ptsd Starting Ptsd Process

[Moiorban]

Hello all, and let me say Semper Fi to all the marines out there. Long story short I went to the VA and had a ptsd intake interview. He said I scored a 77out of 83 so he scheduled me to see one of the VA psychiatrist. Plus for the last 11years I have been on ambien in order to sleep otherwise I won't sleep. Long story for another time.

My question is, when I saw the shrink all we did is talk about how bad Muslims were and prepping. I thought at first he was trying to read me but not sure. Plus he took phone calls and talked to people that walked in the room. Then he put two scripts in the system and that was it. I thought I was supposed to be getting help but we didn't talk about anything. Maybe I don't understand the process.

[stillhere]

Not sure what a PTSD intake exam is but if the numbers are your Gaf score then they feel you don't have PTSD. Have you actually been Dxed as having PTSD?

Stillhere

[john999]

Do you have a return appointment with a shrink? You want to start the process at the beginning of the Yellow Brick Road and it sounds like you did, but you must not let it drop! Follow up on this and don't let them put you off by no means. Once you get DX'ed by the VA with PTSD you should stay in treatment and then file for SC. You should stay in treatment and keep accepting the drugs. If you go to a Vet Center you should coordinate that with VA shrink visits. You make a many sided attack on the VA money sack plus you get some treatment as well.

John

[Kimmy]

From my husbands experience the psychiatrist only does the meds. Psychologist/therapist does the therapy. My husbands process started with the intake/assessment appointment as well. From there he was assigned a therapist and 10 week PTSD group therapy in addition to individual counseling with the same doctor. So call the same clinic where you had the intake and ask when you can join the next PTSD group. This is all good for your claim because the medical history is being documented along the way.

You can your file if you have not done so yet. By the time they get to processing your claim, you would have had about a year a medical documentation thru the VA.

Edited November 4, 2014 by Kimmy

[carlie]

Not sure what a PTSD intake exam is but if the numbers are your Gaf score then they feel you don't have PTSD. Have you actually been Dxed as having PTSD?

Stillhere

New DSM5 does not take gaf scores anymore and should not factor any older ones

or references to them, into the evaluation.

[Mikemmlj]

Psychiatrists in my experience just diagnose and give meds. Social Workers, Psychologists, and Counselors listen more. I reccomend you hang out at hadit.com for a while before filing. Get well and good luck.

[KYVet]

First let me say that I love this sight and find it invaluable! I am a sc veteran at 70% on physical conditions. I too am in the beginning stages of what I believe to be a valid PTSD claim. I have only been to one therapist appointment after an intake exam/interview. I have multiple sc stressors. The first stressor occured in 1990. After that experience, I had what I believe to be smell sensory flashbacks. For the next 10 years or so everytime I would think or be coerced into talking about it I would smell the death that I was exposed too. The second sc stressor occured in 1991. As a result of this stressor, I had nightmares and I what I believe to have been a severe panic attack years later that brought me to my knees and made me feel like I had just been in a heavyweight fight. After about 10-11 years, either the symptoms began to subside or I somehow learned to suppress them or write them off with a uneducated explanation. I have been the main bread winner in my family and feel heavily dependent upon so I am the one who does not have time to break down. In 2009, I was diagnosed albeit long overdue, with sleep apnea. In June 2014, I lost my 22 year old daughter to cancer within 3 weeks of being diagnosed. I believe this was my tipping point.

I have been experiencing increasing problems over the past six months that seem to be onsetting at rapid pace. It now takes me a minimum 2 hours to get to sleep regardless of how tired I am due to racing thoughts (sometimes random or very minor connections, sometimes over someone who pissed me off during the day, sometimes over the stressors until my mind jumps to the next topic). I feel hyper vigillant no matter my setting I feel like I have to have a plan to defend myself at all times.....just in case. I am not a person who gets mad easily but once I am, I am rageful it seems. For example, a VA travel clerk asked me, with some attitude, why didn't I take care of my travel voucher while at the VA when I requested a form to be mailed. I didn't even know I qualified for travel previous to a conversation with the M/H Clinic, but that resulted in a 2-3 hour thought process while trying to go to sleep and me becoming more angry by the minute. The only thing that resolved it was calling and complaining on the guy.

I do not mean to go on about my apparent symptoms, but I have said all of that to say this. I recently downloaded my VA Problems List from MyHealtheVet and the therapist listed Anxiety NOS, Depressive Disorder NOS. My questions: One, is this a diagnosis after one visit, and, two, why would they list this when I am seeking help for PTSD and these seem to be symptoms of PTSD? I feel like there is so much more going on than Anxiety. And to be honest I am not sure about the depression. I am a very hard charging self motivated person and do not feel depressed. I mean yeah I have alot on my plate and sometimes it feels like there is no end but as I was taught by my father and my military and law enforcement experience you suck it up and push through. So that is what I do. I feel like I am rambling so I will end it here. Thanks to my fellow vets for your service and thank you for your time and responses