Really confused? Can someone help?

I am in the national guard and was diagnosed with sleep apnea (OSA) in February while on active orders.

While I was on orders I started to have anxiety because of the sleeping problems and I started seeing a psychologist (4 times). She diagnosed me with GAD and wanted me to see a psychiatrist to be on meds.

My orders ended in late April and I still am having horrible anxiety. I made an appointment with a private provider so I can get help.

My unit has no idea I have these problems and I don't know weather or not to tell them because of clearance issues.

I don't think that the anxiety is going to go away as it has now been 6 months so I am thinking about starting a claim.

Am I doing anything wrong or should I be doing anything other than what I am doing?
 
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Define what you mean by "doing anything wrong?

If you have a condition that occurred during or was aggravated while you were entitled to active duty pay, then by definition it is service connected. You can file a claim with the VA for health care, and/or compensation and pension if you desire.

To apply for health care coverage, fill out this form: http://www.va.gov/vaforms/medical/pdf/1010EZ-fillable.pdf and show up at your nearest VA medical center with your DD-214 in hand.

To apply for VA compensation and pension, you can fill out this form: http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA-21-526-ARE.pdf

or you can apply online through ebenefits or VONAPP.
 
awsfreak said:
I am in the national guard and was diagnosed with sleep apnea (OSA) in February while on active orders.

While I was on orders I started to have anxiety because of the sleeping problems and I started seeing a psychologist (4 times). She diagnosed me with GAD and wanted me to see a psychiatrist to be on meds.

My orders ended in late April and I still am having horrible anxiety. I made an appointment with a private provider so I can get help.

My unit has no idea I have these problems and I don't know whether or not to tell them because of clearance issues.

I don't think that the anxiety is going to go away as it has now been 6 months so I am thinking about starting a claim.

Am I doing anything wrong or should I be doing anything other than what I am doing?
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Fact: seeking professional help for GAD will have 0 impact on your clearance. If you get a profile/waiver/Code 37, however, it could incur mobility restrictions, restrict you from being deployed, and restrict your access to weapons, but that's about it. No impact on your clearance though.

This is just what I would personally do: I would tell a military doc about my psychiatric treatment before telling my coworkers, since it is your private, sensitive medical information. It seems better if a medical professional notifies your unit through the proper channels to avoid anything undesirable happening in the future, especially if you're thinking about filing a claim with the VA. That's just my personal opinion tho.
 
Sorry let me clarify.

Should I have notified my unit at this point or can I file without having to do so?
 
Also, I have not taken meds. Not because I dont need them, but because the active duty psychologist said it would affect my clearance.

Would not taking meds effect my claim?
 
awsfreak said:
Also, I have not taken meds. Not because I don't need them, but because the active duty psychologist said it would affect my clearance.

Would not taking meds effect my claim?
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I still have my clearance after a two week psych ward admission lol so idk what your doctor is talking about. Depending on how high your clearance is i.e. TS/SCI, the only 2 conditions that will affect your clearance are Bipolar and Schizophrenia, so if you don't have those conditions, your clearance won't be affected.

What medication is he talking about when he says it will affect your clearance? And what kind of doctor would deny a patient the medication they need? That's weird lol. If for some reason, your military doctor says it will have an affect on your clearance, he would have to be the one to start the process of notifying your unit commander. It's still HIPAA protected information, so you are under no obligation to tell them about it, ESPECIALLY if you haven't even been prescribed any medication or given a profile. If you feel like your anxiety will affect your working ability, then it's your choice to bring it up to your unit, but it's not a requirement since it's your personal medical information.
 
awsfreak said:
Sorry let me clarify.

Should I have notified my unit at this point or can I file without having to do so?
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Are you asking if Guardsmen have to notify their unit that they're filing a VA claim?

If that's what you're asking, I'm not sure. @Jason Perry
 
Any type of health concerns that may cause altered judgement can be a problem with a clearance...but it depends on what your dr says about your condition. If they say that it is severe enough to cause you issues like that, you could have some troubles. otherwise they will just monitor you and may make you go through a periodic reinvestigation sooner than you normally would.
 
I have TS/SCI and when I was diagnosed with PTSD and started medication they didn't take my clearance, but I did get read out of the SCIF and now do a different job. It wasn't at all punitive and I was told if the PEB finds me fit ill be returning to my work center.
 
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