HLR scheduled for PTSD mistake by initial raters
for context, my ptsd is due to mst and how I was handled by the military after the fact. my PTSD rating was 70% and after my last claim, it remained there. In the comments of the DBQ the examiner states:
"she began working as an independent (redacted for privacy) renting out a room, however due to the decline in her mental health and life issues, she was unable to service male clients, which in turn caused her to stop working."
"The Veteran reported persistent feelings of fear and mistrust of others, explaining that she often believes someone may be intending to harm her or has negative intentions toward her. She stated that she is constantly monitoring her surroundings and questioning whether she is safe. The Veteran also reported experiencing significant psychosocial stressors, including the recent loss of her home, which has resulted in her staying with friends. She described increasing difficulty managing daily responsibilities and basic self-care tasks. Specifically, she endorsed problems with personal hygiene, stating that she sometimes forgets to brush her teeth or shower. She disclosed that her symptoms have progressed to the point where she sometimes feels undeserving of caring for herself, stating, “It has gotten to the point that I feel like I don’t deserve to shower.”
Though this is stated in the comments of the DBQ, the boxes that say the following, went unchecked:
"persistent and exaggerated negative beliefs or expectations about oneself, others, or the world (e.9., “I am bad, “No one can be trusted,: “The world is completely dangerous,: “My whole nervous system is permanently ruined")."
"reckless or self-destructive behavior."
"Suicidal ideation"
"persistent delusions or hallucinations"
"intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living, including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene"
further, in the extra remarks section it states "SC diagnosis remains the same, but symptoms have worsened, without an additional diagnosis."
instead of curling into a ball and melting like I did last year, I hope I have the knowledge and ability now to try and advocate for myself properly. I had a meeting with VERA today to ensure a HLR was the appropriate course of action. I requested a meeting as well for my HLR and intend on meeting with VERA again once hopefully to streamline the process.
if anyone has any similar experience, I'd love some advice. I went through and underlined my DBQ's so I can reference them for my appointments as well