Mental Health Claim Denied
I filed for a couple of things earlier in the year, and have just received word that all of my claims were denied. I filed for depression, OCD, and PTSD, and the VA denied the PTSD and depression claim, and didn't mention anything about the OCD, which I have been diagnosed with by more than one mental healthcare professional, all after my time in the army. In the decision letter, they confirmed that I do have depression but since I never went to behavioral health while in the army, they refuse to accept that it's service connected. They also diagnosed me with a personality disorder that I hadn't filed for and has never been diagnosed by any other mental healthcare professional. It's my understanding that the VA doesn't cover personality disorders, so they've essentially wiped their hands clean of me, saying that my condition(s) have nothing to do with them.
I'm stuck now trying to figure out what to do. I'm worried that if I file an appeal it will just be the same answer, that I should have gone to behavioral health when I was in the army. I, like many other impressionable young people, were told that you never go to behavioral health, it's for the weak, and ruins your career. I was scared to go because I thought I would be viewed differently by my peers and command, I saw how it was for other people who went, so why would I go? I reached out to a law firm that specializes in VA benefits for a consultation, and am hoping they can help. For those of you who have been in similar circumstances, being denied disability for mental health conditions, how did you go about it after being denied?