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Disability For Veterans With Ptsd

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Can You Get Disability For Ptsd And Bipolar

VA Disability Compensation for TBI and PTSD

There are complex and not entirely understandable relations between the two situations. However, if you undergo bipolar disorder and stay with the condition and develop C-PTSD, it is possible that the outcomes are harsher signs of bipolar condition.

C-PTSD induces mood-impacting symptoms. This can intensify your bipolar moods and cycles, especially if left untreated. Many of the C-PTSD-specific symptoms are close to those of bipolar disorder relative to PTSD.

For instance, you can feel edgy, nervous, close, and even angry or irritable during manic episodes. Related stimuli and responses cause C-PTSD. These symptoms can become additive during the mania, making you feel worse and more harmful.

Both conditions can also cause psychotic symptoms like dissociation or delusion. If you both have psychiatric problems, these serious and distressing signs could be more likely to be encountered.

One Call To Our Law Firm Does It All

The relationship between the VA and SSA, and the types of disability benefits they provide can become complex. At Marc Whitehead & Associates, we take care of everything for you.

Our experienced disability attorneys will help you fill out forms and paperwork, supplement your claims with additional key records and supporting evidence, coordinate with doctors and more, to successfully present your claim and obtain the maximum appropriate benefits that are rightfully yours.

Come to us when you need help:

  • developing and proving your veterans claim for PTSD,
  • improving your VA rating,
  • applying for possible Social Security Disability Insurance in addition to or as an alternative to your veterans disability,
  • qualifying for a medical vocational allowance, or
  • appealing a VA or SSDI claim denial.

Do not wait any longer. Call us toll free at or request a Free Consultation to find out how we can help. PTSD is a serious disability, and we are prepared to assist you wherever you live.

Marc Whitehead & Associates are Accredited Veterans Claim Attorneys as required to practice law before the VA. We represent veterans at all levels within the VA disability system including claims before the VA Regional Office, the Board of Veterans Appeals and the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

About Marc Whitehead

Speak To A Lawyer Who Can Advocate For Your Va Claim

Receiving VA disability compensation can be complicated, so having a veterans disability attorney on your side can be helpful. Hill and Ponton is a nationwide law firm advocating for the rights of veterans everywhere.

Our lawyers have over 30 years of experience in social security disability law and were always ready to speak to veterans who have questions about the VA disability claims process, if theyre eligible, and what disability benefits theyre entitled to.

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Dont Exaggerate Your Symptoms

Weve seen several C& P exams where the examiner accuses the veteran of malingering, or exaggerating his or her symptoms. Often, this is NOT the case. However, if an examiner BELIEVES you are malingering, it may affect the entire report. Doctors use exams, such as the MMPI, on veterans who they think are malingering. This will obviously negatively affect your claim.

How Can I Obtain A Service Dog For Ptsd

VA Disability Rating for PTSD Explained

The Americans with Disabilities Act defines service animals as dogs that are individually trained to perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. This can be a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.

To qualify for a service animal, all you need to do is get written documentation from your healthcare provider that you have and are being treated for an emotional or psychiatric disorder or disability, and require the assistance of an animal because of it.

The work a dog has been trained to do must specifically relate to your condition.

A psychiatric service dog is a specific type of service animal trained to assist those with mental illnesses. These include post-traumatic stress disorder . For example, a dog may assist someone with PTSD in doing room searches or turning on lights. Or it might help someone in a dissociative episode from wandering into danger. Although providing companionship and a sense of safety or calming anxiety are also important to many veterans, theyre not legally considered tasks.

If the dog is going to assist you in tasks you wouldnt otherwise be able to do, youll probably need a service animal, which is a more highly trained dog that can be harder to obtain. If the goal is companionship, non-judgmental positive regard, and affection, an emotional support animal or therapy animal may be a better fit and is generally easier to obtain.

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Applying For Mental Health Disability

Many veterans often feel ashamed of their mental health disorders and sometimes under-report their symptoms because they dont want to appear weak or damaged.

It is important to remember that it is OK to ask for help when you need it. The VA recognizes that service in the military can take a toll on mental health, which is why benefits are available for mental health disorders.

To apply for VA disability compensation for PTSD, you need to first file a claim through the VA. If you need help applying for VA disability compensation for the first time, we can help guide you through the process at no charge.

After the VA reviews your claim, you will receive a rating decision letter that outlines your disability rating and your monthly payments. If you disagree with the VAs decision, you can appeal it within one year of the decision date. If you need help appealing a decision, a veterans benefits attorney can help.

In this video, one of our VA disability lawyers talks about the VA rating formula for mental disorders and disabilities like PTSD.

What If I Am Unable To Work Due To My Ptsd But Do Not Meet The Criteria For A 100 Percent Schedular Disability Rating

If the VA has granted you a 70 percent schedular disability rating for PTSD, and you do not meet the criteria for a 100 percent schedular disability rating under the above General Rating Formula For Mental Disorders but are still unable to work, you may be eligible for a TDIU rating, which results in 100 percent compensation on permanent and total basis. A veteran is entitled to a TDIU rating when he or she is unable to work due to the effects of his or her service-connected impairments on his or her occupational functioning. If you are unable to work due to your service-connected PTSD symptoms, you are eligible to receive a TDIU rating, which will pay you 100 percent compensation even though you do not meet the criteria for a 100 percent schedular disability rating, i.e., you are unable to work due to your PTSD but do not have persistent delusions or auditory or visual hallucinations, etc.

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Getting Maximum Disability Benefits For Ptsd

The inherent nature of military service makes PTSD prevalent among our nations veterans. When you serve in the military, you may see warfare and acts of violence. You may have endured life-threatening missions or experienced terrifying, shocking events.

