Psychiatrist FULL Explanation Of NEW MENTAL HEALTH Ratings For VA Disability Claims
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- Опубліковано 5 чер 2024
- New mental health proposal explained by a Board-certified Psychiatrist for va disability claims and va disability ratings. This proposal ropes PTSD, anxiety, depression, GAD, MDD, insomnia, bipolar, and allllll the other mental health conditions and mental health disabilities.
🩺 NEXUS LETTERS:
MENTAL HEALTH
Dr. Prashant Sharma - Psychiatrist
📧 Email: prashant.sharma2@concisepsych.com
MUSCULOSKELETAL
Dr. Rachna Patel - Physician
📧 Email: nexusletterdoc@gmail.com
🧠 MENTAL HEALTH COURSE:
Take control of your mental health
www.concisepsych.com/a/214784...
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- Clay
Seriously a great conversation with an extremely valuable Q&A. Felt like the first 30 some minutes summed up everything I’ve been battling since like 2005.
@@jdwar11 same for me! But, I have been dealing since the early to mid 90’s…but it hit the nail on the head, brother.
Thank you so much for having me on, Clay! Grateful to be able to work with you, brother.
Same to you!!!
- Clay
Great content. Savable.
Doc, thank you so much for doing this. Watching these videos from Clay help my anxiety and make me want to fight on! AIM High brother.
@@AFvet612 You are so welcome! I am really glad it was helpful. The whole process can be really overwhelming. Thanks for the encouragement, brother!
Just got rated 80%, 70 is ptsd, I definitely hope they do make these changes soon. I think that will bump me to that 100 alone. Anyway, this was my first claim out in 2013, a big thanks to you and what you do, I definitely benefited
OH MY GOODNESS! Congrats to you and thank my you so much! I’m glad I could help you along the process.
- Clay
If you have 70% for PTSD you might check into TDIU. You may be eligible for it and it will pay you at 100%.
Doc Sharma is awesome, and the Veteran community is lucky to have him helping veterans.
Thank you Chris! I truly appreciate your kind words. Always great working with you.
I recommend this video for all of us with mental problems
Share away!!
- Clay
CIVDIV I appreciate what YOU do! I learn a lot everyday about the VA! I am still working on my claims! Since 1998, I’ve been dealing with the VA Compensation Side! What a struggle! I’m at 90%, I started out 20% with 20 years of service! Got four claims in now, if I get mental health & sleep apnea I should get to 100%! All my injuries and my age I should get P&T. I’m also learning too, because when I retire from working I plan on volunteering time at the VA helping Veterans get the HELP they earned & deserve!
Your question about carrying while experiencing symptoms reminded me of a pretty eye-opening video about how ptsd can affect you in the moment. There's a video of a cop that people may have seen who's very on edge when questioning a suspect. There's a loud bang, and the officer snaps. Goes into a full-blown panic attack with the firearm and is actually disarmed by a paramedic responding to the scene. I believe this officer goes on to quit the force but it really gave me an eye into what it looks like from the outside looking in on someone having a ptsd disassociating moment.
Solid example and if you find that, feel free to post
- Clay
Another example is when the cop reacted to an acorn dropping on a car and he reacts by shooting into his cruiser with a suspect in it.
@@CptBlackEye not so fun fact, another cop from that same department only months later straight up murdered a young man serving in the Air Force who was minding his own business in his apartment alone. the cop was responding to an alleged domestic, he knocked, hid from the peep hole, and didn't announce himself until well after the Airman had gone back in his room to grab his gun thinking someone outside was up to no good. As soon as the Airman opened the door the cop, seeing a gun (pointed at the floor), blew him away within fractions of a second. It was all caught on the body cam.
@@kirilian1 I know that story. The cop that shot the Airman was just fired for not following policy. Still awaiting word on criminal charges. (Wasn't aware that both incidents were from the same department.)
@@kirilian1 so very sad. Young Airman had his life taken and we lost a brother. Ugg
Had posted this as a normal comment at first, but ill give my boy a tip for all the great things he does.
Man so much of this really comes down to having a C&P with a thorough doc that gives a shit.
Had my C&P earlier this year for PTSD and I truly lucked out. Doc was very detailed oriented, we spent about 2 hours together, she wanted me to say everything i had to say.
Some of the things mentioned in thid video (attention, memory issues, getting stuck on ideas) i really thought would get attributed to my preexisting adhd and ocd, but she was very well versed in those as well, and went into a deep dive all the way to my childhood to be able to differentiate what was related to that and what was related to the PTSD.
Took about 6 weeks for a decision. Looking at the rating scale myself i thought for sure i was going to get 70% and have to fight for TDIU, but it came back 100% P&T and when i read all the factors they listed on the decision it just really showed how thorough my C&P was (and also kinda reinforced to me how messed up i actually am lol).
