ptsd Ptsd

[bigjim]

In fed 1997 i was denied service connection for ptsd.

the last statement in the letter says: VA examiners diagnosis of the veterans

condition in bipolar effective disorder. what in the world does this mean?jim

[bigjim]

Boondoc

Were you ever seen by a shrink while in the military? I believe that the VA is trying to get out of paying you by saying bi-polar instead of PTSD when you can easily have both and the symptoms can be similar. The stressor would be the thing if you have it. Some bi-polar types are mostly depressed and others are mostly manic. Bi-polar people don't usually have flashbacks and hypervigilence and nightmares about their stressful events, but they do drink and self medicate to try to cheer up or calm down. All the bi-polars I know do self medicate to some extent and many used pot and alcohol. I have been in a group therapy for years and many bipolars have come and gone. The guy who had PTSD could not stand the sound of choppers and had fits of rage.

yea i did , saw one in pearls harbor in 1977, it is in my military health record. didnt tell him

about stressers, didnt know at the time, never heard this work till lately. but if i was

turned down for ptsd why didnt they give me comp for bipolar???//jim

[Berta]

"yea i did , saw one in pearls harbor in 1977, it is in my military health record. didnt tell him

about stressers, didnt know at the time, never heard this work till lately. but if i was

turned down for ptsd why didnt they give me comp for bipolar???//jim"

You claimed PTSD-and apparently they did not look for any other documentation in your SMRs for bi polar.

What diagnosis has your current doctor given you?

Do you have your SMRs?

If you are diagnosed with bi polar- you would have to prove it was diagnosed or manifested in service- in your SMRs.

For PTSD-as John said-you have to have proven stressor in service that caused the PTSD.

If you have both- you might need a good psychiatric assessment to show the extent of each disability.

Also -you have to show that the bi polar or PTSD has an affect on you now, with current medical documents-treatment records and meds, etc.

What disability are you being treated for?

Edited October 14, 2006 by Berta

[BoonDoc]

yea i did , saw one in pearls harbor in 1977, it is in my military health record. didnt tell him

about stressers, didnt know at the time, never heard this work till lately. but if i was

turned down for ptsd why didnt they give me comp for bipolar???//jim

Jim,

Like Berta said, do you have your SMR's and C-file, or have you seen your C-file at the RO?

You need to be able to see what the C&P doc. wrote on the exam results.

You really need to look through your SMR's for what exactly you were hospitalised for at Pear Harbour, and look for symptome at medlink, or another good medical site that covers the DSM-IV so you know what symptome of Bipolar, and PTSD to look for in your records.

This will help you to file your NOD and then you can show the VA where they are wrong and you are right.

Like me, I have a stressor in my medical record, a current diagnosis and the shrink made the connection so there;'s the nexus need to prove PTSD. The Bipolar is a different story, I have nodiagnosis in my SMR's and didn't go to sick call, since I was the LPO of sick for the last part of my hitch. Without something proving the Bipolar, or symptoms in ones medical records in-service I don't see SC for it.

You may very well have diagnosed in-service...only your records will tell, and if you didn't file a claim for Bipolar they wouldn't be looking that direction even if they saw the diagnosis in your SMR's.

Keep on working on it.

Boondoc

[bigjim]

"yea i did , saw one in pearls harbor in 1977, it is in my military health record. didnt tell him

about stressers, didnt know at the time, never heard this work till lately. but if i was

turned down for ptsd why didnt they give me comp for bipolar???//jim"

You claimed PTSD-and apparently they did not look for any other documentation in your SMRs for bi polar.

What diagnosis has your current doctor given you?

Do you have your SMRs?

If you are diagnosed with bi polar- you would have to prove it was diagnosed or manifested in service- in your SMRs.

For PTSD-as John said-you have to have proven stressor in service that caused the PTSD.

If you have both- you might need a good psychiatric assessment to show the extent of each disability.

Also -you have to show that the bi polar or PTSD has an affect on you now, with current medical documents-treatment records and meds, etc.

What disability are you being treated for?

bertha: at this time i do not have a psychiatice dr. after coming back from the third tour in nam,to pearl harbor, i sort of went off,7-10 psyc ward pearl harbor, 4-5 weeks in house alcohol treament, tried to burn a

girl friends house down, seen a psyc for a month or two. stressors, got a head full,now they bother be

more as i get older. only thing being treated for in had open heart, 4bypass, dr said due to hypertension

lung filled up (ards) and kidneys are in truble, 8 pills in the morning and 8 at nite, draw 100% ssd,

thanks berta for the help//jim

[Berta]

Bigjim- it seems to me that they might have denied also due to your not having a current disability- in their way of thinking-

Service connection requires not only the nexus to service but a current documented disability with a clear cut diagnosis and current treatment records.

The VA loves paper- they need to see a paper trail of treatment records and medication records -as well as the disability's diagnosis.

I read a BVA claim the other day that was handled by my POA. It had been denied as when the vet first filed for PTSD, he had no diagnosis nor any medical treatment for PTSD.He never went to the VA or a private doctor for any PTSD treatment at all. He had no Vet center records or nothing else they could award on.

No private shrink sessions and no medications.

In all the time it took for the claim to be decided by the BVA he provided no other evidence and he never got any medical care or actual medical diagnosis at all.

I heard he made quite a stink with my POA when the BVA denied him.He lives in this area.

He probably assumed that all Vietnam veterans have PTSD and he did not have to prove it.

In your case- it does seem that the VA did not have any current record of any specific disability.

They need medical proof of PTSD and treatment for it.

Do you have a service officer helping you with your claim?

It is odd that they came up with bi polar. They must have based this on maybe the C & P you got?

Your service medical and personnel records should be obtained to see what is in them as to what the hospitalization was for.

Edited October 16, 2006 by Berta

[bigjim]

Bigjim- it seems to me that they might have denied also due to your not having a current disability- in their way of thinking-

Service connection requires not only the nexus to service but a current documented disability with a clear cut diagnosis and current treatment records.

The VA loves paper- they need to see a paper trail of treatment records and medication records -as well as the disability's diagnosis.

I read a BVA claim the other day that was handled by my POA. It had been denied as when the vet first filed for PTSD, he had no diagnosis nor any medical treatment for PTSD.He never went to the VA or a private doctor for any PTSD treatment at all. He had no Vet center records or nothing else they could award on.

No private shrink sessions and no medications.

In all the time it took for the claim to be decided by the BVA he provided no other evidence and he never got any medical care or actual medical diagnosis at all.

I heard he made quite a stink with my POA when the BVA denied him.He lives in this area.

He probably assumed that all Vietnam veterans have PTSD and he did not have to prove it.

In your case- it does seem that the VA did not have any current record of any specific disability.

They need medical proof of PTSD and treatment for it.

Do you have a service officer helping you with your claim?

It is odd that they came up with bi polar. They must have based this on maybe the C & P you got?

Your service medical and personnel records should be obtained to see what is in them as to what the hospitalization was for.