Recently my psychiatrist has started the MEB process and I have no idea what to expect.
My main question is, how often is bipolar 2 found unfit for duty?
My main question is, how often is bipolar 2 found unfit for duty?
Bipolar odds of being found unfit?
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I’ve recently been placed in IOP (intensive out patient) and am missing work for 10 weeks because of it. This would probably result in an unfit ruling I would assume right?
It depends on the severity of your MH diagnosis after treatment. Has an MEB been started?
Yes sir the MEB has been started and she said it was because of both bi-polar 2 and the anti-psychotic meds I’m on. I’m also diagnosed with OCD, MDD, and generalized anxiety but I’m not sure if those will appear on the NARSUM if that helps
Only one award is given in most MH benefits determinations. Given your history of treatment, but without benefit of your entire MH records, I would guess you will receive at least 50% for all MH combined. Many MH ratings result in TDRL.
Okay, thank you for the insight. I take it if you believe 50% total VA rating then you probably think bipolar 2 disorder and being on disqualifying meds will result in a finding of unfit?
For the OP. This is how your mental health will be rated.
General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders:
Total occupational and social impairment, due to such symptoms as:
gross impairment in thought processes or communication;
persistent delusions or hallucinations; grossly inappropriate
behavior; persistent danger of hurting self or others; intermittent
inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance
of minimal personal hygiene); disorientation to time or place; memo
loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name 100%
Occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas,
such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood,
due to such symptoms as: suicidal ideation; obsessional rituals
which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical,
obscure, or irrelevant; near-continuous panic or depression affecting
the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively;
impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with periods
of violence); spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and
hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including
work or a worklike setting); inability to establish and maintain
effective relationships 70%
Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and
productivity due to such symptoms as: flattened affect; circumstantial,
circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once
a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment
of short- and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned
material, forgetting to complete tasks); impaired judgment; impaired
abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in
establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships 50%
Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work
efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational
tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine
behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due to such symptoms
as: depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or
less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as
forgetting names, directions, recent events) 30%
Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms
which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational
tasks only during periods of significant stress, or; symptoms controlled
by continuous medication 10%
A mental condition has been formally diagnosed, but symptoms are not
severe enough either to interfere with occupational and social
functioning or to require continuous medication0%
General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders:
Total occupational and social impairment, due to such symptoms as:
gross impairment in thought processes or communication;
persistent delusions or hallucinations; grossly inappropriate
behavior; persistent danger of hurting self or others; intermittent
inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance
of minimal personal hygiene); disorientation to time or place; memo
loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name 100%
Occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas,
such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood,
due to such symptoms as: suicidal ideation; obsessional rituals
which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical,
obscure, or irrelevant; near-continuous panic or depression affecting
the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively;
impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with periods
of violence); spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and
hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including
work or a worklike setting); inability to establish and maintain
effective relationships 70%
Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and
productivity due to such symptoms as: flattened affect; circumstantial,
circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once
a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment
of short- and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned
material, forgetting to complete tasks); impaired judgment; impaired
abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in
establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships 50%
Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work
efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational
tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine
behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due to such symptoms
as: depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or
less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as
forgetting names, directions, recent events) 30%
Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms
which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational
tasks only during periods of significant stress, or; symptoms controlled
by continuous medication 10%
A mental condition has been formally diagnosed, but symptoms are not
severe enough either to interfere with occupational and social
functioning or to require continuous medication0%
I believe you will be found unfit, based on your utilization of MH in patient facilities. I would guess 50% or higher and placed on TDRL.
Thanks for the reply, to clarify it is 10 weeks of out-patient (as opposed to in-patient) but I take it your stance will probably remain the same. Unfit is what I’m hoping for.
Do they typically rate these based off what you say at c/p exams or will I have to find documentation to prove these symptoms?
My error on in versus out patient but that does not change my estimate of what will happen.
They will ask you questions at the CP exam. Having these criteria documented always helps and if they clearly skip over some of the more serious things, then you’ll have a good case for a VARR if everything is documented.
Block 3.A is what the rater goes by.