Chapter 4

This book provided by

Vietnam Door Gunners Association

&
The New American Forces Vietnam Network



Chapter Four

After a Claim is Filed - MHC
( Mental Health Clinic )

After you have filed your "STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF CLAIM” you need to go to a VA Hospital. Tell them you want to speak with a Psychiatrist in Mental Health because you have PTSD. When you get in to see the Psychiatrist tell the Doctor you have PTSD. Don't hold back and act like nothing is wrong with you. Tell the Doctor how you feel about things. Take the paragraphs labeled 1) thru 6) with you and read them to the Doctor. Tell the Doctor examples of how you are like some of the stuff mentioned in the paragraphs. Make them believe you! Do your best to help the Doctor understand you have PTSD and you want some help. Tell the Doctor you want to be referred to a PCT Unit for an evaluation. Make the Doctor get an appointment for you. Don't take NO for an answer. You must get into a PCT Unit! We have included a list of all the VA hospitals which have PCT Units. This list can be found in Chapter 32 "List of PCT Units".

Although this booklet deals mainly with how to receive an award of 100% disability for PTSD, we want you to get help too. The PCT Units are there to help a Veteran deal with the disorder. You will need to be involved in treatment to receive the 100% disability rating, but you will not have to remain in treatment once you receive your award. The reason you will need to be involved in treatment is because you will need letters of support from the PCT Unit team. You will need to attend treatment so the PCT Unit Team can get to know you and see that you are disabled from PTSD.

One helpful note. Most Veterans don't think they have PTSD. Even after they are diagnosed with PTSD they don’t think they disabled. We highly recommend continued treatment to PTSD patients. PTSD is non curable, but it is treatable. If you attend treatment and try to get in touch with what is truly going on inside you, your life will change for the better. That doesn’t mean you won’t have PTSD or you won’t be Totally Disabled. But, you will be able to have a happier life and develop better relationships with yourself, your family and friends.

The disability income is great.., and you deserve it if you have PTSD. You also deserve treatment! You deserve being able to have some happiness back into your life. You deserve to know what happened in Nam to cause you to change and what you can do now to help deal with that.

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