C&P for increase for major depression disorder w/ anxiety

[Bedells 0]

I am currently rated at 50% for major depression with anxiety.  When I submitted my claim I included strong DBQ from my VA Psychiatrist, a notarized Sworn Statement from my wife and a statement from my last employer from 3 years ago.  I attended my C&P exam a week ago and was actually not having the best day. First question from the examiner was, "Have you had any suicidal thoughts in the last several days" but before I had a chance to answer her she warned me that if i say yes she would have to stop the interview and have me admitted to the hospital. Next question was, "Are you able to handle your financial affairs"? and again before i could answer, no i cannot", she said if the answer was no I would be assigned a financial counselor immediately. I answered her with a no and followed up by telling her that my wife handled our financial affairs and has for several years and she told me since I could not handle them they would still have to set me up with someone to help me. So at this point I felt as if I was being bribed to answer the questions in a way that would hurt my case. I have suicidal thoughts from time to time and ideations but have never had to plan do follow through with it which all this is in my file. This 10 minute C&P exam  made me feel as if like i was on a game show where you have 5 seconds to answer questions. Her last question was is there anything else I need to know? Which I had a few things that I wrote down on paper a couple of days before to help me remember. I told her that i felt like the police were out to get me and felt as if they were following me every time i left the house and she immediately said is that all. I sat there stunned and could not remember anything else. I felt under immense pressure to answer quickly.  With all this being said i have documented issues with concentration, short term memory which really made the whole thing even more difficult than it had to be. Anyone gone through this lately?

Edited February 20, 2020 by Bedells
want notifications when someone answers

[seminoles 134]

21 hours ago, Bedells said:

I am currently rated at 50% for major depression with anxiety.  When I submitted my claim I included strong DBQ from my VA Psychiatrist, a notarized Sworn Statement from my wife and a statement from my last employer from 3 years ago.  I attended my C&P exam a week ago and was actually not having the best day. First question from the examiner was, "Have you had any suicidal thoughts in the last several days" but before I had a chance to answer her she warned me that if i say yes she would have to stop the interview and have me admitted to the hospital. Next question was, "Are you able to handle your financial affairs"? and again before i could answer, no i cannot", she said if the answer was no I would be assigned a financial counselor immediately. I answered her with a no and followed up by telling her that my wife handled our financial affairs and has for several years and she told me since I could not handle them they would still have to set me up with someone to help me. So at this point I felt as if I was being bribed to answer the questions in a way that would hurt my case. I have suicidal thoughts from time to time and ideations but have never had to plan do follow through with it which all this is in my file. This 10 minute C&P exam  made me feel as if like i was on a game show where you have 5 seconds to answer questions. Her last question was is there anything else I need to know? Which I had a few things that I wrote down on paper a couple of days before to help me remember. I told her that i felt like the police were out to get me and felt as if they were following me every time i left the house and she immediately said is that all. I sat there stunned and could not remember anything else. I felt under immense pressure to answer quickly.  With all this being said i have documented issues with concentration, short term memory which really made the whole thing even more difficult than it had to be. Anyone gone through this lately?

A 10 minute exam is not even close to an adequate mental health exam, I would ask for a new exam based on that alone.  I had 3 exams (not kidding) because the first was bs, I asked for another and apparently the VA didn't like the outside opinion, so they asked for a 3rd.  I still got my increase and like you I do have suicidal thoughts but no plans, I do not need a fiduciary but my husband does to most of the bills mostly because I don't want to, but I can if I need to.  I am 100% against having a fiduciary because unlike SS the VA makes it a hot freaking mess.

 

[shrekthetank1 720]

I am sorry this happened to you, but is something the VA uses get us in line so to say.  Some of the C&P examiners will want to scare you as they do not want to do all the paper work.  

With that being said, You can go to the VA hospital and ask for a new C&P exam if you felt that one did not cover what needed to be covered.  

Next you need to be honest with them, even if they throw that crap at you.   You have every right to lead off with I am not suicidal right now.  The even harder part is there are sometimes we need to seek this treatment at the hospital.  

Don't let their fear tactics work, you and you alone know what is going on with you.  It does sound like you have a lot of evidence in your appeal I assume.  Keep fighting you will get there!

Also get the help you need if you go down the rabbit hole.

[Miken2c74 38]

Please let someone know about this examiner. This is BS. Remember you have the right to challenge an exam.

Edited February 21, 2020 by Miken2c74
incomplete thought

[GBArmy 1,436]

I agree with Shrek and Mike; follow their advise. I would sit down and write down what happened. You already said a lot already. See if you can think of anything else, more details, especially how she lead you to answer the questions. Then, I would call the VAMC and ask to have a new C&P due to what just happened . Tell them what you documented. You have the right to answer the questions during the exam the way YOU feel you should. Don't settle for anything less than a new exam and examiner. IMO

[vetquest 1,032]

@Bedells, I would challenge this exam.  I have suicidal ideation and have had for a while.  I have never been threatened with immediate hospitalization if I answer yes to this question.  I have spent time in the VA ward though for mental health.  I was voluntary, not involuntary,  I was invited for two weeks.  My wife handles my finances and I have never been threatened with a fiduciary.  

I believe this examiner was playing a game of hardball with you.  I do not do well in such an environment so you handled it better than I would have.  I most likely have blown a gasket, which I have done before and been flagged for before.