Not sure how much, if at all, they take into account, but ive already been on SSDI for the PTSD for about 6 years now, and moved my treatment from private doc to the VA about 2 years ago. I make a habit of checking notes in myhealthevet and my VA psych has also been keeping really good notes on my condition and treatment the whole time. (If only i could say the same for my VA primary care).
Closing out my novel, to my brothers and sisters out there i pray you get an examiner just as good as mine was, and you get equally favorable results. Keep up the fight for what you deserve.
Oh, and since the topic was also brought up, during my exam i was asked about carrying firearms, and i was honest. I still own quite a few, but i only leave the house once every 2 weeks or so to grocery shop. I dont bother carrying there and so havent overall in years but in my case its not because i have a fear of dissociating and using it improperly, but quite the opposite. Had a home invasion a few years back, dude had a weapon, had him at gunpoint and instead went hands on, i just didnt have it in me to take anymore lives, so thats pretty much why i dont carry now - i feel like any threatening situation would result in the same, so its basically a paperweight and so i just leave it at home.
Dude, thank you for sharing your story, man. Glad it all worked out for you as far as benefits go. And…THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
- Clay
@@TheCivDiv I woulda bought you a beer, but I'll be damned if I'm ever stepping foot in NoVA, much less FFX county ever again 🤣
I want to thank you both for the in-depth study into the new mental health ratings.I am currently service-connected at 50% for "Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate with anxious distress". I have filed for an increase as I fully believe I meet the criteria for 70%. That is primarily due to my suicidal ideations and other factors as well. I hate to admit this but I have a problem with not taking showers. From what you were saying, I am very embarrassed but I have not taken a shower in 2024 yet. I simply take a washcloth and water and wipe my face, underarms, genital and anal area. I honestly do not remember the last time I took a shower or bath. Mainly, I don't feel motivated or have the enrgy to deal with taking a shower and when I try, I start getting very anxious and feel vulnerable for some reason so I abort the attempt. Yeah, I guess I'm a nut job. I have on online C&P exam for my increase this coming Monday, June 10th. Should i also mention the showering issue? It is because of this very informative video that made me think about it. Thank you and I apologize for this being so long. Kep up the great work!
I wished all these questions were asked when I had my Telehealth C& P exam ☹
Yeah…towards the end Dr. Sharma talks about it C&P exams and how that is one of his concerns.
- Clay
I don’t know if anyone else has had this experience, but I’ve noticed that after years of heavy drinking and thinking I was mostly ok I cut my drinking way back and my symptoms seemed to get way worse. I used to always be out and social, now it’s exhausting to leave the house. Panic attacks,suicidal thoughts, everything got 100% worse.
Great point. This may be what we refer to as rebound anxiety/depression. Alcohol works on specific receptors in the brain (GABA) and when we use it for long periods of time excessively, those receptors get saturated. Then when we all of a sudden withdraw the alcohol, then the brain has to readjust. It's difficult because then there is a lot of rebound mental health symptoms from the withdrawal itself. It's often helpful to do the decrease with a mental health professional who can prescribe medication and do therapy to help. Really good question.
Yes.
Your problems never got better, they were just masked with alcohol. You cut back on the alcohol and you have to sit in all those problems and emotions sober and actually take them in and feel them. That being said, good job on cutting back. I hope you find a counselor or a psychiatrist or some other outlet to heal with.
This video was great information! I fit a lot of this..I know exactly how my day is going to be. If I wake up feeling good and happy, with energy feeling right. Some days I wake up, I struggle, no energy, irritable, not wanting to feel that way. I somewhat Isolate, I struggle with my family, my spouse, my kids. And I feel guilty about it later! I do not want to feel this way, I do not want to be like this! But, PTSD is real and I struggle. I know how much needs to be done around the house, outside, I wake up knowing and wanting to do it but end up only doing very little. I often have nothing left to give my family when I get home from work as I feel very tired. Don’t even talk much. With things that need to get done around the house I feel worlds of anxiety and it over whelms me then exhaustion sets in. I try so hard!! I do sometimes not shower for a day at home. Because it feels like a huge task! And it’s not! Thanks to both of you doing this video.
Wow I didn't realize how many of this fit to me I always thought it was normal or I was just dumb for not been able to concentrate in school or able to do certain tasks etc.
Thank you for breaking down all this for us I really appreciate what you do for everyone 🙏🏽.
This is EXACTLY the effect I wanted this video to have. Thank you out for sharing this!!!
- Clay
Thank you, my son is my payee representative. The mental health examiner stated on his assessment that his recommendation is for someone else to handle my finances.
