TDRL QUESTION PLEASE HELP!!!!!

C

Clrassoc1378

PEB Forum Regular Member
I'm currently on TDRL going on my 4.5 year> I have my exam the end of this month. My condition is sever chronic back pain, depression and neck pain. I have degenerative disc disease in my back. I see many doctors here in Colorado Springs Colorado. however I have not worked since i was put on TDRL in 2006 of June. I'm sick of being in the house and not doing anything. I just graduated College. I don't even know if I can do this Job. I want to try to see if will help me mentally and physically. I talked with my TDRL person and he mentioned if I had a job it would hurt me severely. So I pretty much have blown my job off. I'm freaked out and don't know what to do. I want to work, I hope that I can. I don't know if I can but I want to try. I'm sick of the pain and sick of it all. Please help. I can not find any information on this anywhere, nor has anyone in the TDRL section given me advice or an answer. So I guess my question is can you be employed by a civilian employer while on TDRL???
 
You are allowed to have a job while you are on TDRL. I'm unsure of what you mean by the job "hurting you" (as in physically/mentally hurting you or hurting your chances of being placed on the PDRL). For your conditions, the PEB is evaluating your fitness for duty in your previous military occupation and determining, based on the degree of your disabilities, a rating for each unfitting condition. I'm not sure if this is the answer you are looking for, but please feel free to ask any questions you may have and keep in mind that civilian employment is not "held against you."
 
As Carnelli said, yes you can work. The issue is not so much being on TDRL, it is the depression. The rating criteria for all mental health disorders asks how your occupational function is impacted. So, if you are unable to work or have severe limitations due to your condition, then this supports a higher rating (remember, the key is that the condition causes your problems with work...in some cases, the MEB or PEB will look at whether you have a limitation or if there are other reasons for not working; you can see how in this economy, with the high unemployment rate, or in the case where there is family/childcare issues, they may point to those issues as being the reason for work problems rather than the condition, especially if the treatment notes/evaluation do not indicate problems exist clinically).

On other issue, if your condition is so bad as to prohibit working, in addition to a schedular rating, there may be a basis for a 100% rating for unemployability.

Hope all goes well for you.
 
My TDRL point of contact told me that If I was employed that it would severly hurt me when it comes tthem deciding to retire me or compensate me or extend my tdrl. So I was under the impression that I could not hold a job and I would lose my benefits Military and VA.
 
Well, that is one way of looking at it, I suppose. Like I said, ability or impact on occupational function is one of the criteria for rating mental conditions. On the other hand, there are many people who hold jobs and are rated for mental conditions. Holding a job does not mean that you can't get rated. Being unable to hold a job because of your mental condition would result in a rating (almost certainly 100%). Even if you are able to hold a job, if you are limited (maybe as to hours you can work, type of job, or if you have problems performing) this would indicate which rating (occupational impairment is only one of the criteria, social impairment is important, too, but the military tends to not credit this as much as they should).
 
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