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Do you have mental health problems or physical injuries that took place during your military service? Are you a victim of MST? Get healthcare and file a claim for disabilities. Knowing the differences between the VHA and VBA stops confusion. Do you know what IBS, MST, PTSD, TBI, VSARD, DSM-5, VSO, and Tonic Immobility are?
Be truthful with the Veterans Administration. Anything less than honesty is fraud. Do your research with the VA Search Option
Military sexual trauma (MST) refers to sexual assault or threatening sexual harassment experienced during military service. Veterans of all genders and from all types of backgrounds have experienced MST. You cannot file a disability for MST. You will file for what MST caused mentally and physically.
Some MST Victims are confused lost souls without a compass. If you need help to get your head straight contact the VA MST Coordinators. Contact a VSO to file claims for your disabilities.
To receive compensation for anything caused by MST you have to prove you experienced it. This is the Evidence Needed for A Disability Claim Based on MST. Don’t be discouraged. The way to approach it is to Write Your Story using the VA Markers which will help you Write Your Claim for PTSD and everything else the MST Caused. Treatment for any physical or mental health condition related to MST is provided free of charge, regardless of when the MST occurred.
You have to know about both sides of the VA. They are the Veterans Health Administration – VHA for Healthcare and the Veterans Benefits Administration – VBA for Disability Compensation. They are separate organizations. The healthcare side will give medical care for your disability but has nothing to do with your disability claims. Health Records are shared between them. Here is some Helpful Information about how this system works.
Your medical condition must be located in the VSARD (Veteran Affairs Schedule for Rating Disabilities) which is 38 CFR Part 4, Subpart B. It is the guide for evaluating the severity of disabilities resulting from all types of diseases and injuries encountered during military service. The degree of severity is expressed as a percentage rating determining the monthly compensation amount. Look up every conceivable disease or injury received during your military service and be treated by the VHA for them. The VBA will assign a rating for your claim.
Examples:
- If you claim Chronic Fatigue Syndrome look at VSARD 4.88 – 4.88a – Here is how CFS is rated.
- Panic Attacks are covered under PTSD CFR 4.130 9412 Panic disorder
- Take a serious look at VSARD 4.116 – Schedule of ratings – gynecological conditions and disorders of the breast.
- The Veteran’s service-connected migraine headaches disability is rated as 50 percent disabling under 38 C.F.R. § 4.124a, Diagnostic Code 8100 (migraine headaches). This is the maximum schedular rating available for migraine headaches. A migraine can also cause vertigo.
Have you heard about Contreltophobia also called Agraphobia; it is the fear or phobia of being sexually abused, assaulted, or raped. This fear goes beyond the “normal” fear of this happening since it is logical to be afraid of being raped or abused. It creates AGORAPHOBIA which is covered by VSARD CFR 4.130 9412 Anxiety Disorders. Many sexual assault survivors have one question that plagues them. “Why couldn’t I stop it?” Learn about Tonic Immobility.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder that affects millions worldwide, causing abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits. There is no cure for IBS, treatment can help reduce symptoms and improve quality of life. VA Ratings for irritable bowel syndrome under 38 CFR § 4.114, diagnostic code 7319 for Irritable Colon Syndrome. VA disability ratings for IBS range from 0 to 10 to 30 percent, depending on the severity of symptoms.
DSM-5 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) published the DSM-5 to provide a resource to help healthcare providers diagnose these mental health disorders. The VA uses it as well.
The VA Disability Compensation rates PTSD by using the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders that shows what percentage of the compensation you are entitled to.
TBI Traumatic Brain Injury. PTSD is frequently a secondary service connected to TBI, with both conditions resulting from the same event, and sharing many of the same symptoms. How severely were you beaten into submission when you were raped?
Have you experienced one or more of these conditions on this list? Get medical treatment and file for everything you find yourself suffering from physically and mentally that is covered in VSARD. Each condition caused by Military Sexual Trauma can be rated independently as long as they are separate and distinct from one another. The laws state that a single symptom can only be rated once, so if two conditions are technically diagnosed, but each causes similar symptoms, then only one can be rated. Once the VBA tells you you have a disability and gives a rating the compensation is covered to the date you filed.
- PTSD and TBI are similar.
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Agoraphobia
- Panic Attacks
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Sleeping Disorders
- Eating Disorders
- Hearing Loss and Tinnitus and Vertigo
- Migraines Can Cause Vertigo
- Exposure Categories Check what you were exposed to.
For Older Veterans, if you think you missed the boat for a Disability Rating think again.
PTSD symptoms may be worse in later years as veterans age. Learn how as an older Veteran, you may still be affected by your past events during your service. There are tips to find help as well. Here is another study about how older VIETNAM ERA Veterans start suffering from PTSD and Depression nearing their 8th Decade.
If you feel out of control and need serious help NOW: START HERE.
