Vongkhamsene

MEMORANDUM ****

Soubinh Vongkhamsene was 57 at the time of her 1997 hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) for determination of eligibility for Social Security disability benefits. She presented evidence to the ALJ that she was diagnosed by her treating physician, Dr. Ware, with severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression, apparently stemming from her experiences being enslaved and witnessing her husband and other prisoners tortured in Laos.

Dr. Ware saw Vongkhamsene every two to three months for nearly two years. His notes reflect his diagnosis of PTSD and his treatment of her problems with sleeping, anger control and nervousness. In a medical source statement, Ware concluded that Vongkhamsene would be unable to maintain concentration for at least two hour increments, could not follow complex instructions and “will forget even simple things” and would have difficulty working with supervisors and co-workers due to an inability to control anger. Dr. Ware noted that she could not read or count and could not withstand the stress associated with daily work. A state agency physician reviewed the medical evidence in the record and concluded that Vongkhamsene…