PTSD

[NDVeteran]

So I was diagnosed with PTSD after service for service related incidents. 
VA had QTC set me up with a therapist. That therapist concluded I suffered from PTSD (service related) as we as Indecisive Depression Disorder with Manic Episodes. 
The VA just sent me a packet asking for exact dates of incidents. How am I supposed to remember that?

[brokensoldier244th]

It's doesn't have to be exact dates, but a general range so we can find it in your records without guessing helps. 

[NDVeteran]

1 hour ago, brokensoldier244th said:

It's doesn't have to be exact dates, but a general range so we can find it in your records without guessing helps. 

I was never treated for it while in the military. So it will not be in the records. I was diagnosed after I got out. 

[shrekthetank1]

I did not have any of mine in there.I did 15 lay statements to them and I talked to my MH doctor about them.  You don't need records, just what you remember.

[brokensoldier244th]

Not or the PTSD dx, just the stressor events you are claiming. I'm assuming this is a 21-0781 or 0781a?

[El Train]

I couldn't remember exact dates.  The incidents I was involved in were all recorded and newsworthy events (training deaths, missile attacks).  I was able to google them to get the dates.  They corroborate these incidents with your military records (dates of deployment, company units, platoon, etc.).  If it was an isolated incident that went unreported, then I'm not sure.

I filed for PTSD 20+ years after I got out.  No in service treatment.  Took me that long to finally seek guidance from the VA.

[broncovet]

You do have to "tread water carefully here".  

The VA is looking for inconsistencies.  (aka lies).  

If you can narrow down the year, then try to remember whether it was warm, cold, near the holidays, or other event, etc.  

Then, you need to remember what you told them.  

If you tell them once, "I think it was 1986."   

Later you talk to your wife about it, and she says, heck no, it was Fall of 1989...2 weeks before we got married.  

The VA wants to hang you to a tree for stuff like that.  

Im like you.  I dont remember dates.  Im lucky if I remember what I had for breakfast let alone what happened in the early 1970's.  

Try to be consistent..and to do that, think very carefully before you answer, then dont contradict yourself.  

It should not be a crime to misremember dates..and then later figure out it was earlier or later.  If "forgetting" was against the law, then every alzheimer patient should be in jail.  

My advice is to think it through before answering.  Gee, when was that...oh, I remember, it was 4th of July weekend, we went to the fireworks...but dont guess.  Or if you do guess, think through your guess and stay with it.  

A good way is the way broken spoke said. "It was somewhere between Jan 1, 1812, and May 17, 2023.  "  You may want to narrow it down a bit.  Its ok to say, "in the summer-fall of 2009"

Edited May 17 by broncovet (see edit history)

[NDVeteran]

21-0781A

[Rattler]

On 5/17/2023 at 8:12 PM, NDVeteran said:

21-0781A

That is the form to use. Just explain what happened to you as best you can on the form and get the dates as close as you can.  The importance is as broncovat stated to be consistent with what you tell them but not to much. What I mean is I have seen where a Vet gets challenged because the statement was to matter a fact. Its not a bad idea to have the wife write a statement telling what your symptoms are. I let mine read the list of symptoms on the PTSD DBQ (The one available on the VA forms site.) and put the ones she reconoizese in her statement.

[brokensoldier244th]

-0781 is for ptsd, 0781a is for personal trauma/MST (non combat trauma)