PTSD & MDD ratings

Brokin1104

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Are these two conditions rated together? Or does each one have its own percentage? My VSO confused the hell out of me?
 
Are these two conditions rated together? Or does each one have its own percentage? My VSO confused the hell out of me?
It depends on symptom overlap and proof of comorbidity. Do you have separate diagnosis for each and are these diagnosis on different days? If it is pyramided you can appeal to the board if you have proof that you have separate diagnosis and instances were either condition is independent of the other.

I was first diagnosed with GAD (General Anxiety Disorder) until it was found to coincided with PTSD and my MH diagnosis was changed to PTSD with situational Anxieties.
 
It depends on symptom overlap and proof of comorbidity. Do you have separate diagnosis for each and are these diagnosis on different days? If it is pyramided you can appeal to the board if you have proof that you have separate diagnosis and instances were either condition is independent of the other.

I was first diagnosed with GAD (General Anxiety Disorder) until it was found to coincided with PTSD and my MH diagnosis was changed to PTSD with situational Anxieties.
So I have an IDES referred conditions of Chronic PTSD and MDD. My VSO said that I will be rated separately, but everywhere I read it says they’ll be rated together
 
The confusion I think lies here. They can both be rated separately but having more than one MH issue those percentages won’t be combined to avoid “pyramiding”.

So let’s say your MDD is rate at 50%, and PSTD at 70%, you’ll get one mental health rating of 70%.

Same concept applies for everything. Sleep apnea with CPAP= 50%, add 60 % for a breathing/pulmonary disorder and you’ll be rated 60% pulmonary.

Now let’s say somehow your cured of one, you would fall back to the other. You don’t lose the rating, you just don’t get to add them all up due to pyramiding.
 
The confusion I think lies here. They can both be rated separately but having more than one MH issue those percentages won’t be combined to avoid “pyramiding”.

So let’s say your MDD is rate at 50%, and PSTD at 70%, you’ll get one mental health rating of 70%.

Same concept applies for everything. Sleep apnea with CPAP= 50%, add 60 % for a breathing/pulmonary disorder and you’ll be rated 60% pulmonary.

Now let’s say somehow your cured of one, you would fall back to the other. You don’t lose the rating, you just don’t get to add them all up due to pyramiding.
Thanks for that explanation.
 
If your disgnosed with Chronic Depression, Anxiety, insominia, PTSD and sleep apnia are they combined together?

Thanks,
Tim
 
Of those you mentioned sleep apnea will be a separate rating. The rest will be under 1 mental health rating.
 
Of those you mentioned sleep apnea will be a separate rating. The rest will be under 1 mental health rating.
How is insomnia rated as a mental health condition? Do they look at my sleep study results?
 
How is insomnia rated as a mental health condition? Do they look at my sleep study results?

Its considered a major symptom to most MH disorders this is backed up by medical evidence.
 
Its considered a major symptom to most MH disorders this is backed up by medical evidence.
Well I’m a complete mess and my first C&P appointment is Tuesday for MH. I’m nervous as hell about it.
 
Oddpedestrian is correct. They never rate insomnia on its own. It’s always under something else.
 
Oddpedestrian is correct. They never rate insomnia on its own. It’s always under something else.

So just to reiterate, if you are diagnosed with multiple MH conditions, they can be rated separately but they will only be under one mental health rating?

And how about if you have OSA and hypersomnia? Is each condition rated separately or combined?
 
Hypersomnia is the same as narcolepsy in all intents and purpose but it has a different definition:
Hypersomnia is caused by a condition (medication, OSA, trauma)
Narcolepsy is an actual diagnosis when it has no underlying cause.

OSA with hypersomnia being treated by CPAP is all one rating, I know this because I was rated 50% for the exact definition.
Narcolepsy is the condition of falling asleep or persistent tiredness as a disease.

I posted all my ratings in ratings if you would like to see my VA and MEB report, but in short here is my OSA rating:

1. Proposed entitlement to service connection of obstructive sleep apnea (claimed as sleep apnea with machine) for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits.
Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is proposed as directly related to military service.(38 CFR 3.303, 38 CFR 3.304)

We have assigned a 50 percent evaluation for your obstructive sleep apnea based on:
• Requires use of breathing assistance device such as continuous airway pressure (CPAP)machine
Additional symptom(s) include:
• Persistent day-time hypersomnolence

A higher evaluation of 100 percent is not warranted for sleep apnea syndromes unless the evidence shows:
• Carbon dioxide retention; or,
• Chronic respiratory failure; or,
• Cor pulmonale; or,
• Tracheostomy required. (38 CFR 4.97)
 
Hypersomnia is the same as narcolepsy in all intents and purpose but it has a different definition:
Hypersomnia is caused by a condition (medication, OSA, trauma)
Narcolepsy is an actual diagnosis when it has no underlying cause.

