to give veterans advice on how things are done from the inside, and possibly why they are done. Secondly I performed evaluations for Social Security once I got fed up with the VA. I moved into private practice and performed evaluation as a fee based provider for the VA and also for Social Security Disability. I have posted a Self Report in the Social Security forum that I have created as a template for veterans to use in developing their case with Social Security and the VA.

Thanks for the welcome,

Patrick

[carlie]

F Y I ,

This is not just with VA -- it is inclusive of all mental health providers.

Take a second to look at the flip side of that rule.

When a person is suffering with mental health problems, they could be having one of those really rough days with depression and suicidal ideation -- on their way out they stop by ROI and get some psyc copies from last month and start reading over them. With the frame of mind the person is in right then -- that report could contain something that triggers them and they act on the suicidal or homicidal

thought.

carlie