Can Major Depression Be Sc To Dmii?

[Guest jangrin]

Good Day Everyone,

Does anybody have information either case law or BVA decisions where Depression w/mood has been granted as a secondary to DMII, especially with veterans with heart, PN and unable to work due to DMII and secondarys.

What do you think are the chances of being able to claim and win? What evidence would be needed to support this claim for a rating?

Thank you,

Jangrin B)

[john999]

Jangrin

I think you could get service connected for depression due to disabilities associated with DMII. It would not be automatic or presumptive. You need a shrink to say there is a connection. Most medical authorities know that disability and depression go together in many cases. The VA demands that you make the connection via a medical opinion.

[Guest jangrin]

Jangrin

I think you could get service connected for depression due to disabilities associated with DMII. It would not be automatic or presumptive. You need a shrink to say there is a connection. Most medical authorities know that disability and depression go together in many cases. The VA demands that you make the connection via a medical opinion.

Thanks John,

I thought so too. Let's face it, being diagnosed with DMII and then suffering with all the associated secondarys, and then the realization that this is only going to get worse and at best you might be able to slow the process down is VERY depressing.

So I think I will help my husband to file for depression secondary to DMII and I think we will continue to find mental health professionals that will SC to this dismal prognosis. I believe the secondary effects of this terrible disease. Trying to stop or slow down the process of DMII requires medications, and the side effects of the medications add the the depression. Once he gets the initial SC for AO we will file a new claim for depression.

Jangrin

[Pete53]

John is correct. This would work for almost anything if the shrink would connect it. My Depression is because of Panic Disorder.

[Berta]

This link cites several studies on dression as related to diabetes:

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/depdiabetes.cfm

Even the ADA shows an assiciation:

http://www.diabetes.org/type-2-diabetes/depression.jsp

These would be good print outs to show any doctor who is rendering an opinion for you as to the relationship and how this information can be related to your husband's specific claim.

I regret what I PMed you didn't help too much-

Jangrin- in all the years my husband had PTSD he never was diagnosed with depression-until I read this in some SOCs. They had apparently felt the major stroke had depressed him-which it did- but months before the stroke I noticed an unusual depression had set in with Rod.

I cannot describe it well- there was a black cloud that seemed to hover over him-in spite of PTSD he did have a sense of humor but it seemed gone- he was quieter, he seemed on the verge of tears sometimes- this was unlike his behavior.

I mentioned this to his former shrink but the shrink never took any notes. I dont know how VA picked up on it.

(maybe from the PTSD inhouse program ??)

His shrink's wife ran the VA stroke survivor's club. At one meeting she mentioned how someone can exhibit a sudden depression prior to having a major stroke.This was certainly the case with Rod- within months of this odd depression-he had a major stroke. I have no medical links for this-and don't know where she got this info-but any behavioral change at all could indicate something is wrong.

[john999]

What is bothersome is that you must have a doctor specifically connect the dots between depression and DMII or other disabilities. I get depressed due to service connected pain disorder. I can't do the things I used to do and this is not just age related since I am only 56. I feel like I am 90 years old sometimes.

Berta, you amaze me with your persistence regarding your husband's disabilities. You honor him by fighting for him and his memory. It is hard enough for a vet to fight for his/her own disabilities. The spouses deserve a special thanks and support for this tough fight. Not many spouses are up to the task since they must enter the weird and frustrating world of the VA claims process. They have to get used to being lied to and having people sandbag them. The VA is the worst offender.

[Guest jangrin]

John999, Berta,

I know this sounds strange but I have noticed a difference in my husband. It is hard to explain but he just isn't as sure of himself. It is not self esteem, that seems intack, it's more like unable to make "simple decisions". And frustration with things that, in the past would not have even been a concern.

For the last 20 years we have worked together in a family business, now with my husband unable to work I am starting a new job. Work doesn't bother me but I am worried about leaving him alone for 8-10 hours a day.

He just seems lost lately, like unsure of his thoughts. I don't know its strange.

I went and looked at the diffinitions for mental disorders and he exhibits symptoms in all categories on how it is affecting social interaction.

He needs to get back into his group. With the move he hasn't been seen yet, still waiting. I'll call today and see if we can speed things up.

Thank you for the links I am getting things ready for the appeal process for his claim. I/we just have alot going on right now, so I am trying to print out and categorize for new evidense to support claim.

Thanks,

Jangrin

[Berta]

John- I appreciate what you said about spouses-and widows.

If it wasn't for Beverly Nehmer, widow of an AO vet-we would not have the Nehmer decision and of course the belief in her claim by NVLSP was paramount to this decision that has altered the lives of thousands and thousands of AO vets.

I had a difficult widow's claim from one of my vet orgs that I have been working on.

The widow is disabled yet still employed and facing all sorts of financial problems,while raising 2 children-

it seemed that all of the evidence she needed was missing- especially private hospital records that were lost in a fire.

Just last week the Pres of this org called me and said she had found evidence of her husband's heart disease in his Tricare medical records-within 2 months of discharge. Hopefully this is what she needs for DIC.

What tipped her off was when she got these records, she was a little lost as the all the medical nomenclature- but she found a diagnostic code and popped it into Google and it was a DC for heart disease.

With some good medical references she will be able to figure out the rest of these records as to the extent of his heart disease,but this does put his disability into the right presumptive time frame.He died due to heart disease.

This vet org-Vietnam Combat Veterans,ltd gave her money for any copy fees she needs as she is sending her husband's records to me and also to our President of the org to see what else we can find in them to support her DIC claim. I get any DIC claims they hear of.

John- before I got my first IMO I knew what the results would be.

I feel angry about the whole thing-

I told VA counsel last month that I can now pinpoint the actual day -in the med recs-that a medical cover began by VA doctors. The IM0s I have did certainly give me some peace to know Rod had died of a direct service disability.

But I still wait for the VA to give him a proper diagnosis too.

He predicted his own death -at the hands of the VA-in his Sec 1151 claim-no wonder he kept telling me to re-open this claim if he died.

They almost got away with killing a combat vet without taking responsibility for it.

I wonder how often that has occurred.

Edited November 13, 2006 by Berta (see edit history)