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My husband has soon a visit with a VA doctor to claim his PTSD. He deployed 4 times so I believe there are many stressor factors that could come into play.
1 he got shot in war
2 his fellow soldier died in war
3 he found a soldier hung in his dorm room
4 he got involved into a car accident while returning home. A car hit his car from behind and both the cars were destroyed
5 the fear to die because of bombs on the road
How can he prove number 2 or 3 hence that some of his soldiers died?
I know thisi is a very delicate topic and I am sorry if I am hurting somebody, I am sure many of you have such bad experiences. I do not want to sound like I am trying to speculate on his ptsd and on the death of heros of our country, but I also believe that soldiers, in this case my hubby, need to get what they deserve. This is no bs unfortunately, but I understand it needs to be proven
1 he got shot in war
2 his fellow soldier died in war
3 he found a soldier hung in his dorm room
4 he got involved into a car accident while returning home. A car hit his car from behind and both the cars were destroyed
5 the fear to die because of bombs on the road
How can he prove number 2 or 3 hence that some of his soldiers died?
I know thisi is a very delicate topic and I am sorry if I am hurting somebody, I am sure many of you have such bad experiences. I do not want to sound like I am trying to speculate on his ptsd and on the death of heros of our country, but I also believe that soldiers, in this case my hubby, need to get what they deserve. This is no bs unfortunately, but I understand it needs to be proven
PTSD
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Disability
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 19
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I will try to keep this brief, but it is a complicated issue.
First, proving service connection is not at issue, as you say he "got shot". Earning a Purple Heart would make service-connection presumptive. If however he did not get a PH, that gets more complicated. His combat-related service awards and any combat decorations or badges then come into play.
Therefore, what happened that was stressful is less important to discuss than how he is affected presently. He will need to be detailed about the symptoms he has and how they affect his life, work, and relationships. These symptoms are then scored and a determination made as to the severity of his case and thus what rating he receives.
If his ducks are in a row, this claim would get processed pretty quickly. A PH makes it a priority case, and with presumptive, all it takes in the C&P exam to get after how severe his symptoms are. He should not emphasize the events that led to his issues until the exam itself, except insofar as his claim will need a VA 21-0781 describing the events in the initial application. How it affects him today is what the rating will be based upon.
This case is not terribly different from my own case, and it was resolved in about 120 days.
Feel free to contact me directly if you have more questions.
First, proving service connection is not at issue, as you say he "got shot". Earning a Purple Heart would make service-connection presumptive. If however he did not get a PH, that gets more complicated. His combat-related service awards and any combat decorations or badges then come into play.
Therefore, what happened that was stressful is less important to discuss than how he is affected presently. He will need to be detailed about the symptoms he has and how they affect his life, work, and relationships. These symptoms are then scored and a determination made as to the severity of his case and thus what rating he receives.
If his ducks are in a row, this claim would get processed pretty quickly. A PH makes it a priority case, and with presumptive, all it takes in the C&P exam to get after how severe his symptoms are. He should not emphasize the events that led to his issues until the exam itself, except insofar as his claim will need a VA 21-0781 describing the events in the initial application. How it affects him today is what the rating will be based upon.
This case is not terribly different from my own case, and it was resolved in about 120 days.
Feel free to contact me directly if you have more questions.
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Alice San
Thank you. Does he has to provide his medical records, awards etc or they can access it?
He is in a MED Board right now
He is in a MED Board right now
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1SG (Join to see)
Alice San - I answered your DM, but for the benefit of others reading this:
He will need to provide any service treatment records, as these will be instructive for the examiner. But don't over-clutter the claim. He should include a copy of his Purple Heart and any combat awards or badges he earned (establishes SC). He should include any treatment records for behavioral health, ASAP, or others that pertain to PTSD symptoms. Do not include stuff like sick-call slips for injuries or illnesses that he is not claiming, as it will only muddy the waters.
VA can and will obtain any treatment records from HRC St Louis, but that takes far longer than simply providing them himself, a good 60 days at least.
If he is claiming other things that are being adjudicated at the MEB/PEB Board, enclose the findings of the board.
The VA form 21-526EZ (base claim for Compensation) instructions give pretty good detail on what forms and records to send in to VA as part of the claim. And of course, you can continue to use me and others on this site as a resource as well.
Good luck.
He will need to provide any service treatment records, as these will be instructive for the examiner. But don't over-clutter the claim. He should include a copy of his Purple Heart and any combat awards or badges he earned (establishes SC). He should include any treatment records for behavioral health, ASAP, or others that pertain to PTSD symptoms. Do not include stuff like sick-call slips for injuries or illnesses that he is not claiming, as it will only muddy the waters.
