Any current or former raters out there? How impactful, positive or negative, can personal statements be for a claim?
For anyone who has submitted claims, did you submit a personal statement and do you think it helped or hurt your claim?
I was recently diagnosed with PTSD after my first mental health appointment with the VA, and this was after being referred to a private psychologist by my civilian doctor for “PTSD symptoms.” (Never went to private psychologist, went straight to the VA instead) Was given meds by VA doc and setting up therapy with them now.
Is there a recommended time frame to file for a claim after diagnosis? Should you do it through a VSO or online by yourself? Did you submit personal statements?
Would love to hear your personal experiences with filing: PTSD diagnosis or not and by who? Documents submitted? Combat or non combat and the ease of providing documentation of event? And what your C & P exam was like after what you submitted. Long interview? Connected or disconnected interviewer, did they seem to care or go through the motions? And finally the results you got from filing. Don’t have to say rating but maybe whether you got a rating that you were expecting or not.
Thanks in advance to all who respond!
Has anyone gone straight to the PTSD C&P exam with no therapy or diagnosis prior? If so did you get the rating you expected? Why or why not?