Anxiety and Depression and TBI

[152F]

I need some help interpreting the doctor notes. 

On the 3. Occupational and social impairment section she checked: 

mental condition has been formally diagnosed, but symptoms are not severe enough either to interfere with occupational and social functioning or to require continuous medication

 

However, for symptoms she checked

 

3. Symptoms

-----------

For VA rating purposes, check all symptoms that actively apply to the Veteran's diagnoses:

[X] Depressed mood

[X] Anxiety

[X] Suspiciousness

[X] Chronic sleep impairment

[X] Mild memory loss, such as forgetting names, directions or recent events

[X] Flattened affect

[X] Circumstantial, circumlocutory or stereotyped speech

[X] Disturbances of motivation and mood

 

She also stated I am service connected but does this mean I get 0% rating? 

 

 

[brokensoldier244th]

That is what it looks like, though even getting it SC is a win, in that you can always go to treatment and then file for an increase after a while if you need to. 

 

[152F]

Thanks for your reply.  I am confused why they listed all the symptoms as well?  To me they are saying I have it but I am functional.  Sort of like a functional alcoholic. They are ignoring the rest because I am functional for now? 

[152F]

They are also sending me in to a neuropsychologists as well as clinical psychologist to determine if my symptoms are caused by a TBI or PTSD.  I was SC for TBI as well.  To be quite honest with you I do not know what this all mean. 

[brokensoldier244th]

You can only have 1 mental rating. You may be rated higher for TBI or PTSD rather than just depression, etc. That list of symptoms is on every MH evaluation for a C&P exam. I have many of the same checked on mine but its the 'how' they affect you in daily living that triggers what percentage, not just having them. You need to be specific about what things it affects and how- hygiene? Cooking/cleaning left undone, anger outbursts or crying, disassociative behavior, money issues- not paying bills, overspending routinely, suicidal idealization, self harm (picking, pulling out hair, cutting, pulling off fingernails or cuticles) to the point of bleeding or permanent damage, obsessions on things or racing thoughts, insomnia, night terrors, etc. If you were just really general it doesnt help your case. 

Edited May 23, 2016 by brokensoldier244th

[152F]

I listed mood swings, insomnia and anger outbursts. But I understand what you are saying. They know I have these things but for the anxiety and depression I am functional but the TBI or PTSD maybe more severe and they won't know until I finish my exam to determine which one I have.  Or even both.  So there different levels of MH but that are stacked on to one another.  Let me know if I am on course 

[brokensoldier244th]

tracking.

 

TBI/PTSD can encompass all of these to varying severity. Peeling away what is caused by what is the hard part because they are all co-moribities of each other. LIke me, I have severe depression, recurrant; ocd tendencies, dermatillomania (picking, fingers/nails mostly), autism spectrum disorder (not SC, but listed in my treatment notes), insomnia/sleep disturbances, and impulsivity that affects my intrapersonal relationships with my family in that I spend money that  I shoudlnt for the psychological 'upper' that it gives me-.....until the lights go out or the gas bill isn't paid or whatever.