Doc did my DBQ and IMO for mental health. This was the fastest grant I had with a turnaround of 5 days. This is probably not common, but there was no questions asked. Doc has done multiple DBQs and IMOs. I am currently waiting on ratings.
Thank you for the kind words, sir! It's great working with you.
I'm not a fan of long format talk videos. I am so glad I took the time to stick with it! Great video on the topic, thank you!
Thank you to both. An awesome conversation!
Wow. What a great video. Really helpful to have a psychiatrist in the mix. Great job, and thank you!
Best video! Thanks to both of you! Saved.
Your work is very much appreciated! Thanks for your thoughtfulness.
Incredibly helpful video. Thanks for everything you're doing Clay! Keep it up!
Thank you Clay for collaborating with a mental health dr. It hit the nail on the head on a lot of things for me. I'm rated 50% for other specified trauma- and stressor-related disorder. Thanks Ms. B.🎉❤ 👍
Holy bologna THANK YOU SO MUCH!! This was a solid discussion about mental health and I’m glad you got something from it.
- Clay
Self care, cooking for yourself and wearing clothes multiple days
I want to say thank you for focusing on mental health and giving such understandable examples . Clay, your questions were well thought out and expressed. Doc, you explained things really well. I feel like I would be better able to answer questions now, rather than saying "I don't know." So again, thanks to you both.
That was what we wanted to come out of this. Thank you for sharing.
- Clay
That is really wonderful. So glad we were able to help. Thank you for letting us know!
Great interview and very informative, thanks 👍
Thank you CivDiv for videos & information like this! Thanks to y'all, I was introduced to Dr. Sharma and recently had an appointment with him. I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Sharma. Grateful for both CivDiv and Dr. Sharma for taking great care of me!
Love Dr. Sharma. He truly is a great dude!
Awesome video and thank you Doc for the info! Aim High!
Aim High…or whatever yall say 😂 hey thanks!
- Clay
@@TheCivDiv ha! One other thing we do in the AF is respect the Marines! Not so much army and navy! lol
Thank you! Excellent
Dr. Sharma is the best pschiatrist for va disability in the world. He helped me get my disability claim approved. I want from 10% to 100%.
Thank you for your kind words, sir! It was great working with you.
I would like to hear you guys talk about hallucinations and delusions what’s the difference and if you know it was not real later would it still be considered the same
Some veterans that go through panic attacks or always on edge because we don’t carry or in some situation can’t because of how hard the process is in California.
This was so helpful!! I have been going through hell and finally decided to drop everyone or distance myself. Im tired of people not understanding... i need to isolate and tired of people thinking im a butthole. I dont trust anymore, think people are no sincere and bad thoughts of what id do to people. I have bad insomnia and anxiety. My husband gets pissed cause i cant remember to do simple stuff or he thinks i isolate to much now. I dont like grocery stores and yes, ive left the cart. I hate when someone is down the same aisle as me. Very bad road rage... so try to stay off the road now. Just tired of being here and have decided to embrace death sooner because its ok to not be hete anymore. I hate and regret joining and was a recruiter. I regret getting others to join in this mess cause now they will suffer as me. I guess its my karma huh.
I have my mental health C&P on the 11th. I'm pretty anxious about it. Most of the symptoms you described I fit to a T. I don't know how much a wife's lay statement has she's the only one that I've managed to keep around long enough to write one. And even that has been a struggle sometimes
Good luck with your appointment. You are fortunate to have someone able to write a statement. My ex-wives would rather see me burn than to write something to help me out.
I feel you! I just had my Mental Health C&P video call last month. I was mad in the beginning, the questions at the start DO NOT ALLOW you to comment. Basically, the questions are either YES or NO! Don’t worry later on into the questions you WILL get a chance to explain! Just be honest, and be truthful, DO NOT SUGAR COAT IT! If YOU’RE HURTING tell them! Do not hold back! Good luck!
@@CptBlackEye after the way I treated here at the beginning of our relationship I do not deserve her but she has stuck with me and I am blessed for that.
@@Bargar78yeah I was given the option for a in person or video call and I chose in person.
@@DeltaOscarDelta03 Sounds like you've received a blessing that I have yet to experience. Way to go.
TRUST NO ONE
Thanks!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Doc really came through for this one.
- Clay
Anyone would present as impaired if they were being constantly sabotaged by external barriers
Or if the tasks would not be getting done in their own path because they are helping and cleaning up situations that the internal members of the government and companies are not doing because they are involved in causing the decline. If a person is slammed by company monopolizations and healthcare negligence, tasks that involve the person would not be presented in a documented
environment. Government is about control.
Hypothetically, would it be considered severe for interpersonal if the veterans service connected mental health got to the point of needing couples counseling and the couple temporarily separating?
