Vietnam Vet

Continuing from my first post.
Several of you told me I had PTSD and to get tested. I called the crisis line and they are setting me up to see a psychiatrist. If I am diagnosed with PTSD does that mean they grant a disability? How does that affect my current employment? What do I need to know when I go into this in order not to screw it up?
The person I talked to told me to listen to some guided meditation on youtube. I feel so much better after doing so. I imagine if I tell them that they will say I am okay. Just what do I need to be prepared for?
If I tell them I have suicidal thoughts, which I do quite often, but always deny it when they ask, will they lock me up in the psyche ward?

melismus Loc: Chesapeake Bay Country

If you deny your suicidal thoughts or mislead them in any other way, they cannot give you any real help. Please be straight with them, and don't be afraid of what might happen.

Dan Downie Loc: Rochester, NY

As a retired, disabled veteran I have three pieces of advice: 1) Do not discuss your condition (s) on a social forum of any sort, especially with the level of detail you're delving into. It's highly doubtful you will receive any beneficial advice here. I recommend that you research military forums that deal with various disability topics where you can read past threads that address your concerns. This will allow you to seek answers to educate yourself without disclosing any personal information. 2) Contact local veteran organizations such as the VFW or American Legion to meet with one of their service officers that help vets get the disability ball rolling for you. They are the people you can and should talk to, not folks on a public forum of any sort; especially a photography forum. You'll get a bunch of meaningless, unrelated BS responses to the extent that you'll want to shoot yourself with a Canon, only to worsen your depression when it dawns on you that you are of the Nikon or Sony persuasion. Your state and county should have veteran affair resources also. The availability of any of these resources are plentiful, depending on your geographical location, your mobility to gain access to those services, among other considerations. 3) No one can tell you what the VA or anyone else will decide or what action they will take on any given situation. However, service officers can advise you on the disability claim process so you know what to expect after your claim is submitted, how to submit and support your claim, etc. ThesE people

Vietnam Vet

Thank You Dan, I hadn't thought of talking to the VFW or Foreign Legion.

Dan Downie Loc: Rochester, NY

Sorry, I messed up somehow and submitted before I was through. Anyways, these service officers have been there and done that. They have the knowledge and experience you need to seek. And, they have direct lines of communication with a network of resources applicable to the process. Best of all, it's free!

If I can regress back to no one can tell you with any degree of certainty what the VA will /won't or can / can't do in a given situation, be advised that there are protocols that any medical facility must follow when someone expresses suicidal tendencies or thoughts, which can include being admitted for a few days for observation, so educate yourself using appropriate resources and be prepared for that possibility, which may be very beneficial for you or anyone else with suicidal thoughts.

I wish the best for you, brother! And I hope that you live in an area that has these veteran related services readily available and that you are able to take advantage of them with minimal deterrants, like the lack of transportation, which may also be available through some of these organizations.

Thank you for your service to our nation!

Dan Downie Loc: Rochester, NY

Last thought: you can file a VA claim online now. It is something they introduced within the past year. I have no personal experience with it, but it provides another option to explore if you need or prefer to. Take care!

Dan Downie Loc: Rochester, NY

You're welcome, brother!

nicksr1125 Loc: Mesa, AZ

I'd check with the VA clinic or hospital in your area if there is one close by. The VA clinic here in Grove City put me in contact with a Marine Corp League service officer who got my disability paperwork started & made sure it didn't fall through the cracks & get lost. By all means, check with a VFW post or Foreign Legion if you don't have a VA facility close by. Filing a disability claim online is not for the faint of heart. Having somebody you can sit down & talk to in person or on the phone fills in a lot of questions that may not be answered online.