Recently diagnosed with delayed ptsd

My drug of choice was Bicardi White and Diet Pepsi...it helped me regain my sense of humour, made sleeping extremely easy, and took care of any night terrors and depression issues.  While, like marijuana, alcohol does not cure PTSD, it only masks them so you can cope better, alcohol is not covered by VAC for some reason.  They seem to be afraid of you getting addicted to alcohol, but they have no fear of you being addicted to an SSRI, marijuana, or any other drug they give you to help with your PTSD.  And before you tell me that marijuana is not addictive...I have a 57 year old brother who has smoked it every day of his life since he was 15 and he cannot give it up, so it can be addictive.  Any drug can be addictive.   All I need is a doctor to write me a prescription for a 26 oz bottle of Bicardi every day and I will be just fine!  Whatever works for you, power to you...liquor worked great for me until I had to give it up.  For some strange reason, people look down on you for drinking every day, but they think you are a demi-God if you smoke dope every day...I never could figure that out, because they both are really doing nothing to cure your PTSD (although there are users who swear it does - there is no cure for PTSD)...they are coping strategies that mask your symptoms...and you cant drive if you are taking some forms of it, or you shouldn't drive...  Oh, by the way, if you think your SSRI is not addictive...go off it for a week...and watch what happens to your balance!  You turn your head and your eyes catch up a milli-second later.

Well I say the doc today at osi and he prescribed four new meds. Follow-up in a couple of weeks. Not a weed fan but if the meds don't start to turn things around you never know.

Vet1234 - I’m with you on the weed. I have been on the oil now for a year. It has worked great, cbd keeps the anxiety down, and helps with pain, and the thc, well that knocks me at night so I can sleep Thur the demons. VVV

meds.... I went through that. Name it, I've had a script. Cannabis is my saving grace. plants not pills.

Thanks Newfie and Vet1234

I have attended two CBT and do not find them all that useful. If anything, the mindfulness exercise makes me worse. I let my guard down and it is rough. I see a shrink tomorrow at OSI because they think I need a change of meds and they are worried about suicide. All I want is to feel normal again. Have to cut back at work to concentrate on getting better. UGH I hate this.

Vet1234. I share your thoughts as well. I have no desire to attend a Clinic that is funded by VAC. Saw a VAC Dr after my diagnosis and he diagnosed my condition at 5%. Was only thru appeal that It increased by another 20%.

Great that you are getting help!
I'm not a fan of OSI clinics or anything ran by people who get funded from VAC and the government.
You do have the option to seek third party care if you were not aware. There are some great clinics and centers who will bill direct on your behalf.

I'm related to no one from VAC or anybody associated with Veterans Affairs or any other government department.  All I know is that I submitted my first application on December 17, 2017 and was approved on February 26, 2018.  My initial assessment is 36%.   Apparently VAC is using an abbreviated adjudication process and decision letter.  This is suppose to be the new approach for PSTD claims going forward.  I submitted my first application for Rehabilitation and ELB n March and they were both approved.  I am currently waiting on Career Impact Allowance adjudication.  I started CBT last week at OSI and will begin other therapeutic treatments in September.  I have suffered from PTSD for years and appreciate the efforts VAC and my CM are making to address my mental health issues.

Update:
Spoke with my vac case manager about ptsd claim timelines.
Average ptsd reassessment wait times are between 24 and 31 weeks from step 3. So once its at step 3 expecte another 6-9 months before getting a decision.
Muscle-skeletal claim timelines are even longer.
I’m at 26 weeks now. I’ll update as things progress

bigrex wrote:XNurse, are you married to a Deputy Minister at VAC or something?  First of all, ten weeks, which includes the Christmas break, for 99.9% of us, would be barely enough time to go through our med docs, and send our files to PEI, let alone decided upon. And secondly, 35% as an initial assessment goes against every rule at VAC, when dealing with PTSD. So someone had to be pulling strings, and it pisses me off. I'm not upset with you, but we have Veterans out there who are suffering for years, waiting for VAC to get their shite together. My father was diagnosed with PTSD several years ago, and he's still waiting for his final assessment.

This is all poppycock ...There is no way all this would happen so quick! I wish it did!

Thanks, I will adopt a wait and see attitude until I actually get my letter.

xmedic congrats buds the main thing is getting the treatment and I'm glad you see it that way as this is the most important thing . as for the percentage number not a big deal yet as the second assessment is the most important when it comes that . word of caution ; now at least from my understanding they do actually do a real assessment for your initial assessment witch will actually generate a number 36% , 49% 58% or whatever . thing is they will normally not tell you what it is and only recognise and pay out at 10% . of course VAC fracks things up a lot . soooo if VAC pays you at the 36% great that's how I think they should operate anyway . if they only pay at 10% for the initial assessment don't panic this has been there SOP for a long time now the world will turn and you will get a second .

propat

XNurse, are you married to a Deputy Minister at VAC or something? First of all, ten weeks, which includes the Christmas break, for 99.9% of us, would be barely enough time to go through our med docs, and send our files to PEI, let alone decided upon. And secondly, 35% as an initial assessment goes against every rule at VAC, when dealing with PTSD. So someone had to be pulling strings, and it pisses me off. I'm not upset with you, but we have Veterans out there who are suffering for years, waiting for VAC to get their shite together. My father was diagnosed with PTSD several years ago, and he's still waiting for his final assessment.

Hi Yump5555

No the person called and confirmed initial 36 % and reassessment once stabilized. just happy to get the treatment approved.

I am confused, if your PTSD is a first application , how did you receive a total assessment. You might want to verify as it is probably 10% initial with a reassessment in a year or so. I haven’t heard of the full assessment amount on the first application