Recommendations welcome on letter for anxiety

[GnySkinner]

I am submitting a claim for anxiety.  My wife wrote a letter where she has included the following to show my military connection and timeline.  I have been retired for 19 years (20yr Marine 0331) and have not submitted a claim for this prior to now.  I am rated at 10% for migraines and service connected for back pain but rated at 0% for that. I do not have my military medical records although I requested them back on January 2nd.  I know they will take a long time to get.  I was seen by a clinical psychologist at the VA clinic and her diagnosis says "Adjustment disorder with mixed emotions r/o Trauma-related stressor".  She is sending me to classes and recommended on-line options as well.  Any suggestions?

My husband served 20 years in the Marine Corp where he was exposed to many conditions that he tries, unsuccessfully, to deal with to this day.

• He suffers from impaired short and long term memory. He retains only highly learned materials while forgetting to complete simple tasks. This started very early in his military career when he studied long hours for promotion boards. He was trained to memorize and recite.

• He is suspicious of everyone and everything. Again, this is due to his military training, be aware of your surroundings at all times and be prepared for the worst. He sees the world as a completely dangerous place.

• He is easy to anger and very irritable. In his military career he was trained to do things at the drop of a hat, always ready to react at a moment's notice. When things don't move at the pace he thinks is appropriate he has difficulty dealing with it. “Little” things easily anger him.

• He suffers from lack of concentration. If the subject doesn't interest him he zones out. He was taught in the military to focus on the relevant and ignore the irrelevant. This makes it nearly impossible for him to concentrate on learning new things, i.e. new jobs.

• He served as a drill instructor at both Parris Island and San Diego. During those 4 years he trained many young Marines who later served in combat. He has expressed to me many, many times the feelings of anxiety and guilt he continues to have knowing that some of those young men were either injured or killed. He feels that he should have been there with them instead of on the drill field.

 

His 20 years of training dictate his life to this day. He has a difficult time functioning in the “civilian” world. His nights are restless and his days are frustrating. He sleeps with a CPAP machine to control his breathing. He frequently gets up to check and recheck doors and windows. He is not comfortable in social situations unless he is surrounded by his military buddies. He can not work around other people unless they share the same military background. He believes that if he asks for help it is a sign of weakness. When he was on active duty he did not go to sick call or ever ask for help because he did not want to be labeled a “sick bay commando”.

 

Although most of these conditions have been present since he was on active duty, they have gotten worse over the years. Only recently did he agree to seek help.

[GnySkinner]

On 4/12/2018 at 7:09 AM, broncovet said:

"Anxiety" is not a diagnosis, its a symptom of PTSD, depression and some others.  Have you been diagnosed with depression or PTSD?  I dont recommend you apply for benefits for "anxiety", but instead what your doctor has already diagnosed:  Depression, Bipolar, etc.  Or, apply for "general" mental disorders.  

I dont suggest you do "self diagnosis" because your opinion wont matter, anyway, its what the doctor says.  

Have you ordered your cfile and medical records?  If not, you need to.  Are you on antidepressant meds, such as Wellburtron, Zoloft, Atavan, etc?  

PREVENT DENIALS and delays by making sure of what you apply for.  Dont guess.  Read what the doc says.  

The Dr. I saw diagnosed me with "Adjustment disorder with mixed emotions r/o trauma-related stressor".  My VSO told me and my wife to each write a letter telling why I have the condition, what are the symptoms, when it started, how it affects me socially and how it changed from the Marine Corp to now.  The actual wording on the claim says "Mental Condition", not Anxiety.  He has already filed the claim.

In my letter I added what may be considered 2 stressors.  The first is being sent to the drill field a second time.  I asked to go the first time but I was sent the second time.  I did not want to go having been through it once already.  Here is what I wrote:

 I served the majority of my career in infantry related jobs which were physically and mentally demanding; I was always training for combat.  I also served two tours as a Drill Instructor at both Parris Island and San Diego.  The first tour I asked for, the second I didn't.  Knowing how demanding that job was, again both physically and mentally, I did not want to do it again.  But as always, I was not going to buck the system or question orders.  I accepted what was dealt to me.  Working 16-18 hours a day took it's toll on me, and more importantly my family relationships.

The second stressor also relates to the drill field.  Here is what I wrote:

To this day I have dreams, or what I call nightmares, about the stress related to that job.  It is always on my mind, wondering how many young men whom I trained have gone on to fight, been injured or died in combat.  For some reason, one recruit in particular who died in the first Gulf War always sticks in my mind.  I can still picture him as plain as day and remember his name.

I thought the c-file and medical records were the same thing.  I have requested my medical records, back on January 2nd, but I don't think I will get them for quite some time.  I have my military SRB.  Is the c-file something my VSO will be getting? I first met with him in late January and he filed an intent to file and had me sign something allowing him to obtain information and represent me. 

 I'm not on any antidepressants.  My VSO has already uploaded the claim, on 4/3/18.   I can change my letters to state that I am applying for a service connected mental condition.  Hopefully that will help and not put me in to a lengthy delay.