ptsd Question On Mental Status Exam

[Radio_Dog]

Can someone please give me insight on whay I should be expecting, my claim for PTSD & IBS was filled 10/03/2011, never had a C&P exam and still in gathering of eveidence on ebenifits. I downloaded my Blue Button from My healthy Vet site and stubled on this note made by my psy.

Mental Status Exam:

Apperance: Neatly groomed

Beahvior: No psychomotor agitation or retardation

Speech: Normal

Mood: "Down"

Affect: Constricted

Thought: Process Linear

Perception: No AVH

Insight/Judgment: Fair/Fair

Impulse Control: Fair

Continues to state: "32y/o male w/PTSD with contuned symtoms, patially stablized on medication, still awaiting SC decisions. No SI/HI

Axis I Clinical disorder: PTSD, Chronic

Axis ii Pwesonality dis: Deferred

Axis III Current medical conditions: None

AxisIV Current Psy Stressors: primary support group, social enviroment

Axis V GAF Score: 50

Continue Sertralin 100mg for PTSD

Cont. Temazepam 15mg qNight prn Insomnia

Supportive therapy and psy education

Patient does not meet LPS hold criteria

[Testvet]

you have PTSD other than that we can't begin to make a guess on anything from one doctors visits notes if they send you for a C&P you could get a rating anywhere from 30% - 70% if all your other treatment records are similar to that one note stay in treatment take the meds and keep waiting but you should expect to have a C&P exam before they decide your case and then it will be a month or 6 after that before you will see an award letter and any cash

[Berta]

Testvet is right...... "you have PTSD" and the good thing is that diagnosis,I assume , came directly from a VA doctor.

VA will not except a PTSD diagnosis (since the new PTSD regs came out in 2010) from a non VA shrink, even if they are SIgmund Freud.

In our PTSD forum is the new regulation and the criteria VA uses now for a "stressor".

If you have a stressor that VA will concede or have proof of that stressor, that they will consider as within their new criteria, as TestVet said, they will rate you, and I agree with him, from 30 to 70%.

Have you claimed the IBS as secondary to the PTSD?

Are you a Gulf War vet or an OEF vet?

I am sure I have seen at the BVA, a few cases where IBS was awarded as secondary to PTSD, because the vet had a strong medical opinion to bolster their claim.

I would think too that some of the medications for PTSD and other MH disabilities might cause or contribute to digestion and bowel problems.

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[Radio_Dog]

Thank you so very much for all your insight. I have been following/learning here at Hadit for a while and fell that it has sometimes uplifted my spirits when they are so down. So thanks you all! To answer your question yes I am an OIF/OEF veteran and I have claimed Functional gastrointestinal disorders or FGID listed in the CFR 38 Section 3.317 Compensation for certain disabilities due to undiagnosed illnesses. I have learned to claim that here however I did not state specifically secondary to PTSD.I did complete a Gulf War Illness Exam in which stated I did not meet any undiagnosed illnesses but to continually check every year. I have been living with this pain for so long it’s crazy! I have finally gotten to the point where I said screw my pride and go see a Dr about your constipation. They have but me on laxatives and now Im on fiber, however nothing really helps. I provided the VA claims dept. a daily stool chart and listed my eating, sleeping, food, exercise, and medication and also rated my stool to the Bristol chart. Nasty work I know but at least they can see what I’ve been through. The VA specialist stated its a mental thing and I should relax and drink plenty of water...lol sure its mental when I can’t crap for 3+days..Anyhow THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR HELP

[meghp0405]

another strong factor that is used to determine the diagnosis and % is the gaf score (global assessment functioning). yours is 50 which indicates some serious symptoms. What the overall % is for this, I don't know, depends on additional symptoms and severity of those symptoms.

[Radio_Dog]

Thank you all for your helpful insight..

[KD1030]

Now that the new DSM-V is out, they eliminated the GAF when determining mental illnesses - will the VA be following the new DSM?