VA can and will obtain any treatment records from HRC St Louis, but that takes far longer than simply providing them himself, a good 60 days at least.
If he is claiming other things that are being adjudicated at the MEB/PEB Board, enclose the findings of the board.
The VA form 21-526EZ (base claim for Compensation) instructions give pretty good detail on what forms and records to send in to VA as part of the claim. And of course, you can continue to use me and others on this site as a resource as well.
Good luck.
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MSG Robert Conrad
If he is has been referred to the med board, he will be assigned an advisor, called a "pueblo" to walk him through the process. The IDES program was created for Soldiers like your husband. He will recieve a "Proposed rating, once it is determined he cannot be retained, which is decided after the examinations. Then once the Army establishes whether he will be medically retired, or paid severence pay. After that is determined and an seperation date established, the VA will release the actual rating about 30 days after his separation date.
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MAJ Jack Horn, LPC, NCC, CCMHC, CCTP, CCTP-II, CCFP, CDBT
I have to echo what 1SG Jerry Healy said above. There are several criteria necessary for a diagnosis of PTSD. Only Criterion A relates to the precipitating event(s). I get the concern about service connection, but the other criteria have to be met simply to receive the diagnosis itself. They all relate to the subjective symptoms currently being experienced. I’m a board-certified PTSD therapist in private practice and the VA follows the DSM 5 criteria just as I do for a clinical diagnosis. Service connection is a moot point if he doesn’t meet clinical diagnostic thresholds. First, does he actually have PTSD or something else (e.g. Adjustment Disorder, Acute Trauma, and a variety of others). Second, is the Criterion A event(s) service-connected? Gotta have the clinical diagnosis first.
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Alice San prepare for battle. It is a rough and painful road for him and you and your families
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Capt Daniel Goodman
I completely follow, honest...to us, the $500 we spent for the consult seemed quite reasonable at the time, plus, as I'd sajd, the NOVA attorney only took what the VA allowed...I never deployed at all, I was on the volunteer list for Desert Shield/Storm, though I was never hsed, I was sent a letter for having volunteered for the list...I completely grasp your explanation, certainly, it was just that the NOVA staff were able to help us, I'd just figured they could also help her and her husband, honest, we'd found them well hooked into not just VA disability,.but also MEB/PEB cases, as well, and also frequently help out with law school vet law clinics, honest, I and others have sent their stuff in many times in here, many thanks for taking the time to have answered, in any event, certainly....
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Capt Daniel Goodman
And also, it wasn't that we found it nonsense, in my case...truly, it was just that we found it tediously labrious...perhaps that's the most apt description, at least the best one I can think of, for what we had to deal with, you know? Honestly, I try to stay quite well aware of a good deal of all such materjal, so far as possiible, certainly....
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Don't know if you can prepare, I went in because one of my NCOs that I served with for a long time pulled me aside and told me I was acting odd and out of character. I told him he was nuts but went in anyway and after loads of questions, tests and more questions it turned out he was rite I had both PTSD and TBI. At that time the services were less accepting of the PTSD diagnosis so you found quickly who your real friends, mentors and battle buddies were and weren't.
For the VA claim, it was more tests, questions, and evaluations, I turned in my awards, decorations, NCOERs and letters from friends, family, Soldiers, peers and Leaders outlining past compared to present. Makes for hard reading at least for me, I thought I was fine, but everyone else didn't.
In my experience the VA here at Columbia does a good job but it takes work. You guys have a long road ahead , don't focus on what you could do but work hard to be and do the best you can be now. All will be well.
God bless you and thank you for your service.
For the VA claim, it was more tests, questions, and evaluations, I turned in my awards, decorations, NCOERs and letters from friends, family, Soldiers, peers and Leaders outlining past compared to present. Makes for hard reading at least for me, I thought I was fine, but everyone else didn't.
In my experience the VA here at Columbia does a good job but it takes work. You guys have a long road ahead , don't focus on what you could do but work hard to be and do the best you can be now. All will be well.
God bless you and thank you for your service.
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1SG (Join to see)
It kills me every time I hear of a Soldier being ostracized because of PTSD symptoms. I'm sorry that was the reaction you got. Unfortunately, I see it far too often.
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Alice San
I just don t understand why osme people say we have a long road ahead. He is in the MeD process, they don t have foreover to decide over the ratings of the disability.
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CSM Richard StCyr
Alice San - Because PTSD isn't cured with a magic pill, it takes time and patience and I don't know if people ever really get over it. So that is why folks say you have a long road ahead, getting the VA rating is just recognition that the problem exists and is either combat or service connected and opens additional assets to you for treatment.
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