ptsd Question About My Exam

[wisconsinwalter]

I hadn't been to the VA for PTSD for 20 years. When I was in there was no PTSD, just shell shock

Here are some progress notes for this exam. I was told by a guy I work with with PTSD that the raters only look at these lines

Does anyone know if that is true and ow does this look?

[USMC5811]

The attachments you have are progress notes correct? not a C&P exam? I'm sorry but I don't see any symptoms listed or may have somehow missed them if they are....Here is a copy of the chart that is suppose to be used by raters, but I'm pretty sure they take other things into consideration as well. One does not need to have every symptom in the listed percentage in order to receive that percentage....

§ 4.126 Evaluation of disability from mental disorders.

(a) When evaluating a mental disorder, the rating agency shall consider the frequency, severity, and duration of psychiatric symptoms, the length of remissions, and the veteran's capacity for adjustment during periods of remission. The rating agency shall assign an evaluation based on all the evidence of record that bears on occupational and social impairment rather than solely on the examiner's assessment of the level of disability at the moment of the examination.

(b) When evaluating the level of disability from a mental disorder, the rating agency will consider the extent of social impairment, but shall not assign an evaluation solely on the basis of social impairment.

© Delirium, dementia, and amnestic and other cognitive disorders shall be evaluated under the general rating formula for mental disorders; neurologic deficits or other impairments stemming from the same etiology (e.g., a head injury) shall be evaluated separately and combined with the evaluation for delirium, dementia, or amnestic or other cognitive disorder (see § 4.25).

(d) When a single disability has been diagnosed both as a physical condition and as a mental disorder, the rating agency shall evaluate it using a diagnostic code which represents the dominant (more disabling) aspect of the condition (see § 4.14).

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 1155)

[61 FR 52700, Oct. 8, 1996]

38 C.F.R. § 4.130, DC 9411
GENERAL RATING FORMULA FOR MENTAL DISORDERS:

Total occupational and social impairment, due to such symptoms as: gross impairment in thought process or communication; persistent delusions or hallucinations; grossly inappropriate behavior; persistent danger of hurting self or others; intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene); disorientation to time or place; memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation occupation, or own name …………………..100%

Occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood, due to such symptoms as: suicidal ideation; obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical, obscure, or irrelevant; near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively; impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with periods of violence); spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including work or a worklike setting); inability to establish and maintain effective relationships ...................................... 70%

Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to such symptoms as: flattened affect; circumstantial, circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment of short- and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned material, forgetting to complete tasks); impaired judgment; impaired abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in establishing and maintaining Effective work and social relationships ………………..50%

Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due to such symptoms as: depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions, recent events) ............................ 30%

Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational tasks only during periods of significant stress, or; symptoms controlled by continuous medication .................. 10%

A mental condition has been formally diagnosed, but symptoms are not severe enough either to interfere with occupational and social functioning or to require continuous medication .............................. 0%

The above schedule may be found here: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&rgn=div5&view=text&node=38:1.0.1.1.5&idno=38

Semper Fi!

Edited January 5, 2013 by USMC5811 (see edit history)

[wisconsinwalter]

No, these are the notes being sent to the raters. The whole exam has 39 pages of summaries and progress notes. The 3 pages i sent say what the dx is and the box checked is the 50% box

I am already 10% for scars from my stressorservice

[wisconsinwalter]

No, these are the notes being sent to the raters. The whole exam has 39 pages of summaries and progress notes. The 3 pages i sent say what the dx is and the box checked is the 50% box

I am already 10% for scars from my stressor from in service

Edited January 5, 2013 by wisconsinwalter (see edit history)