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!

[KYVet]

KYVet:

Welcome to Hadit. If you get a current diagnosis from VA for PTSD I am pretty sure you can find a stressor for 12 years of service. Your problem I think is how long have you been separated and did you have symptoms between your service and now.

I am sorry for your loss but I would think that would be a cause for depression and not PTSD. In fact it is sommon for people who have PTSD to start off looking for help with depression cause they usually come together.

Good luck. Are you able to work?

After the earthquake and volcano events that occured in my service, I would not talk about it much. When I did or when I would think about it I could smell the death like I was standing right in the middle of it. I had some nightmares and in one instance I had what I believe to be a panic/anxiety attack that brought me to my knees. It took about 20 minutes to recover from. I never knew what PTSD was until long after my first service separation in 1992. Therefore, I have no documentation of my symptoms back then.

My wife and I had a lot of problems coming back from Iraq. She would say things like, You are not who you were before you left. I just wrote this off a bullshit because I was not exposed to daily combat and thought it was an excuse on her part to make me the one wrong in the situation.

I do still have documentation of all of my change of station orders and orders for OIF. When I came back from Iraq, my VA Doc stated that I flagged for PTSD. I didn't even know I was being screened for it but when he asked if I wanted him to look into it further I told him no, thinking again "it can't be happening to me." Now I wish I would have done otherwise. Only hoping now that he noted what ever it was that flagged me back then.

Edited June 22, 2015 by KYVet

[Gastone]

Bassrunnin1: You didn't have a Mental Health DX prior to your Active Duty, right? Was the Non VA Dr aware of your pre-servce abuse and did he opine as to how it contributed to your current condition? Did he/she complete a VA PTSD DBQ for your SC claim?

Are you availing yourself of the VA Mental Health Services provided by your local VAMC?

Semper Fi

Gastone

[TALON II FE]

Just fyi for anyone going to do a PTSD DBQ, they tried REALLY hard to find prior to service issues for me as well on my recent one. They tried to dig into the fact that my parents were divorced when I was young, for example. Well, they were divorced when I was 3-4 years old (20 years before I joined the military, 40 years ago now) and cannot even picture them together, it was normal for me. BUT, they tried to "nexus" to prior service, even though I had just finished 20 years of service with over 3 years just in deployments to areas of conflict. I just minimized everything else and they had to eventually move on but it was almost 3 hours before we were done and I would say at least 1/2 of that was them trying to find another diagnosis.

[knap-sack]

The next thing to do is call local va hospital and ask for PTSD screening.

You have current diagnoses of anxiety and depression you can service connect.

[KYVet]

The next thing to do is call local va hospital and ask for PTSD screening.

You have current diagnoses of anxiety and depression you can service connect.

I have already asked for that. They sent me to a social worker with the VA. Then to a nurse practitioner who did a screening, not sure if it was specifically for ptsd, but she did note PTSD symptoms along with anxiety and depression. I then was sent to a psychologist for the first appt. So I guess my final question is: do I wait for an actual diagnosis of PTSD specifically, prior to filing or do I file when I develop all of my evidence of stressors with what I have now, that is listed in my first post? I have a GAF of 50, Axis I Anxiety, Depression, Axis II no diagnosis or not ruled out.

Edited June 23, 2015 by KYVet

[TALON II FE]

If you can tie the anxiety to service regardless, I would say file and start the process. JMO