OSA with hypersomnia being treated by CPAP is all one rating, I know this because I was rated 50% for the exact definition.
Narcolepsy is the condition of falling asleep or persistent tiredness as a disease.

I posted all my ratings in ratings if you would like to see my VA and MEB report, but in short here is my OSA rating:

1. Proposed entitlement to service connection of obstructive sleep apnea (claimed as sleep apnea with machine) for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits.
Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is proposed as directly related to military service.(38 CFR 3.303, 38 CFR 3.304)

We have assigned a 50 percent evaluation for your obstructive sleep apnea based on:
• Requires use of breathing assistance device such as continuous airway pressure (CPAP)machine
Additional symptom(s) include:
• Persistent day-time hypersomnolence

A higher evaluation of 100 percent is not warranted for sleep apnea syndromes unless the evidence shows:
• Carbon dioxide retention; or,
• Chronic respiratory failure; or,
• Cor pulmonale; or,
• Tracheostomy required. (38 CFR 4.97)

This is very interesting to me. I wonder how the MEB/PEB will view this since I have sleep apena and use a CPAP. I have had 2 MSLT's - one it came back as hypersonmia and on the other, I had 2 SOREM naps that indicated narcolepsy where I feel asleep in under 3 minutes after a monitored nights sleep on my CPAP. Two different results makes me wonder how this will ultimately shake out. Thoughts?
 
This is very interesting to me. I wonder how the MEB/PEB will view this since I have sleep apena and use a CPAP. I have had 2 MSLT's - one it came back as hypersonmia and on the other, I had 2 SOREM naps that indicated narcolepsy where I feel asleep in under 3 minutes after a monitored nights sleep on my CPAP. Two different results makes me wonder how this will ultimately shake out. Thoughts?

I would guess that you can get rated for both, if diagnosed.
Hypersomnia is just that you are tired because your sleep sucks, it is different that Narcolepsy can cause you to fall asleep at inopportune moments. But I doubt you would get rated if hypersomnia was a result of Narcolepsy or vice versus.
 
I would guess that you can get rated for both, if diagnosed.
Hypersomnia is just that you are tired because your sleep sucks, it is different that Narcolepsy can cause you to fall asleep at inopportune moments. But I doubt you would get rated if hypersomnia was a result of Narcolepsy or vice versus.

Nothing seems to be conclusive - I have (and continue) to fall asleep while driving and if I am sitting inactive for a few moments I do doze off. In 2014, I was involved in a single car accident where I fell asleep at the wheel and hit a guard rail. My sleep doc put that in my medical notes with a warning about driving fatigued because of the severe legal ramifications that could result if I hurt or killed someone because I am sure a lawyer would be able to find out about my sleep issues. More recently, this past year I fell asleep on the interstate with my daughter in the back seat. Once I woke up and realized what was happening, that triggered a panic attack - so needless to say there is definitely an issue to deal with.
 
I would guess that you can get rated for both, if diagnosed.
Hypersomnia just you are tire because your sleep sucks, it is different that Narcolepsy can cause you to fall asleep at inopportune moments. But I doubt you would get rated if hypersomnia was a result of Narcolepsy or vice versus.
Nothing seems to be conclusive - I have (and continue) to fall asleep while driving and if I am sitting inactive for a few moments I do doze off. In 2014, I was involved in a single car accident where I fell asleep at the wheel and hit a guard rail. My sleep doc put that in my medical notes with a warning about driving fatigued because of the severe legal ramifications that could result if I hurt or killed someone because I am sure a lawyer would be able to find out about my sleep issues. More recently, this past year I fell asleep on the interstate with my daughter in the back seat. Once I woke up and realized what was happening, that triggered a panic attack - so needless to say there is definitely an issue to deal with.
And that is the problem , without any indicators you have Narcolepsy … but in that same scenario if you got 10 hours of shitty sleep every night because you snore and choke to death, then you have OSA with Hypersomiance
 
The MLST provided strong, sufficient evidence for narcolepsy. I have the diagnosis - however, from a separate sleep doctor once I changed command, the diagnosis was hypersomnia. I definitely believe I have narcolepsy and so did the C&P examiner. I guess I will just have to wait and see. Regardless, I am having them all added in as referred conditions after I review the NARSUM.
 
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