Win Your VA Secondary Claim — Free Tools & Guides

Before the exam

Obtain your complete mental health records from both VA and any private providers

Write a personal statement describing the worst 5 symptoms and how they affect daily life — use specific examples, not generalities

Review the PTSD DBQ at VA.gov — know exactly what the examiner will measure

List every Social and Occupational Functional Impairment (SOFI) symptom you have — job loss, relationship failures, avoidance

Document sleep disturbances — nightmares, night sweats, insomnia frequency — with approximate dates

Get a lay statement (buddy statement) from a family member or friend describing changes in your behavior since service

List all medications, doses, and side effects — especially SSRIs, SNRIs, prazosin, and benzodiazepines

Confirm the nexus to a service-connected stressor event (in-service trauma) is documented in your records

Describe your symptoms on your worst days — not an 'average' day. The VA rating schedule reflects impairment at its worst.

State every symptom from the DBQ checklist, even ones you haven't mentioned before — hypervigilance, emotional numbing, survivor guilt, distrust

Do NOT say you are 'doing better' or 'managing.' Describe the ongoing impact accurately.

Mention any hospitalizations, ER visits, or mental health crises since service

Tell the examiner about every relationship and employment impact — divorces, firings, demotions, isolation

Ask the examiner whether they have reviewed your complete service records and all submitted evidence

Request a copy of the C&P exam report within 48 hours under 38 CFR § 3.159(c)

Review the nexus opinion language — it must say 'at least as likely as not' to support your claim

If the opinion is 'not at least as likely as not,' file a rebuttal letter with private IME evidence

File a claim for any secondary conditions documented during the exam (sleep apnea, hypertension, GERD, ED)