ptsd Why Diagnosed With Symptoms But Not Ptsd

[KYVet]

Hello all! I am a new member to the group and can not say enough about how valuable this forum is and has been. I am a OIF veteran (2003) and have recently started having some of what I think might be early precursors to PTSD. A little pretext to my situation: I have served 12 years in the military. I have two stressors miltary related. As a result, I have, in the distant past, experienced smell flashbacks and nightmares. At one point, had what I believe to be a severe panic attack bringing me to my knees with shortness of breath, racing heart, etc after military service. When it was done I felt like I had been in a fight with a bear. I recently lost my 22 yo daughter in June of 2014 to cancer. My most recent issues have been avoiding crowds, feeling like I have to have a plan to defend myself from any one in a room, restaurant, store etc. should they decide to attack, back to the wall at all times preferably with an exit in sight. I am very sensitive to loud noises and startle easily. At times I have panic attacks and feel like I have an elephant sitting on my chest and get flush in my face, etc. I feel like I have to be in total control of my environment at all times or the panic will set in (if that makes any sense).

Without boring you all with any further details, i have just now started getting some therapy from the VA reference this. In fact my second visit with the therapist is in July. I am currently 70% sc with other physical issues. I recently downloaded what is called the VA Problem List from the MyHealtheVet and the therapist has labled it Anxiety NOS, Bereavment, and Depressive Disorder NOS. I am not sure if this is a diagnosis or just a starting point. If it is a diagnosis, anxiety and depression are symptoms of PTSD so why not a PTSD diagnosis since I have stressors that are provable. Now granted the therapist, I assume at this point, has only taken my word when it comes to my stressors and I have only begun the documentation phase of my PTSD claim. I am just wondering if this is something I have to let play out or if I need to get on top of this to steer it in the direction of my PTSD claim. Thanks for any help.

And thank you all for your service! If not us, then who!

[broncovet]

Symptoms are important as far as the degree of disability. However, you first have to get a PTSD diagnosis, and to do that, you have to have to document an "in service stressor".

You see, the VA will argue there are many MORE things that could have caused PTSD other than just military service. For example you could be the victim of domestic violence, of a crime, such as rape, or dozens of other trauma events which may have occurred outside of military service.

Thus, you need to document a stressor and a link of your PTSD to military service. "PTSD" is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and that is not limited to military service..many others have it also. One example of this is people held in Jewish Concentration camps that managed to survive, many/most of who never served in the military. They still get ptsd, but not from their miltary service.

In short, "symptoms of PTSD" does not suffice for VA to award compensation for PTSD, you still have 3 things necessary:

1. Current diagnosis of PTSD.

2. In service event or aggravation.

3. Nexus, or link between 1 and 2, above.

If you lack any one of the 3 above, your claim is likely to be denied.

Edited June 20, 2015 by broncovet

[kevin4998]

I am sorry for your loss, I have had three in the last three months. They (VA) will unfortunately use that against you for PTSD if you mention it, unless you can relate that too loss of comrades in service and how that may brought those feelings up. jmo though and it isn't worth much.

[Berta]

" I am not sure if this is a diagnosis or just a starting point."

Once a formal claim is filed, a C & P exam will offer a diagnosis.The actual claim is the starting point.

These are the 2010 PTSD regulations.




As an OIF veteran, and I assume incountry OIF, you should fall under them.

"Anxiety NOS, Bereavment, and Depressive Disorder NOS. " I am very sorry to hear of that loss of your daughter.

Losses like that can compound established MH issues......

But PTSD develops solely from inservice causes ,for VA PTSD claim purposes.

Kevin, I totally agree with what you said.

KYVet, do you have awards on your DD 214 that would denote combat?



"I am currently 70% sc with other physical issues" Are you able to work?

[knap-sack]

I had three stressors one of which was injuries.from assault. I also had my military evaluations that showed my military bearing declined significantly. The service medical record, evaluations and clear diagnoses of ptsd my cliam was completed in less than 80 days.

