I was just diagnosed with Bipolar II and have a lithium prescription that works great. I understand that I'll probably be going to an MEB soon, and have been researching as much as I can to be ready. Something I'm confused about is how the VA examiners really rate a subjective condition like bipolar. I have a copy of the mental disorders DBQ, and see there's a bunch of check boxes for things like:
- Flattened affect
- Mild memory loss, such as forgetting names, directions or recent events
- Inability to establish and maintain effective relationships
and obviously much more. So do they simply just ask if I have these sympoms? Because I do get a lot of them during my manic/depressive phases, but not necessarily all the time, and with my luck not during the exam. So do I tell them just that? Do I need to tell my psychologist or psychiatrist so they can write it in their notes? Do I need to actually go to couples therapy to document that this condition is damaging to my marriage?
Any insight is appreciated. If it makes a difference, I'm 11 years active duty AF.
- Flattened affect
- Mild memory loss, such as forgetting names, directions or recent events
- Inability to establish and maintain effective relationships
and obviously much more. So do they simply just ask if I have these sympoms? Because I do get a lot of them during my manic/depressive phases, but not necessarily all the time, and with my luck not during the exam. So do I tell them just that? Do I need to tell my psychologist or psychiatrist so they can write it in their notes? Do I need to actually go to couples therapy to document that this condition is damaging to my marriage?
Any insight is appreciated. If it makes a difference, I'm 11 years active duty AF.