Getting An Appointment               Calling the mental health department at your local VA and requesting an evaluation for PTSD is not good enough.  You need to integrate yourself in the system.  You do this by contacting the mental health department and inform them that you have a set of symptoms that might suggest PTSD.  For instance, inform them you are having nightmares about war trauma, anxiety attacks when you are in crowded places, anger outbursts for minor issues, and that you are so depressed about issues from the war that you cannot sleep.  Also, you may want to let the intake coordinator know that you are so immobilized by your depression that you have no energy.  That should be enough to get you an appointment for an evaluation.                   How To Dress For Interview            Those with PTSD are so psychologically fragile and emotionally upset by their trauma that personal hygiene takes a back seat.  Understand, to set the tone that you are suffering from this intense psychological injury, you must dress the part.  A disheveled appearance works best.  Unshaven face (for men), uncombed hair, mismatched clothing, dirty nails, tattered clothing, and a few days without a bath or shower will make the impression you need.  Also, deprive yourself of sleep.  Red, bloodshot eyes project trouble to mental health professionals.  Try to get an appointment for Monday.  That way, you have the weekend to excuse away hygiene of any sort.             Case in point.  We know of a veteran who visited a psychologist at his local VA dressed in a beautifully tailored suit.  As if going for a job interview.  And another veteran who followed the prescription above.  Needless to say, the veteran who followed our advice was given a diagnosis of PTSD and later awarded a service-connected rating of 100% for the psychological injury.                      The Interview              During your intake assessment interview with the mental health professional you will be under a psychological microscope.  Some mental health professionals make a concerted effort not to make you feel as though you are being scrutinized.  Either way you look at it, you are being scrutinized.  Their job is to rule you out for PTSD.  Your job is to prove to them that you have PTSD.             For instance, part of their assessment is to determine if you have good eye contact.  If you do, in their clinical view, you are on the road to recovery, if not totally cured.  One cagey veteran made it known to us that he always averts direct eye contact with his psychiatrist.  In our opinion, this is a good strategy.  Direct eye contact suggests a healthy self-image and good self-esteem.  Veterans with PTSD do not have such attributes.  Also, you want to give the | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |