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!

[john999]

You know when I first got out of the Army in 1971 there was no DX for PTSD. I was having problems before I got out, and constantly after I got out of the Army. I filed a claim for a mental disorder and the VA service connected me for schizophrenia. Now I don't have schizophrenia. I might have had some weird symptoms, but what I actually have is something called dissociative disorder which can be a symptoms of PTSD. I was fortunate to get any service connection due to the fact I filed within one year and spent two weeks in VA rubber room in 1972. Some years later at a C&P exam they tried to come up with PD diagnosis to sever my SC but it had been 15 years or I am sure they would have done it based on an exam of leading questions all heading towards a PD diagnosis. I leaned never to admit any drug use, trouble at home, trouble in school, fistfight in 1st grade, argument with parents etc. They used everything from my past to try and screw me. Now I admit nothing and just keep it on military issues to explain anxiety, depression, sleep issues, etc. The VA denied my first claim for TDIU because one of my IME/IMO's mentioned my chronic pain and use of opiates to treat the pain. VA tried to say that the reason I could not work was my use of opiates and not 30 year history of mental health and AO issues. I got more IME's and beat that, but what if I had been penniless and not able to afford the IME's? It took three IME's to get me to P&T and I was 70% at that time.

John

[Andyman73]

John,

I just had my intitial MH consult, yesterday. What kinds of things should I not talk about? I do have a decent catalog of issues that occurred while on AD. Should I stick with that for now?

Semper Fi.

Andy

[TALON II FE]

With the VA, I recommend you stick to symptoms as much as possible. If they steer towards "why", stick with what happened in the military or after (but how the military experience exacerbates things). I hate giving this advice because it is not allowing you to get the best out of treatment. There is no way that I cannot see any VA MH treatment not keyed at disproving conditions long term or as a "safe" environment to deal with those issues because of this. They have to many metrics involved in all their processes and that takes what is best for you out of the equation. Essentially, to me, it is like having a trigger built in to the treatment, if that makes sense. One way to mitigate this is find a support group.

. There are many peer groups thru private groups out there. I have a peer mentor thru WWP (I know, WWP is not popular right now) and it is a good program. They matched me up with another SOF guy, so we speak the same language and can pull from similar experiences. I cannot always relate to other AF personnel as well with the PTSD issues, because I was in a weird niche. I can't explain some things due to restrictions, but I can talk around them with him and we understand each other without breaking any rules. WWP is only one of many, if you take issue with them, do a websearch and find one that works for you. If you want more info on the peer mentor thru WWP, PM me and I will send you contact info for the lady I set mine up with. I have found that I use the peer mentor program for "emergencies" and my weekly for "maintenance" and it works ok for me. Try different things and find what works for you. It is not always easy, and it helps me to be able to spread things around.

Get into some treatment outside of the VA, if at all possible. I think I got lucky, by DBQ appointment was farmed out to IHS and the psychologist I went to for it just "clicked" for me, very comfortable there and I go an hour away from home "most" weeks (my one excursion out of the house) for my appointments. The most important part for me was to find someone I was comfortable with and could open up to. I think it helps that he is blind, seriously, because I respect him for overcoming his limitations; it's hard to minimize his advice or think that he doesn't truly grasp what it is like to overcome a disability. You need to find the right counselor for you, someone you can respect and/or relate to, so you can get the most out of your treatment. It went thru a few others first. I always used a 3 appointment rule; if things were not clicking and moving forward by the 3rd appointment, I moved on. But, regardless, keep going.

[john999]

Don't talk about your childhood or anything that happened before the military. Don't talk about alcohol or drug abuse. If you have been in car crashes or situations that might cause ptsd after service just don't bring it up at all. You were fine before the military and now you are messed up due to you military service and only your military service. This is the safe way. If you bring up other stuff to the VA it will come back and bite you. If you were molested as a child don't talk about it. If you were robbed and beaten after service don't talk about it. They will use it against you when you go for that MH rating.

If you were ever suspended from school or arrested don't talk about it or mention it. If they cannot prove it then to the VA it is just your mouth that will sink you.

John

[Andyman73]

Don't talk about your childhood or anything that happened before the military. Don't talk about alcohol or drug abuse. If you have been in car crashes or situations that might cause ptsd after service just don't bring it up at all. You were fine before the military and now you are messed up due to you military service and only your military service. This is the safe way. If you bring up other stuff to the VA it will come back and bite you. If you were molested as a child don't talk about it. If you were robbed and beaten after service don't talk about it. They will use it against you when you go for that MH rating.

If you were ever suspended from school or arrested don't talk about it or mention it. If they cannot prove it then to the VA it is just your mouth that will sink you.

John

My alcohol abuse and subsequent alcohol related NJP happened while on AD. I kept my nose clean since then, mostly due to fear and shame. I have been deathly afraid, ever since, that someone might find out about my inner demons and out me. And that my world will implode and I just cease to exist, to become even more invisible than I already am.

I won't even mention the time I saved my father-in-law's life. Or how it just passed on by as if it was someone else who saved him.