Unspecified, Bipolar Disorder: Timeline & Findings

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thebipolarpolarbear

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Hello,
Allow me to provide some background on who I am. I am a 25 year old, Active Duty, USAF member who has served for several years.

I am facing a complicated case and I have no where else to turn to.

Back in 2018 I was diagnosed with a severe case of Bronchitis in the Spring. After seeing my Family Health Practitioner he diagnosed me with Asthma. I did not join the service with Asthma and did not have it as a child. Continuing on over the next several months I saw a pulmonologist multiple times and he said I have allergy induced Asthma. Just recently they put me on a permanent profile for all three cardio components.

During that exact time I was seeing Mental Health for PTSD, MDD, and Anxiety. My childhood was severely traumatic and still haunts me to this day. Fast forward to 2021 I went inpatient to a psychiatric facility for 30 days due to a mental breakdown. During my stay there I was told by a Psychiatrist that I have Bipolar Disorder, however, the mental health team decided I have Borderline Personality disorder. During that same time three other people I knew who had the same diagnosis from the Psych Doc in the facility said they have Bipolar Disorder. However, the mental health team diagnosed them with the same thing they diagnosed me with.

Over a year later to present time I have been in and out of the mental health clinic for mood swings and severe depression along with the typical symptoms for Bipolar Disorder (genetically runs in my family). Right now the doctor is telling me I have unspecified Bipolar Disorder. They put me on seroquel 100 mg, 100 mg Zoloft, and 300-900 mg of Gabapentin a day.

What are my chances of this MEB finding me to be unfit for duty due to a medical condition, and how soon?

Thanks.
 
thebipolarpolarbear said:
Hello,
Allow me to provide some background on who I am. I am a 25 year old, Active Duty, USAF member who has served for several years.

I am facing a complicated case and I have no where else to turn to.

Back in 2018 I was diagnosed with a severe case of Bronchitis in the Spring. After seeing my Family Health Practitioner he diagnosed me with Asthma. I did not join the service with Asthma and did not have it as a child. Continuing on over the next several months I saw a pulmonologist multiple times and he said I have allergy induced Asthma. Just recently they put me on a permanent profile for all three cardio components.

During that exact time I was seeing Mental Health for PTSD, MDD, and Anxiety. My childhood was severely traumatic and still haunts me to this day. Fast forward to 2021 I went inpatient to a psychiatric facility for 30 days due to a mental breakdown. During my stay there I was told by a Psychiatrist that I have Bipolar Disorder, however, the mental health team decided I have Borderline Personality disorder. During that same time three other people I knew who had the same diagnosis from the Psych Doc in the facility said they have Bipolar Disorder. However, the mental health team diagnosed them with the same thing they diagnosed me with.

Over a year later to present time I have been in and out of the mental health clinic for mood swings and severe depression along with the typical symptoms for Bipolar Disorder (genetically runs in my family). Right now the doctor is telling me I have unspecified Bipolar Disorder. They put me on seroquel 100 mg, 100 mg Zoloft, and 300-900 mg of Gabapentin a day.

What are my chances of this MEB finding me to be unfit for duty due to a medical condition, and how soon?

Thanks.
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I think your chances are very good to be MEB'd but the timeline can vary a lot.
 
The diagnosis and the time to treat it. Not everyone with mental health issues gets out. However, conditions like Bipolar and Schizophrenia are always grounds to MEB you.
 
thebipolarpolarbear said:
Do you think a Commanders endorsement would help?
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Nope. In fact when there is a good chance you are getting out you need to make sure evidence points to proper severity. Those who try to stay in tend to get lower ratings because they minimize their issues. You may want to consult an attorney for advice. Usually an initial consultation is free. I always recommend a private attorney because the outcome has lifetime financial implications. So its not something you want to leave to chance when the assigned IDES attorneys have way too many cases to give each Soldier the attention they need.
 
I think your case for asthma is better than for your mental health condition. Under eight years of service you the VA would have to determine that your mental health issue ss caused or aggravated by your service. Given the trauma is childhood it is therefore preexisting.

The main purpose of a diagnosis is for the provider to get paid by insurance on the outside AND to ensure proper treatment occurs. In the end the VA diagnosis is what matter for compensation.
 
