PTSD STRESSOR LETTER

[hwill]

• I 'm looking for some assistance I put in a claim for PTSD and Anxiety base on guidance from my Va health care provider.  She stated that I had anxiety, depression and ptsd. I've talked to her about some issues that I've been having for some years now, and I just recently decided to act on them.  She referred me to a M.H doctor back in 2019, I talked to them on a zoom call because Codvid was going on at that time. They questioned me on two different occasions by zoom. I looked back at the notes and they stated something about me having anxiety disorder and depression.  I'm currently taking medication for nightmares, insomnia and anxiety prescribed by my Va health provider. I haven't talked back with the MH doctor since the zoom call. Just talking with buddies that been thru the same situation. Claim was submitted in March, VA requested that they needed specific details of the stressful incident(s) in service that resulted in post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). and specific details of the combat related incident(s) that resulted in post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I'm kind of stuck for some reason, I've been trying to locate some kind of example of what they're looking for. Some starting point. I've been deployed four times Saudi, Kuwait x2, and the last one in 2006-2008 Bagdad Iraq. Retired in 2010. Any guidance will be appreciated

 

[broncovet]

If you served in a war zone, such as during the Iraq war, your "stressor" is almost presumptive.  The VA has a lowered threshold of meeting PTSD stressor criteria with Veterans who served in a combat zone.   I mean, gee, isnt it stressfull to know a group of people are trying to kill you?  

    My son was a tank driver.  He had to examine the soll very carefully, before driving over it.  If there was any evidence of the soil being disturbed on the road, he stopped, called the bomb squad, and most of the time, they blew up a buried IED, then he went on.   One day, he was called away, and his boss drove the tank.  His boss was not as good at checking for disturbed soil, drove over some and blew up the tank with an IED and burned to death.  Is that a stressor?  You bet.  You dont even need to have witnessed the event, its enough that one of your team members was killed.  Just ask someone who has lost a family member how stressful it is.  

 

YOur doctor "gets this":  a PTSD diagnosis by a VA doc, pretty much indicates a stressor.  My son served in Iraq, and, after conversations with him, I have zero doubt he has PTSD.  

VA will often question you on stuff like this.  Just be honest..dont exaggerate, but do "tell it like it is".  

With your PTSD diagnosis by a VA doc, you should be able to get SC.  

[broncovet]

Well, my son does have PTSD, but he wont go to VA, so no benefits.  His wife is therapy for him, she loves him, and understands him, and supports him, way better than any counselor could.  

[IndySam]

Hi Am very new, but I submitted the Statement in Support of Claim for Service Connection for PTSD online, https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-21-0781/

I also included pdfs of my dd214 with my locations, a commendation letter, a news article about the incident, and a news clip of a funeral memorial service on our base in Iraq. 

My medical records are from the VA so I hope they can see that themselves.

I did a C&P exam in March (look up how to prepare for the exam too!), and my claim is in the review stages. 

There are tons of resources here, on youtube as well.

Good Luck

Sam

[IndySam]

8 minutes ago, broncovet said:

If you served in a war zone, such as during the Iraq war, your "stressor" is almost presumptive.  The VA has a lowered threshold of meeting PTSD stressor criteria with Veterans who served in a combat zone.   I mean, gee, isnt it stressfull to know a group of people are trying to kill you?  

    My son was a tank driver.  He had to examine the soll very carefully, before driving over it.  If there was any evidence of the soil being disturbed on the road, he stopped, called the bomb squad, and most of the time, they blew up a buried IED, then he went on.   One day, he was called away, and his boss drove the tank.  His boss was not as good at checking for disturbed soil, drove over some and blew up the tank with an IED and burned to death.  Is that a stressor?  You bet.  You dont even need to have witnessed the event, its enough that one of your team members was killed.  Just ask someone who has lost a family member how stressful it is.  

 

YOur doctor "gets this":  a PTSD diagnosis by a VA doc, pretty much indicates a stressor.  My son served in Iraq, and, after conversations with him, I have zero doubt he has PTSD.  

VA will often question you on stuff like this.  Just be honest..dont exaggerate, but do "tell it like it is".  

With your PTSD diagnosis by a VA doc, you should be able to get SC.  

Hope your son is ok, we had a security team drive in front of our convoys in Iraq. Then if they saw a hole or something they would send a little remote-controlled car thing with a video camera to check it out.