You handled it well, now ask for another exam and explain why if asked.

[Buck52 3,235]

I'd wait and see what he/she wrote in their report?  you don't want to hang yourself..wait and see what is in the report.

[awgv001 97]

21 hours ago, Bedells said:

I am currently rated at 50% for major depression with anxiety.  When I submitted my claim I included strong DBQ from my VA Psychiatrist, a notarized Sworn Statement from my wife and a statement from my last employer from 3 years ago.  I attended my C&P exam a week ago and was actually not having the best day. First question from the examiner was, "Have you had any suicidal thoughts in the last several days" but before I had a chance to answer her she warned me that if i say yes she would have to stop the interview and have me admitted to the hospital. Next question was, "Are you able to handle your financial affairs"? and again before i could answer, no i cannot", she said if the answer was no I would be assigned a financial counselor immediately. I answered her with a no and followed up by telling her that my wife handled our financial affairs and has for several years and she told me since I could not handle them they would still have to set me up with someone to help me. So at this point I felt as if I was being bribed to answer the questions in a way that would hurt my case. I have suicidal thoughts from time to time and ideations but have never had to plan do follow through with it which all this is in my file. This 10 minute C&P exam  made me feel as if like i was on a game show where you have 5 seconds to answer questions. Her last question was is there anything else I need to know? Which I had a few things that I wrote down on paper a couple of days before to help me remember. I told her that i felt like the police were out to get me and felt as if they were following me every time i left the house and she immediately said is that all. I sat there stunned and could not remember anything else. I felt under immense pressure to answer quickly.  With all this being said i have documented issues with concentration, short term memory which really made the whole thing even more difficult than it had to be. Anyone gone through this lately?

I JUST started reading this, I had a C&P yesterday in regard to PTSD w/ depressive disorder, and when I read over the first couple lines here....I was kinda shocked.

Your first question came halfway through my exam, and they did not warn me in regard to hospitalization, and though I answered yes, nothing became of it besides an answered entry on my exam, and a couple scribbled notes. I was also NOT asked the question of if I could manage my financial affairs, at all.....Was this a C&P for service connection? Mine was a re-exam...

[Miken2c74 38]

15 hours ago, vetquest said:

@Bedells, I would challenge this exam.  I have suicidal ideation and have had for a while.  I have never been threatened with immediate hospitalization if I answer yes to this question.  I have spent time in the VA ward though for mental health.  I was voluntary, not involuntary,  I was invited for two weeks.  My wife handles my finances and I have never been threatened with a fiduciary.  

I believe this examiner was playing a game of hardball with you.  I do not do well in such an environment so you handled it better than I would have.  I most likely have blown a gasket, which I have done before and been flagged for before.

You handled it well, now ask for another exam and explain why if asked.

I can tell you what,  she/he would have had a bad day that day. I would have lost my s#$t

[GBArmy 1,436]

Mike, we hear you. It can be really hard to control you emotions during a C&P eval. But I think that for non-mental health disabilities, it usually is a better result if you don't become confrontational. Depending on the individual circumstances, losing it may be a favorable result for some MH evals. But, for the majority of the time for other disabilities, from my experience, you are better off not being combative, even if the examiner is a AH. What they write up is pretty important in determining your eval and rating. Believe me, it isn't easy. If you have enough C&P's, you're sure to get some real jerks. You lose it and they take it personal, and bingo, there goes your eval. IMO

[Miken2c74 38]

39 minutes ago, GBArmy said:

Mike, we hear you. It can be really hard to control you emotions during a C&P eval. But I think that for non-mental health disabilities, it usually is a better result if you don't become confrontational. Depending on the individual circumstances, losing it may be a favorable result for some MH evals. But, for the majority of the time for other disabilities, from my experience, you are better off not being combative, even if the examiner is a AH. What they write up is pretty important in determining your eval and rating. Believe me, it isn't easy. If you have enough C&P's, you're sure to get some real jerks. You lose it and they take it personal, and bingo, there goes your eval. IMO

@GBArmy Tracking. That what kinda happened in my C&P for MH. The Psch was not mean or nasty in any way. Of course she asked about conflicts or events that I think could have caused the feelings and how I feel when I have these feelings. When I am honest at that moment was the only time I felt really vulnerable. She asked me how I feel on a regular basis (day to day) I told vigilant aware on edge. She asked me if I have problem falling asleep and staying asleep, I said yes I am a very light sleeper and do I think about suicide I said no but what I think really got her is when I told her that I lose my s%^t quick. She says what does that mean. I told her if you say something to me or do something to me that I don't approve of I might do something to you depending on what it is. I told her I am not a violent man but don't you push me I would ball you up and put you in the garbage can. She said Mr. Hunter wow I can see that in your face that you are serious. I said to her Yes mam I am very serious. I told her by this time I'm in fight or flight mode. She asked me what does it look like or what do you see. I said to her nothing absolutely nothing. She asked how long does it take to calm down, I told her it depends she says on what ? On what you did to me or what I feel you did to me. It was about a 1 to 2 examination.

[GBArmy 1,436]

Yes Mike, but you weren't being a bad dude; you were explaining your emotions and how you get to where you feel. I think you did exactly what you have to do. You exposed your real feelings. You did good as Yoda would say.