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Getting Seen For Ptsd?

eric_christensen

Asked by eric_christensen,

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eric_christensen Rookie

eric_christensen

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Hello, I'm new here but thought this was the best section to ask this. When I was going to a VA center in Long Beach, I had multiple civilian therapists and doctors tell me they think I have a high possibility of having PTSD, from the problems I have told them I have. They strongly suggested I go to the VA PTSD therapists and see if I can get seen there and get evaluated. Although I was reluctant, I finally decided to go. The individual must have asked me 4 questions and I was there a total of 10 or less minutes, before I was told I don't have it. I felt like he didn't even care to give me a proper evaluation and he told me to just go to Mental Health.

I have depression, death nightmares/daydreams, hard time sleeping, have had previous thoughts of 'harm', anger issues, and other problems, but I just don't think this is the place to discuss my issues. I just wanted to give a sample of the problems. Now the issue is, once I was given the decision for my previous claim, I decided to open a new claim for my mental issues (when I was in the military, I didn't put these issues in the claim, because I thought it would go away once I got out of the military), hoping that they'll give me some diagnosis or at least some kind of treatment.

Now, I personally don't care what diagnosis they give me, as long as I feel they gave me a proper evaluation. Hell, I served along with all of you that served, and we deserve a proper evaluation and diagnosis of our problems that have came result of our military career. If I go there and get an ACTUAL evaluation, and they tell me that I don't have it, and it's something else, then I'll be perfectly happy with that. I just want someone to take their time and do the job that they're getting paid to do, not a 4 question evaluation and a 'go elsewhere' response.

So, I'm going to a new VA hospital, due to the fact I had to move. And the problem right now is, since I put in my new claim, I have had really NO time to sit there and set up a meeting with a therapist or doctor (they still haven't given me a primary doctor yet), and I'm wondering how this will affect my claim. I just feel that if it's on the claim, they'll do more for your evaluations and diagnosis', and whatnot. So, what I'm wondering is I put this in probably a month ago, and I haven't been able to see anyone. Is this going to affect my claim drastically and is this going to affect my evaluation?

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Gridsmasher11 Enthusiast

Gridsmasher11

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You need to get a primary care doctor ASAP and get them to refer you to mental health as soon as they can.....If symptoms are severe especially the ones about self harm you need to go to the VAMC emergency room or mental health clinic before you do harm to yourself or others..You need to get in the system as soon as you can so that you can get treatment and then an evaluation.......it took a couple of months of me seeing my shrink at the VA for her to decide that i did indeed have PTSD...At a minimum you are displaying signs of serious depression and most probably PTSD....Good luck and remember that you have to make this your priority as it is not the VAs..They just want you to go away and hope that you give up...

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Hollis Rising Star

Hollis

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Eric do get into PTSD clinic as soon as you can. I have been in treatment since Feb 20011. I just had my C&P last NOV. by a CTQ doctor. This meeting was fairly short to me, the dr. did not want to go over my stressers, he said he knew what they was as he has seen several dog handlers from the Viet Nam area war. I still go to group meeting every 2 months. So hang in there, and good luck.

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Berta Grand Master

Berta

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http://www.va.gov/PTSD_QA.pdf

VA's criteria for PTSD changed drastically in Summer, 2010, despite protests from vets, vet lawyers, and vet advocates etc......

The reg did make it easier for OIF OEF combat vets but not easy for other vets,in many ways.

The first link is a basic run down from VA and this second link is the regulation and the whole 9 yards.

We have lots of PTSD info here at hadit.

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eric_christensen Rookie

eric_christensen

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Thanks a lot for the replies!

You need to get a primary care doctor ASAP and get them to refer you to mental health as soon as they can.....If symptoms are severe especially the ones about self harm you need to go to the VAMC emergency room or mental health clinic before you do harm to yourself or others..You need to get in the system as soon as you can so that you can get treatment and then an evaluation.......it took a couple of months of me seeing my shrink at the VA for her to decide that i did indeed have PTSD...At a minimum you are displaying signs of serious depression and most probably PTSD....Good luck and remember that you have to make this your priority as it is not the VAs..They just want you to go away and hope that you give up...

Well, right now I'm in a better living situation and my stress level has drastically lowered from where I was at the other house. Everything else still exists, but the self harm hasn't been an issue since my previous job. I've realized that I never get those little stress levels. It always seems that I always get a ton of stress issues dumped on me at the same time and that's when I start getting into the bad thoughts. But right now, I'm hoping that it'll stay away because of where I am now. And thank you for the Mental Health suggestion, I've already called them, but since I've just transferred to this VA about a month ago and my first visit with my Primary Doctor is on the 10th, I won't be able to see anyone in Mental Health yet, so I'm going to have to wait about 8 days. And when you say they want you to go away and hope that you give up, well, does that go with the Therapists too? I mean, that makes me think that the therapists are uncaring too.

@Hollis & Berta, thank you for the information, I'll look into those.

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Berta Grand Master

Berta

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VA has some of the best professionals in PTSD health care and other MH issues in the whole country ,in my opinion.

You might consider getting into a PTSD rap group too down the road.....

are you near a Vet Center?

these issues don't go away but we can often learn how to try to deal with them.

Good Luck!

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