Ptsd claim

[DebbieS118]

Two years ago my husband was diagnosed PTSD from a veterans contract psychologist. Although he is 66 years old, and the Vietnam war has long been over for decades his symptoms did not appear until he became sober five years ago when he quit the alcohol. He never actively seemed help for his alcoholism because he was self medicating. The psychologist send him to a va psychiatrist for medication. Both doctors believe his ptsd was caused by the anxiety of being on standby to deploy to Vietnam for 5 months. He started drinking heavily while in Okinawa and by the time he  was discharged he was already an alcoholic.

To make a long story short, he filed a claim with VA. Of course he was denied. Did a reconsideration claim. Said he needed new/material evidence which was sent in. It was a dbq for ptsd. We received acknowledgment of the new letter stating it was indeed new evidence and claim would be going to rater. Got another denial of claim 2 weeks later saying they never received new evidence so reconsideration claim was denied.

Now what? This process is so frustrating makes you want to quit

[DebbieS118]

Thank you all for your responses and advice. We do have a year to reopen the claim. I just don’t understand what more the VA wants. We have send in everything they requested. He has a diagnosis of PTSD from a psychologist and a VA psychiatrist. The psychiatrist had him on medication for PTSD.

[DebbieS118]

We filed claim for PTSD/alcoholism 

 

[Berta]

 "I just don’t understand what more the VA wants. "

As we have been saying here- he needs a Valid Stressor, one that can be confirmed.

Fear of deployment is not a valid stressor. He was not deployed. It was a temporary concern , the same anxiety that about 2 million non -deployed Vietnam Era vets during the war , probably experienced as well.

The evidence list says an appeal was withdrawn (within the appeal period as I understand this) and they re- opened the claim- and denied again.

Either he is holding back on a valid stressor or he had no stressful experience at all , as the BVA defines stressor,for VA purposes, as in one of my replies above. 

I suggest, if he wants to re open the claim, to find a vet rep from one of the main Vet Orgs, and maybe he will open up to them. They will want to see his DBQ and all VA paperwork but they  might say what we have been saying here.

 

 

 

[DebbieS118]

On Jan 16, we went to the local veterans regional center to find out what was going on. We asked for a copy of his c files. They said they are on a disk now and have to be mailed. We asked if there was anyway we could just look at them. They said no. Also asked why he received letter stating the information he send in was considered new evidence and the denial letter said there was no new evidence. Their response was when the evidence was first reviewed it looked like new evidence. After going to the rater, they determined it was not. The representative said they probably didn’t even look at the evidence because it was a new dbq. A dbq was previously sent in a year ago.Therefore it is not considered new evidence. Does this make sense? He did sign up with DAV. Maybe they can tell us exactly what is needed.