That is a great question and example. Yes I would categorize that as severe - that is a significant change in the trajectory of the relationship because of the mental health symptoms. Of course I would gather more information and everyone is different but I believe that would be severe.
How do I get the opportunity to talk with dr?
MY PTSD claim status states, it's in the "RO Research Center review" for a month so far. I had my C&P exam for PTSD and the doctor diagnosis me with PTSD . can someone tell me what what all this means.. no rating yet...
Did my claim earlier this year and that step took about 6 weeks for me. Basically the rating official is looking at all the evidence right now before they assign a rating. Don't stress over how long this step takes, it's not because they've been looking over your claim with with a fine tooth comb for the whole month, it's because it's in a pile with probably hundreds of other claims waiting for them to rate as well.
@@regulator18E , thanks for the help. it was just confusing. I was hearing that they are going thru my paperwork with what you said fine tooth comb , looking into all my information i sent in in the RO Research Center . and that it will take another year for them to complete the review. My C&P doctor paperwork stated that I need to get in to see a Pyc (mental health) .
@@Bryannicholsen did you have a ptsd diagnosis before the C&P or was it that doc that did it? If so you should get the outside diagnosis, if you can get it from a VA doc even better. It's my understanding that C&P can diagnose it, but the visit is more geared towards seeing how bad the condition actually is. So like for example I had my diagnosis from a private doc years ago and then when I started going to the VA they also gave the diagnosis so when I went to C&P they basically already knew ok you have ptsd so today we're here to figure out how bad it is. If the C&P doc says you need to get into mental health then my first assumption is they want that extra diagnosis.
However, if the RO really needs another diagnosis they will contact you to let you know. When it's in this stage of review it's not uncommon for it to go back and forth a bit when the RO needs more information, but its often between them and any medical providers you have in your file. And then, like I was saying, if they still need more information they will let you know what they need.
A year does sound pretty long though, especially for just a single mental health claim.
And disclaimer, I'm not an expert on this by any means, but this is how I understand it to work based on my own experoenxe and what I've been reading.
What about the problems we go through when we found out that we were lied to about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?
You were lied to by the media saying they weren't there.
Great question. That sounds like it would fit under Moral Injury, which is a frequent problem in PTSD. Here is more info: www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/cooccurring/moral_injury.asp
I attempted college after getting out and need accommodations for longer time for test etc due to the inability to retain, concentrate is this a symptom on here?
Exactly what happened with me went to school 1 week stayed in the corner nobody behind me and anxiety set me into tailspin long time ago
Yes indeed that would be an impairment in the educational area when it comes to concentration/focus. Great question.
Not gonna lie, this interview makes me think this new update will actually be harder to get a higher or 100% rating
Clay, what if you had dbqs and rated in 2023 but later after updates go through want to go for increase 2024-25 would you need new dbqs, going from community care back to va and worried if I'll have trouble down the road
Increases will usually result in another C&P exam completing a DBQ.
- Clay
@@TheCivDiv I mean private ones not cp, would you need new ones completed on behalf
When will the new criteria go into effect?
If you're seeing a va mental dr do they fill out nexus letters and dbq's
No, good luck they're supposed to bu talk about conflicts of interest
Will this affect individuals with a static condition for PTSD?
Not unless you put in for an increase
- Clay
…. and over 5 years at same rated %? I was under the impression that it would take at least 2 exams that show some sort of improvement after this time period.
@@matthewgary6071 Do you have to wait to five years?
I was trying to reference the 5 yr rule. Not sure I did so well
@@matthewgary6071 Typically, that is true. I believe Clay was referring to if you submit for an increase, you open yourself up for a full re-evaluation, negating the need for 2 'improved' evaluations referenced in the 5-year rule.
So when would it take effect?
Nobody knows this answer. I’ve always predicted next year.
- Clay
@@TheCivDiv thank you.
We gave you an electric wheelchair chair now you can move around faster than walking.Your missing legs are better .. 0 percent coming next?? There is a CBO report that made these recommendations!!!
Being stuck comes from the system being overregulated and stereotypical.
@TheCivDiv @ConcisePsych Would requesting to work remotely be considered an accommodation for someone with some of these mental health conditions?
I just got a 70% rating for mental health. When this comes in effect could I file an increase if this rating system matches me better without having to go to a new c&p exam?
Thanks!
OH MY GOODNESS THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I’m glad you got value out of this one.
- Clay
Thanks!
Holy bologna dude THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I don’t even know to say.
If you haven’t joined the member discord, make sure you get in!
- Clay
@@TheCivDiv Many thank yous again, Clayton & Dr. Sharma.
@@TheCivDiv Will join