[bassrunnin1]

Ok, this may sound strange answer, but I will try to explain using me as an example where I filed for PTSD/MST (military sexual trauma). In those cases you also have to tie a nexus to PTSD being related to experience in military and nothing else. I was fortunate enough that i was seeking treatment from an outside provider. So, in my case I was abused as a child, the military could have used that has causing my PTSD and claim would have been denied. However, when I went to the VA, I only talked about my MST and nothing else because I was at the VA for that. MY personal therapist I used for everything to help me deal with things. Now, if the VA person or C&P exam had asked me about previous assualts or current issues affecting me then I would have had to be honest and tell them, But at the exam they just asked about the event itself, making the nexus for proof. They did ask about my parents and if they were married or divorced. Other than that it was none of the VA business what else has happened to me. i say all this to say: If you want to be successul in winning a PTSD or anxiety claim, then you need only talk about those things if possible and get outside help for your loss and the combination of things that you have been through. If you can not do this then do what you got to do to get better and file the claim and see what comes of it. I just read posts like these and found that to be an issue with MST claims, and hope that will not be the case for you.

You can also go at this way, that the loss of your daughter (very sorry for your loss) caused your PTSD symptoms from your daughters death brought everything to the surface. Especially if you hadn't really experienced symptoms until that happened. Then you can look at that way, and have the VA see it that way. you must let your VA DR know that so it can be documented that way. PTSD can come on at anytime in your life if the right things happen to overflow that cup of dealing with all the stuff you've had to go through. In your case the first thing in that cup was your miitary experience. And that they can tie together, because that is the truth. Hope this helps

[TALON II FE]

Everything above is great advice from my experiences, too. The "big picture" is that in reality you are most likely dealing with your entire life, everything in your experiences as an individual in this world shapes who you are and how you deal with situations. They VA, to put it bluntly, does not care about your life. In fact, as others have alluded to, they will use those other pieces of your life AGAINST YOU, if you give them the opportunity. Life is messy and we all deal with our personal strifes as we try and navigate through it. IMHO, you have just faced one of the hardest things that anyone can face, outliving your child. It is unnatural and we are not well equipped to deal with it. I am so very sorry that you are dealing with this and I hope you can find a way to move forward. Not forget, but move forward. My younger sister died at 17 years old in a tragic accident while I was overseas and my father never recovered from it. He kept her room as a shrine for many years and did a LOT of damage to my other sister (who was a little younger) thru transference. She is now finishing her Doctorate in Psychology, mostly because of those experiences, which is awesome because she has helped herself and now tries to help others. I have not spoken to, nor seen, my father in about 12 years. Don't let your life end with her like my father's has, honor her by moving forward as it sounds like you are. That is not the same as forgetting, he could never see that.

The hardest part for you will be trying to untangle things and deal with the PTSD related to the military singularly for your claim, as basrunnin 1 suggests. Seek other treatment for your bereavement, so you aren't dealing with it thru them. They WILL use it against you, as sadistic and despicable as that sounds. They like to talk about out-of-service disabilities being aggravated by in-service. This is in their regs. What I believe you may be dealing with is the other side of the coin; You had in-service events that were later aggravated by life events. Since they do not have "protocols" for this, they will most likely use that against you. Do not let them. PTSD is a strange beast and it seems to wait until your guard is down to slip it's restraints.

You are a unique individual, just like every other soul on this planet and we are all the "sum of our parts" or our experiences, of our ideals, and our societies, especially mentally. There is no giant "cookie cutter" stamping us out. The VA only looks for specific issues (cookie cutter marks) and would love to put the onus back on the issues caused by something other than your service. Do not let them muddy the waters. Separate your military experiences from your personal (not easy, I know) and address those things with the VA, and concentrate on those, as well as symptoms, when dealing with them. Even the best intentioned VA counselor can hurt you from a claim perspective since the raters are not health professionals looking to help, they are more like the "gatekeeper" of your compensation, they don't want to pay you unless they have no other option. Don't let them use the rest of your life against you.

Getting help with your PTSD from service will help you deal with your other life events, especially if you are getting counseling elsewhere for those issues. Break it all into more manageable pieces, combined they may be too big to swallow. Work on whittling things down, little by little, so you can digest them. KEEP GETTING HELP! Find counselors you feel comfortable with so you hold less back and can face and process your events better. I went thru several before I finally found someone I can feel comfortable with, but one meeting with him does my more good than 10 meetings somewhere else for me.

The claim and diagnosis won't help you get better, but it is a benefit you EARNED thru your service. Make them honor their side of the contract. BUT, the most important thing is for you to get better because, if not, you can only get worse. From my personal experience, it is not something you can do for yourself, you need help to deal with it, keep getting help! I hope at least some of this is useful to you.

Edited June 21, 2015 by TALON II FE