ptsd Hadit Radio Dr Bash, John Dorley And Dr. Brett Valette Yesterday

[Berta]

Did anyone here pick up on the point I was trying to get to with Dr. Valette??? as to PTSD IMOs?
and the July 13, 2010 regulations?

Unfortunately Dr Valette had to leave early and I will listen to the show again and perhaps I can contact him personally for a better explanation.

Like Dr Bash and John Dorley, he was a wonderful guest and I sure hope he does more shows with us.The time went by too fast with these GREAT men to include our fabulous Jbasser, who always keeps the shows on track! And Mike Sasser who keeps us on the Airwaves! I sure missed Jerrel there yesterday and hope all is OK with him.

I think he, Dr Valette, meant he is able to potentially recharacterize a PTSD claim via an IMO, (in situations whereby the VA will Not give a VA PTSD diagnosis), into another MH issue that could be service connected instead.
As I have mentioned here before, under the new regs, if VA wont diagnose a vet with PTSD, even an IMO from someone as astute as the deceased Sigmund Freud, wont do it either.


Of course maybe PTSD vets should start claiming more than one MH theory of entitlement to any MH issue, if they feel the VA might not DX them with PTSD......

Any thoughts?

Also for the possible few out there who read hadit and think my recent comments here about VA's other secret lists, are a little wacky, Dr Bash and John Dorley fully asserted their awareness too of these other secret lists.on yesterday's blog radio show ....and many vet lawyers I know are getting up to speed on that as well.

I feel vindicated because I know it does seem far fetched to many who are here to believe VA has other secret lists......too I explained them on a show I did here in late May I think it was.

The waiting lists and bogus backlog figures are bad enough but they are only part of the iceberg

Edited June 12, 2014 by Berta

[john999]

A vet could claim depression, anxiety disorder (GAD), dissociative disorder, and even schizophrenia if the vets is having hallucinatory flashbacks. I think the things that mostly resemble PTSD would be GAD, depression and dissociative disorder. Dissociative disorder is when the vets emotions just sort of split off from his regular life, and he/she feels sort of dead inside and the world seems changed to a duller shade of gray. Emotional numbing to a great degree from shock. These are all part of PTSD to lessor or greater degree without the PTSD DX. Let's not forget panic disorder which is another anxiety disorder similar in many ways to PTSD. We can get around the VA's little games by skinning the cat a different way.

John

[carlie]

Of course maybe PTSD vets should start claiming more than one MH theory of entitlement to any MH issue, if they feel the VA might not DX them with PTSD......

Any thoughts?

Berta,

My VAMC & Vet Center, mental health peeps all diagnosed PTSD and provided a nexus, supported with full medical

rationale, to active duty.

I also had a claim issue in for depression that was denied - but I continued to appeal it.

I also continued to appeal my denial for SC of PTSD.

Finally, low and behold, a VAMC C&P examiner opined that regardless of PTSD, the co-morbid depression

was due to my SC'd medical conditions. This examiner was rare as he thoroughly reviewed my SMR's and

VAMC medical records.

He spoke with me regarding several things I myself had forgotten about - or I had at least, buried them in my mind.

Depression was granted with a real nice earlier effective date.

[Berta]

"Depression was granted with a real nice earlier effective date."

That is a superb outcome Carlie...not that I wish any MH issue on anyone.....

"This examiner was rare as he thoroughly reviewed my SMR's and

VAMC medical records."

Wouldn't it be great if every vet had that kind of C & P examiner?

And you raised two theories of entitlement...both PTSD and the depression.....

I think sometimes vets lock themselves in with what they are claiming as an MH issue and for some vets, that will always cause a denial....

Maybe a vet who is new to the system and claiming PTSD , should bring info to the first MH C & P exam they get, that proves their stressor.......

The new regs do help OIF/OEF veterans for sure......

but as on the show, Dr. Valette still sees PTSD claims from Vietnam veterans (and he was so right as to how similar their PTSD is to the Iraq /Afganistan veterans.)

The news this AM on Baghdad made me think of Saigon, 1975..... how quickly we forget the horrific lessons of war