PTSD Claim 12 years after discharge

[Bucker]

Hello,

I served on active duty with the Army Infantry from 2006-2010 with a couple deployments to Iraq.  I was wounded in 2007 and received a Purple Heart.

When I left active duty in 2010 I filed a C&P claim and was awarded 20%.  Part of my rating was Anxiety.  That was 12 years ago and at the time I had no idea how the system worked and didn't have an understanding that my behavior has not been "normal".  The C&P Dr. basically said I was okay and sent me on my way.

Here we are in 2022 and I finally decided that I needed to actually do something about what I assumed was PTSD.  I went to a VA clinic this week and was immediately diagnosed with Chronic PTSD and was prescribed some medication.  The Dr. strongly encouraged me to apply for compensation related to this diagnosis and in fact seemed upset that I hadn't been rated higher upon discharge.

I'm trying to read up on the process but I'm not really clear on how all of this works.  I intend to follow through with a referral to a therapist in the near future and will give the medication a try when it arrives.  What are my next steps? I'm near the Columbus, GA area but it appears that the DAV office that assisted me way back in 2010 is no longer present.  MOPH seems like it no longer assists with claims.  Who can I go to for assistance?  Will the Anxiety diagnosis from 2010 impact anything?  It's been like 15 years since I was wounded, does that degrade my chances of getting a proper rating?

I was incredibly satisfied with the Dr. I saw this week and wish someone like him had talked to me during the C&P back in 2010.  I imagine getting treatment back then would have significantly improved the last decade+ of my life and the relationship with my kids.  Can't go back now though.

 

A few additional notes:
After leaving active duty in 2010 I continued to serve in an intelligence MOS in the Reserves and deployed again, this time to Afghanistan.  I ultimately received an honorable discharge in 2017 and am no longer affiliated with the military.  No idea if this changes the equation at all.

 

Any help with understanding the process would be incredibly appreciated.  My initial claim took 24 months exactly to be processed and the 20% rating never seemed appropriate, but my experience with the VA at that time was so bad I had never intended to interact with them again in any capacity.  I know, that was poor judgment, but it was absolutely crushing to my mental health even back then.

Thank you in advance, and I will keep reading a much as I can while here.

[El Train]

17 hours ago, Whodat said:

I had that same experience. The examiner allowed me to open up and express my feelings. It felt good to open up like I did. Shortly afterwards, I got the letter in the mail. By opening up awarded me 50%. I was shocked. I think that the same is going to happen to you. 

Same here, 50%.  I thought that was great.  Then I got a hold of the DBQ and found a lot of the answers on it we're skipped/not asked and marked no.  So I got a second opinion or two.  One Dr. put me at 100%, the other had me at 70%.  The Dr. that put me in the 70% rating shredded my original examiners DBQ.  Wrote up his own DBQ and gave an in depth opinion and cited multiple clinical studies that included TBI (which is a whole different claim).  100% PTSD and 70% TBI, combined for P&T when the dust settled.  It wasn't easy and the VA didn't like my approach.  But I did everything by the 38 CFR rules.  They don't have to like it, it's their rules.

[Whodat]

After my re eval, I was bumped up to 70. 

[Bucker]

So no updates, did the C&P and haven't had any further correspondence from the VA since. I'm sure it's normal, but I'm worried they might be waiting on something else from me? 

VA.gov shows the following:

Status: Evidence gathering, review, and decision

[Dustoff1970]

Unfortunately, the VA Claim raters are slow as molasses in wintertime.  For example, I have a BVA remand awaiting a VA rater decision at VARO now for many months even though BVA remands are supposed to receive priority adjudication.  The claim is still in the gathering of evidence status after one C&P and another EKG canceled by LHI due to technician out sick.  This situation for vets has been recurring for many many years. Situation normal.

Edited July 11, 2022 by Dustoff 11

[Bucker]

Well good news, checked the VA website today and it looks like I'm now 70%. Guess I'll wait and see what the packet they send me says but I'm glad that is over for now. Thanks everyone! 

[pacmanx1]

Congratulations.