Redo

I forgot that this vacillation between personality disorder and other disorders is occasionally gamesmanship by military providers. Again the VA MH exam is what matter for compensation.
 
thebipolarpolarbear said:
Hello,
Allow me to provide some background on who I am. I am a 25 year old, Active Duty, USAF member who has served for several years.

I am facing a complicated case and I have no where else to turn to.

Back in 2018 I was diagnosed with a severe case of Bronchitis in the Spring. After seeing my Family Health Practitioner he diagnosed me with Asthma. I did not join the service with Asthma and did not have it as a child. Continuing on over the next several months I saw a pulmonologist multiple times and he said I have allergy induced Asthma. Just recently they put me on a permanent profile for all three cardio components.

During that exact time I was seeing Mental Health for PTSD, MDD, and Anxiety. My childhood was severely traumatic and still haunts me to this day. Fast forward to 2021 I went inpatient to a psychiatric facility for 30 days due to a mental breakdown. During my stay there I was told by a Psychiatrist that I have Bipolar Disorder, however, the mental health team decided I have Borderline Personality disorder. During that same time three other people I knew who had the same diagnosis from the Psych Doc in the facility said they have Bipolar Disorder. However, the mental health team diagnosed them with the same thing they diagnosed me with.

Over a year later to present time I have been in and out of the mental health clinic for mood swings and severe depression along with the typical symptoms for Bipolar Disorder (genetically runs in my family). Right now the doctor is telling me I have unspecified Bipolar Disorder. They put me on seroquel 100 mg, 100 mg Zoloft, and 300-900 mg of Gabapentin a day.

What are my chances of this MEB finding me to be unfit for duty due to a medical condition, and how soon?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Did something happen to you to cause the mental breakdown? Ive been doing a lot of reading and researching since my husband was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder (he was 25 when it happened) and discharged. There was a stressful event months before his breakdown. A year later, he was diagnosed with PTSD. Looking back at his medical records before the BP diagnosis, his PHA showed severe PTSD. That would have been helpful to know when we saw the civilian psychiatrist. He was national guard. He’s been on 8-9 different meds, including 300 of Seroquel, and he is not better…I would fight that bipolar diagnosis, due to the military pinning that on people to “get rid of them” IMO. Look up Joshua Kors, and read some of his articles. I was shocked at how some service members have been treated. He was a reporter, then became an attorney after he saw what was happening. I hope you will be okay. I’ve watched him suffer for the last year and a half, and its heartbreaking. Please do your research if you can!!
 
thebipolarpolarbear said:
Hello,
Allow me to provide some background on who I am. I am a 25 year old, Active Duty, USAF member who has served for several years.

I am facing a complicated case and I have no where else to turn to.

Back in 2018 I was diagnosed with a severe case of Bronchitis in the Spring. After seeing my Family Health Practitioner he diagnosed me with Asthma. I did not join the service with Asthma and did not have it as a child. Continuing on over the next several months I saw a pulmonologist multiple times and he said I have allergy induced Asthma. Just recently they put me on a permanent profile for all three cardio components.

During that exact time I was seeing Mental Health for PTSD, MDD, and Anxiety. My childhood was severely traumatic and still haunts me to this day. Fast forward to 2021 I went inpatient to a psychiatric facility for 30 days due to a mental breakdown. During my stay there I was told by a Psychiatrist that I have Bipolar Disorder, however, the mental health team decided I have Borderline Personality disorder. During that same time three other people I knew who had the same diagnosis from the Psych Doc in the facility said they have Bipolar Disorder. However, the mental health team diagnosed them with the same thing they diagnosed me with.

Over a year later to present time I have been in and out of the mental health clinic for mood swings and severe depression along with the typical symptoms for Bipolar Disorder (genetically runs in my family). Right now the doctor is telling me I have unspecified Bipolar Disorder. They put me on seroquel 100 mg, 100 mg Zoloft, and 300-900 mg of Gabapentin a day.

What are my chances of this MEB finding me to be unfit for duty due to a medical condition, and how soon?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Hey! How’d your process end up going?
 
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