Veterans "gaming" the system for PTSD claims?

[Jimmer]

Hi Everyone, I wanted to share with you a article that I read on military.com in which a Bruce (whatever his last name is) testified to a group on how the veterans are "gaming" the system, and getting PTSD claims approved.  First of all, I would like to meet this guy face-to-face and tell him what an idiot he is. (I would like to do more, but restraint  would be necessary).  First of all a V.A. doctor has to determine that you have PTSD, not someone from the outside.  Does this clown think the V.A. doctors are willing to "look the other way" on claims?  Quite the opposite.  Then you have to have a "stressor", that ties the PTSD with an military event related to the PTSD.  It took me four years to get PTSD disability, and the V.A. went thru everything with a fine tooth comb.  Lucky, I c-file confirmed my "stressor", and I had been going to the V.A. mental health facilities, meeting with various doctors, sessions, etc.  I still see them three times a month, and take five different  medications.  This guy, Bruce, based his information on veterans talking to one other about applying, saying it was easy, blah, blah, blah.  I don't know of any vet that has received disability compensation for PTSD, that had an easy road, and I have talked to a lot of them.   It is comments like this, that really anger, me, and gives the false impression, that vets are just "scamming" the system, and a way to give fuel to cut disability benefits.   I would love to here you comments, especially those of you getting PTSD disability benefits.  I am sure you did not have any easy road, the V.A. makes sure of that!

[Berta]

This is self serving BS.......

And third ,4th party info......

I have never heard that in any group counseling setting- ( I was a member of a PTSD combat rap group)

And it took me YEARS to convince a friend of mine he had PTSD. He didnt want to have it.

The VA awarded the claim.

I know vets whose families and employers turned on them when they found out the vet had a low PTSD rating but could work-with or without accommodation. My husband won the first ADA-EEOC case in NY because a federal contracting  employer discriminated against him, based on his PTSD.The Electric Company.

When VA hired him , it was because I went to the VAMC Director because  the Personnel director.had already discriminated against him and I was ready to prepare another EEOC complaint. The director immediately gave him a VA job.

DOL and ADA EEOC complaints are different then EEOC complaints against the Government ( VA) .

I have heard a lot of BS from vets over the years......I live 25 minutes from a VAMC and was a volunteer there .In the 1980s the NSC DOM vets ran the whole place.That all changed.

I could write a book--- oh I did..........needs more work...The VA Sec gets the first copy. I wont charge him.

He is still learning VA 101.

This type of info in the link  is misleading  and not really accurate at all.It is BS

 

 

[Berta]

Paul Barnes, a friend of mine---haven't seen him in a long time...is a highly decorated Navy Seal.

His sampan was attacked and his leg was shot off...Horrific--the real deal , he is mentioned in a few books about Vietnam. He showed me his prosthesis and had to take it off to hit some guy over the head who was bragging he was a seal too in a bar in the next county .I knew the wannabee. 

Paul gave me the key question to ask the wannabee, he lived near me and was in the fire department with me --- the next time he told me how he saved the life of an Admiral. he failed the test .

I got a few wannabees when I used to give my email addy out. One was in the inhouse program with my husband for 21 days. No temp 100% for him....the vets at the BUffalo INhouse VAMC  called me about him and the VA knew he should have never been there yet they would not send my husband into this program until I  pressured them.

I wonder now when they sent him the 100% comp check ( he was 30% then) how that played into the accrued award for 100% PTSD EED one year prior to the temp comp check.That award came almost 3 years after he died.

This wannabee had charmed his VA shrink. He sure was a charmer.She got him into the program that is only for PTSD vets.

He has no proven stressor at all. And had already been denied properly by the BVA. The vets in the TDY InHouse back to Vietnam therapy with my husband all  knew he was trying to draw out their stressors to see if he could use them. His BS stressors didnt work.

My husband's 1994 1151 PTSD claim is still open.

 

 

 

Edited June 13, 2017 by Berta

[IMEF-Gunny]

My VAMC MH diagnosed me with PTSD after several sessions, reading my letters, files, buddy statements and interviewing my spouse. I refused that diagnosis. I am being treated (finally agreed to take medication) and it has helped me a lot. However, I have not filed a PTSD claim. I feel like, compared to a lot of my brothers out there ie; Vietnam veterans (God bless all of them), who seen, on average 20+ days of combat action per month, my actions, incidents were trivial in comparison.

For 26 years I drank, occassionally cried/melted down, nearly lost every job I'd ever had, never fit in (nor want to), haven't slept a full night, had/have no friends to speak of, and have & continue to be viewed as "intense and or intimidating" by all who know or meet me. 0 family relationships outside my wife & kids, wrestle with alcohol use and I have few real emotions anymore......but I'm trying. In the last 3 years, things have intensified 100 fold.......felt like my mind was breaking. I got to where I distanced myself, even from my kids and sat on many occassions, alone drinking with a 9mm in my lap.

 My next step will be visiting the Vet Center, maybe, for a group session. Baby steps.......but I still will likely never file a PTSD claim.

Edited June 13, 2017 by IMEF-Gunny

[pwrslm]

Never assume someone is faking it. I am not the judge, but groups help a lot, and many times getting it all out and hearing yourself in front of a group makes it more believable to you. As you become more aware of your feelings about it, you also become open to change.  Change is the scary part because what works for you to deal with this issue today is safe, doing something different then becomes hard.  A lot of times, ppl talk about the same thing over and over in these groups and finally figure out why they feel the way they do after years of talking. No magic fix, its work. Sometimes it is fast, but most of the time its a slow, stead trudging to get through it. Nobody ever told me it was fun either...but its worth it. You will figure out the difference between ego and honesty after you hear these stories a few times...or maybe 40 or 50 or more. But the same road you need to travel is in there somewhere, its up to you to find it.

Don't let that initial perception chase you away though. God will sort it all out in the end, all you need to do is clean up your side of the street so to speak, be honest with yourself. That is what matters!

[Victor Ray]

PTSD is still largely misunderstood, even by many doctors. Malaria or encephalitis can leave a person with symptoms of PTSD and so can the antimalarial drugs. I became permanently damaged in Vietnam, and the Army recognized this and issued a permanent profile P-3 after 3 weeks of hospitalization and just before being medivac'd out of country. I remained ill and continuously got worse all the time I was on duty, and the Army was aware of this all along, and lied about my treatment records, saying they had been lost, but they weren't. They are still withheld and always will be because more than likely I was part of an experiment. I went into a coma right after being discharged, from months of migraine headaches, fevers, eye aches, pharyngitis and testing positive for group A Streptococcus, Upper Respiratory Infections, an enlarged painful sensitive prostate and it felt like worms in my eyeballs for several years afterwards. I developed dozens of abdominal tumors, dead brain matter, cancers, blood coagulation problems, but the VA said I never complained while in the service. Who  in their right mind can not understand that what they see in writing is nothing but complaints? Between incompetence and corruption, PTSD will remain misunderstood at the expense of the vet. Sorry about the rant, but 46 years later and I am still waiting for vindication. Secretary David Shulkin doesn't respond to emails and probably don't even read them. Good luck to all of you.

[Victor Ray]

PTSD Service Connection dies with the veteran, but physical service connected conditions will be proven to be passed down to our off spring. We are so kept in the dark.