I am wondering if anybody has experienced this issue before. I am currently on TDRL since May 2022. I am expecting to have my PDRL exam in November. Since being out I have had a very hard time keeping up with talking to a mental health provider! My local VA has openings only 1 time a month and seeing the civilian provider just started, and I won’t be able to keep that up with paying 50$ a session. Will this all affect my PDRL exam?! Should I stop adding this to my concerns? I feel like I’m drowning!
Psych Help Concerns for PDRL
- Thread starter Newguy5
- Start date
I don't see how going once a month if that is the most they can see you will hurt your case. I wouldn't worry. Just focus on keeping your condition stable. No new medications and improvements etc. The goal is to get on PDRL asap so that you can focus more on your health without the anxiety of a lifetime of financial consequences from a temporary improvement that may lock you in to lower rate in PDRL.
Also, once you go to the exam you can explain that. Its' possible they review your VA records and not need an in person exam. Just try to keep things consistent. Getting a job or going to school could affect your ratings. Lastly, if after the TDRL exam they lower your rating and you don't feel like its accurate you can appeal and I encourage you to do so. You can have assigned representation and i would encourage you to seek private counsel as well.
Lastly, it never hurts to reach out to them every once in a while and state that your condition is stable and that you would like to have your exam so that you can be PDRL. Don't ever let it get close to the 3 year mark. If you fall off you are done. You lose everything!
What service? I find it very odd that you just went on TDRL, and they are scheduling you an exam 6 months later. Doesn’t really give people a chance to stabilize, from a policy perspective. Your case may be very different in specifics.
That said, I agree with @Provis that going once a month shouldn’t hurt you. For MH they will most likely review your historical records, but there’s no set periodicity that you have to go to treatment. The PEB will be looking for trends as well as individual data points.
That said, I agree with @Provis that going once a month shouldn’t hurt you. For MH they will most likely review your historical records, but there’s no set periodicity that you have to go to treatment. The PEB will be looking for trends as well as individual data points.
@Provis why does getting a job or going to school cause issues with ratings. If someone is the primary breadwinner in there house wouldn't it be more of an issue if they were losing money from suddenly being out of service. I know in my case I am being put on TDRL due to mental health and was going crazy trying to figure out away to keep my income basically the same just to make sure that I wasnt going to add financial stress on top of everything else. Its almost like they want you to fail.
The mental health ratings are based partly how you function. Going to school or holding a job generally results in a lower rating but that all depends on your starting rating. For example if you are 100% TDRL for mental health and then if you hold a job you wouldn't be rated 100% anymore because you don't have Total Occupational & Social Impairment anymore. TDRL is stating that it could get better that's why they didn't do PDRL. You can play the game and try to show the condition is stable or not but its up to you.
