Newbie question...

[AtlMarine]

I have put in for PTSD claim at the Atlanta VA. They sent me to an offsite Veteran's Health Administration (VHA) for a 2 month therapy session. HOWEVER,

On the first and second visits, they gave me a form that states and they explicitly told me the following:

"Veteran's Health Admin.(VHA) services, including those offered by this program, are for the purposes of healthcare/treatment and are not provided for the purposes of establishing or increasing disability payments, which you may address more appropriately with the Veterans Benefits Admin. (VBA). In fact, the overall aim of this treatment program CONFLICTS with goals related to establishing oneself as disabled. As such, participation in this program could harm any goals related to obtaining or increasing disability pay. Similarly, please consider that you might not be able to engage productively in a recovery oriented treatment for a condition you are simultaneously trying to obtain disability payment for, as this frequently increases treatment sabotaging behaviors like using session time to list symptoms rather than working to eliminate them, not completing homework assignments, and overall pre-occupation with maintaining diagnoses that could influence disability ratings rather than working to eliminate those diagnoses."

My question:

Will this keep me from getting disability?  I appreciate any help the VA can give me, but I can't hold a job because of my ptsd and need benefits. I don't want this to hurt my chances of getting rated for ptsd. Should I keep going to these VHA sessions?  Also, where should I go to get guidance for my PTSD claim??? I'm clueless. Thanks in advance.

  

[broncovet]

This (statement) is TERRIBLE and should be banned!!! Terrible!!  This suggests that Vets should not go for counseling at the Vet center.  This is terrible...Vets already have a whole list of excuses not to seek treatment, and VA just added one more.  

There is something good about this, however.  This disclosure is no different than when you go to any VA..remember these docs are paid by VA  and VA has control over what these docs write in your med records, and they have a different view of your disability benefits than you do..a conflict of interest.  

You see, at least you KNOW that these people are represented by your opponent at law.  Most of the time the Vet "thinks" the doc is on his side, when he actually gets paid by his opponent at law.  

You are in the right place.  Keep your counseling, and keep in mind you need these 3 things for Service connection:

1.  Current diagnosis.  Your Vet center "may" even provide a PTSD diagnosis, but you wont know that until you read your Cfile.  

2.  In service event, in the case of PTSD its called a "stessor".

3.  Nexus, or doc opinion that 1 and 2 are related.  

      Chances are good you will need a private IMO/IME for number 3 if no VA doc will provide same, either way.  

[vetquest]

I have wondered about this for a while now.  It seems like recently people have been pushing programs that "cure" PTSD.  Some of the people pushing this are veterans themselves.  I do not know how they could cure PTSD.  I experience my stressor almost every day.  I have recently started getting chest pains again.  No, I know it is not a heart problem.  I have been in counseling for twenty some years, even by someone who specialized in PTSD.  I did not ask for this problem and never asked to be diagnosed with PTSD.

[Buck52]

I never heard of this & I been in  VA MH therapy for years for chronic PTSD/Depression.

   my old  VA therapist was medically release form work/Retirement b/c of a BAD Back surgery ... and I got a new therapist ...now when I started this new CPT Therapy at my VAMC  MH Clinic  the therapist had me to sign a contract  before the sessions started, I am in my 4th session of a 17 week course  and I do have home work Its with every sessions on ABC Work sheets and PCL 5 QUESTIONER and I circle my answers and my thoughts and feelings and  write down any stuck points I am in...the therapist covers all this in the next session..but nothing was said about claims or being reduced? or taking therapy for reasons to be compensated?

I was talking to the therapist one time about getting my DD 214 CORRECTED she ask me if I had a claim in for MH?   I said no I am already S.C. For a claim at 70% PTSD..I just wanted to get my DD 214 Corrected to the places I served...she just made light of it and said this new VBMS is good now days rather than using snail mail at least its faster and wished me luck getting it corrected, she never mention it in my progress notes on Myhealthvet

 Atl Marine ,

Where did this come from? I've never see this before?

[Buck52]

Vetquest

I agree I don't think there's a Cure For PTSD either, but the therapist are there to help us learn to cope with our problems and use  different forms of tools and know how  how to breath better during anxiety attacks and hopefully be a better member of society  and hopefully stop the Avoidness  or outburst anger at our family members and friends & learning to adjust to a better way of life..I 'd gladly give up my comp to feel better and live a decent life and have friends.and stop hurting inside.

[HorizontalMike]

1 hour ago, Buck52 said:

I never heard of this & I been in  VA MH therapy for years for chronic PTSD/Depression.  ...[snip]...  

I was talking to the therapist one time about getting my DD 214 CORRECTED she ask me if I had a claim in for MH?   I said no I am already S.C. For a claim at 70% PTSD..I just wanted to get my DD 214 Corrected to the places I served...she just made light of it and said this new VBMS is good now days rather than using snail mail at least its faster and wished me luck getting it corrected, she never mention it in my progress notes on Myhealthvet

 Atl Marine ,

Where did this come from? I've never see this before?

Boy isn't THAT the truth.  At every MH appointment with my VA Psychiatrist I consistently bring up my TBI/MDD induced "lack of motivation" or my need to "increase my motivation."  NONE of that gets into my VA NOTES medical record.  Just as if it never occurred/occurs...

And, about +3yr ago, after my sleep study showed my sleep apnea at a +10/hr level, the VA Clinic noted that I "...was offered..." a CPAP machine.  And as I NOW understand more about how the VA is trying to eliminate SC'd sleep apnea, they are apparently requiring a formal diagnosis that a CPAP "...is required..." and does not accept that it was "offered."

As my +6yr disability claim and related appeals marches on, ever so slowly...

[AtlMarine]

Buck and others, 

Thanks for the replies and input. The paragraph I quoted came from the therapist I was referred to by the VA. But it is not at the Atlanta VA hosp. It is an offsite office where Vets go for  treatment, I guess.

I want to get all of the help I can for the symptoms I have. However, I just thought it was odd because I just put in for a PTSD claim last month.

Who should I go to for help on my claim?? An attorney? 

I appreciate any guidance you can offer.