ptsd Awarded 10%

[Speaking Out]

Pete, it happens all the time. I was awarded 10% for PTSD when I filed my claim after being medically seperated from the military after being raped. It's amazing that a person could be medically seperated, but only awarded 10%. I've kept in touch with allot of my members of a rape survivors group and all were rated at 10% even though we all had different experiences and problems. I think I see a trend. :)

[jbasser]

Tim, Anyone who gets 10 percent for PTSD should immediatly appeal. I was awarded 10 percent and appealed. The rating went from 10 to 40 as well as another 30 and 10 for HTN and Heart disease on an cue claim from 1995.

Appeal this and press the issue. most of all, stay on top of your claim.

[john999]

Medically separated and only got 10% sounds crazy. That is the VA and military just trying to save money by screwing the disabled vet. They never give up. You should appeal this and keep appealing to get it up to something where you have a chance for IU if you are not able to work. It is easier to go from 50% to IU or 100% than from 10%. It is not just the percentage gap but a gap in the overall severity of symptooms. To go from 50% to 70% IU is a natural progression for a mental disorder. It is the logical next step. I think going from 10% to 30% is a big jump. They just never give up lowballing vets.

[Guest phubai70]

I knew a girl once that was "a little bit" pregnant.

Some time later she had a baby...go figure...

Symptoms are symptoms... sometimes not as

severe or frequent as others but symptoms

none the less.

Strengthen claim with before and after letters,

and NOD. (jmho)

[evandc]

I also was 10% for PTSD. I am now 100% P & T. To me, the 10% was the VA agreeing that I had PTSD. The hard part was proving just how bad my life was affected by the PTSD. Took me a while to get over the low balling of getting just 10%. Finally I read the what it takes to be 30%, 50%, 70% or 100%. I realized that I did not tell them all the problems that I was having. I only told them just what I was comfortable telling them. After being in Vet Groups & talking about everything, did I start to open up to Social Worker, Shrinks, etc. I found that in Vet groups the more I talked the easier it became to tell my story. Sure, for a period, I got worse by bring up the old memories. I how believe the revealing is healing that I heard so often.

Good Luck,

Don Evand

[Pete53]

Don that was an excellent post. Thank you its a real insight in my opinion. I also think that one of the best programs the VA has is the Vets outreach that has nothing to do with the VA. I went to one for about a year that was 20 miles away from the VAMC and independent. The Psychologist who ran the group was a caring man maybe the most human of all the professionals I have ever dealt with associated with Government.The late Don Cook and I are sure that we were in the same group at times.

I can't tel you how many times I have heard that I am "not going to spill my guts" uttered by a Veteran who is hurting.

I wish that you would post a little more.