Thursday, May 16, 2013

At The PTSD Comp Exam

My childhood friend who didn't make it home. He got me to join the Marines.
 
At The PTSD Comp Exam

  For the PTSD, you will talk to a shrink. The shrink must be a medical doctor so it should be a psychiatrist and not a psychologist or a social worker. If it isn't a psychiatrist and they turn you down, then disagree on the grounds that it's not a valid comp exam.

  The shrink will talk to you, write a report and you should hear in a few months. They take the report and use the available evidence and make a decision, which will go all the way back to when you filed as long as the claim didn't lapse in between while waiting. The entire PTSD rating is always based on your ability to support yourself when compared to non-veterans.

  I would stress that you have problems working with others, whether you do or not, which you probably do anyway if you have PTSD. This can mean the difference between the 30 and 50 percent rating. Tell them if your employment has been scattered, and you believe it's due to your PTSD, which it may be.

  People with PTSD often don't realize the root causes. Don't give them anything they can use against you, like any childhood abuse. Tell them your childhood was normal and you didn't have problems until the military. They will try to use anything before service as a cause of PTSD. I believe they will probably service connect you at least 30 and maybe 50 on the first round. If you get 50, then disagree after you get your pay and go for 70%. Once you are 70%, they have to consider you for unemployabilty.

   Anything, and I mean anything, that happened before your military service will be used against you if it is a negative.

  You want to prove that the PTSD was caused by and aggravated by your time in the military. If you meet all the criteria, now all you need is the comp exam shrink to agree. It's a good sign if you are in there for over 30 minutes or so. They must also ask you about the issues which you think caused your PTSD while in the military. They may also give you a GAF score. (General Activity Function) or (Global Assessment Function). This rating can be different on each visit, but the VA tries to use it against you if it's high (50 on up). The ideal GAF for PTSD is around 40. Below that and you are almost in a vegetable state, according to the scale.

  The GAF cannot be used against you because it is one person's opinion and can change from day to day. The VA always states it is not your adversary, but on claims, they are, always.