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Psychological Injuries
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in War Veterans: Disability of a Veteran (Part B)
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in War Veterans: Disability of a Veteran (Part A)
- Coping with PTSD Symptoms: Veterans of the Gulf War (Part B)
- Coping with PTSD Symptoms: Veterans of the Gulf War (Part A)
- Veterans of War with TBI: Obtaining Veteran Medical Records (Part B)
Coping with PTSD Symptoms: Veterans of the Gulf War (Part A)
The end of the Persian Gulf War left veterans with the same chances to develop PTSD symptoms as veterans of any other war. However, many Gulf War veterans are reluctant to seek treatment, and those who do seek help often find themselves unable to afford the care they need.
While the VA hospital system does provide treatment for PTSD symptoms, veterans are often sent through a long and tedious process of qualifying for these benefits. The frustration of dealing with the VA system often drives many veterans to give up on their claims, leaving them unable to obtain the mental health care they need for PTSD.
Making the Disability Review Process Faster for Persian Gulf War Veterans
The VA system, just like many government benefit systems, is a lengthy process full of verifications, exams, and paperwork. At the basic level, a veteran needs to have a medical exam that verifies the disabling condition they developed during their service. While it should be simple to just go to a VA hospital or clinic and get their verification medical exam, it's usually not.
There are long waiting times to schedule exams, and in most cases veterans are only given a basic physical. PTSD symptoms in veterans need to be diagnosed by a mental health professional, meaning additional exams need to be scheduled after the first physical exam. All of these repeated exams can be time-consuming and frustrating for a veteran and their caregivers.
If your loved veteran is seeking a disability rating for PTSD they need to see a mental health specialist like a psychologist. It's not easy to go to a VA clinic and request this exam without already having a diagnosis of a mental condition. The best method for a veteran to expedite an exam by a mental health professional is to apply for an Independent Medical Exam (IME). These exams are not free, but there multiple ways veterans can obtain funding.
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