PTSD, TBI and Personality Disorder Misdiagnosis
A large number of Americans are diagnosed with personality disorders each year. And in many cases, the diagnosis fits the symptoms of the individual. But diagnosing a personality disorder accurately can be difficult, and in some cases, misdiagnosis can happen.
With military veterans, a misdiagnosis of a personality disorder can have the potential to be the most damaging. This is because veterans can often have post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI) or other conditions misdiagnosed as a personality disorder. This can be a major issue for a veteran because personality disorders alone are not compensable through the VA.
In addition to the obvious loss of veterans disability benefits, veterans who are misdiagnosed with a personality disorder also lose out on health benefits and any veteran hiring opportunities that may exist.
Given that there are 10 recognized personality disorders, there are many cases in which a service-related injury such as PTSD and TBI are misdiagnosed as personality disorder. The 10 personality disorders include: paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality, narcissistic personality disorder, avoidant personality disorder, dependent personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
For veterans who receive a misdiagnosis, it is often the case that a single practitioner stated personality disorder and nothing else when evaluating symptoms. This can be because the PTSD, TBI or other service-related injury has caused the practitioner to witness immature personality, behavioral issues, and other symptoms.
The result is that the veteran is relegated to individual treatment, and often not eligible for veteran’s benefits through the VA. Many veterans often feel like there is nowhere to turn, and they are unable to function well in society and not eligible for benefits that would change their lives.
Luckily, there are options for veterans who have been incorrectly diagnosed as having a personality disorder, but actually have service-related PTSD, TBI or other condition. An independent medical evaluation can often make the difference for veterans in this situation. It is recommended that individuals seeking to change their diagnosis status get the legal help from an attorney with veteran’s benefits experience.
To contact the professionals at Tabak Law for a risk-free evaluation, call 844-432-0114.