I don't believe you have a well grounded claim

Jim,

With regards to any benefits on getting an STD while in the service.

This will be a short story that shows truth is stranger than fiction. 1971 Phan Rang AFB Vietnam. Received penicilin shot for VD. Had an immediate negative reaction from the shot.

Records show where I became quite histerical and violent, requiring 6 people to hold me down. Sent to Cam Ranh Bay Psyc unit for evaluation. Doc said shot would have killed me if for not being so young and strong. I developed a phobia that I had a deadly STD and it was incurable. Did not confront this fear for 28 yrs. Not until 1999. Negative on STD. 2-2012 evaluated by Psychologist diagnosis fo panic disorder. Have filed for VA claim for panic disorder. Any advice given would be appreciated. Thank you for your service.

Reply:

I have very serious doubts that this will be given much consideration by VA.

I agree that an adverse drug reaction can be frightening. I can't see how that alone will be grounds for a link between a current mental health issue and the event of that many years ago.

VA wants to see a continuing link of the original event and a diagnosis today. If you had injured a knee back then and required a hospital visit, x-rays and so on and then gone 28 years with no problems and then suddenly said your current arthritis was caused by that, it's a pretty good bet that VA won't buy that. If that knee had troubled you steadily for 28 years and you had records of doctor visits and so on to prove it, then VA may agree that there's a service connection.

I gave a lot of shots for clap...I was a medic. I saw a lot of reactions to the stuff we used then...penicillin in oil. I can't say that I ever heard of anyone developing the sort of phobia you describe. I'm not saying it can't happen, only that I don't know of such a thing. I have a feeling VA will reach the conclusion that whatever ails you today isn't connected to a one time event of decades ago. You'll likely see the words "acute and transitory" in the denial letter.

Panic disorder is a very tough claim to make when there is no evidence of long standing mental health problems.

I don't believe you have a well grounded claim.