Harsh situations outside of combat bring further stress to a veteran who is already frightened, anxious, on-edge or confused. These include hostile or uninhabitable environments, military sexual trauma, or the emotional loss of a buddy to name a few. All may play a role in life-altering PTSD symptoms and other mental health conditions.

Sometimes veterans do not realize that disability benefits for PTSD may be available to them under both the VA and Social Security Disability programs. Do not miss an opportunity to receive disability payments from more than one source.

Just as important, dont risk denial of your initial PTSD disability claim, or losing on appeal because you do not have competent, experienced legal representation.

Things can get complicated between the two different agencies. If you are a veteran with a PTSD diagnosis, this article explains what it takes to qualify under either one or both disability programs.

Is Ptsd A Disability Under The Equality Act

70% PTSD VA Rating: What it Means and How to Qualify

The Equality Act is the law that can shield you from discrimination. Plus, it gives you the right to challenge it. It can only protect you if you have certain characteristics such as a mental health problem.

For a mental health issue to be called a disability, it should have a long-term effect on your regular activities. Meaning a mental health issue that can last up to 12 months. Unfortunately, PTSD isnt among the recognized conditions in the act.

Read Also: Fear Of Big Words

Also Check: How To Diagnose Tbi And Ptsd

Va Disability Erectile Dysfunction Secondary To Ptsd

How compensation can you get through VA disability erectile dysfunction secondary to PTSD? What is the process to apply, what the percentage scores and how does the VA test for this condition? Answers to all your important questions coming up!

Contents

  • Wrap Up
  • It is common for veterans to experience many problems and conditions once they are done with their service. To help veterans cope with their disabilities, the VA, that is, the veterans association, pays these veterans.

    VA disability provides compensation to the individuals that are unable to participate in gainful activity due to a disorder related to their military service. This compensation is given every month and is also tax-free.

    Many people dont know that they can get VA disability compensation for erectile dysfunction due to PTSD. While veterans get these compensations if they get any injury or condition while serving in the military, but you are also eligible for VA disability compensation if serving in the military has worsened your situation. We will discuss these conditions in detail in this article.

    Ptsd Symptoms Are Generally Categorized Into Four Types:

    • Avoidance: Sufferers of PTSD often find it overwhelming to confront anything that reminds them of their traumatic experiences. Veterans who have PTSD may even isolate themselves to avoid any reminders of their trauma, including people, events, places, and certain objects.
    • Cognitive and mood symptoms, or negative thoughts and feelings: People with PTSD may feel guilt and shame surrounding their trauma They may have memory issues, including trouble recalling the event. Self-image can be negatively affected. They may feel worried or depressed. Cognitive symptoms can in some cases extend to out-of-body experiences, depersonalization or derealization).
    • Arousal: People with PTSD may feel a sense of constant anxiety or being hypervigilant. They may feel on edge all the time, even if nothing is wrong. They might be intensely startled by any stimuli that resembles or has association with the trauma, and easily angered. They may be hypersensitive to sounds, lights and touch.
    • Reliving: One of the most common types of PTSD symptoms is the intense memories that come back long after a traumatic experience has occurred. These memories may come in the form of flashbacks or nightmares, and they often make it difficult for Veterans with PTSD to function during the day and sleep well at night. Many Veterans with PTSD have insomnia as a result.

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    How Common Is Ptsd

    If you believe that you suffer from PTSD, you should feel no shame. In fact, the VA reports that PTSD is highly common in the veterans community.

    Consider the following PTSD statistics from the National Center for PTSD:

    • Roughly half of Americans experience a traumatic event in their lifetime.
    • About 4 percent of men will develop PTSD after a traumatic event, while 10 percent of women will develop it.
    • In a given year, between 11 to 20 percent of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans suffer from PTSD.
    • An estimated 12 percent of Gulf War veterans have PTSD in any given year.
    • About 30 percent of Vietnam War veterans have suffered from PTSD at some point in their lives.

    If you think that you may suffer from PTSD, you are not alone. The key is to recognize and understand the symptoms and seek treatment. At Berry Law Firm we have represented veterans in serious criminal matters who waited too long to seek help for their PTSD. Had some of these veteran sought timely treatment for PTSD symptoms they may have avoided criminal charges.

    Qualifying For Disability Benefits With Ptsd

    How to get 100 VA disability from the VA for PTSD

    The Social Security Administration has a guide that lists the requirements for particular impairments to qualify for disability benefits known as the Blue Book or the Disability Evaluation Under Social Security. Chapter 12 of the Blue Book is related to mental conditions and section 12.06 Anxiety-related Disorders describes the requirements needed for an individual to qualify with PTSD. An applicant with PTSD filing for disability benefits must satisfy the severity levels for requirements A and B or requirements A and C.

    Applicant must have documentation of one of the following:

    • Persistent severe anxiety with various symptoms
    • Reoccurring, intrusive, stressful memories of a traumatic event
    • Consistent irrational fear of a particular object or situation
    • Reoccurring severe panic attacks happening on average once a week
    • Consistent compulsions or obsessions that causes distress

    Applicant must have documentation of at least two of the following:

    • Difficulty with maintaining social functioning
    • Difficulty with maintaining concentration, persistence or pace
    • Repeated episodes of decompensation of extended length

    Requirement C

    Applicant must have medical evidence that proves they are completely unable to function independently anywhere outside the area of his or her home.

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    What If I Have Multiple Disability Ratings

    Some veterans have more than one disability rating. In these cases, the VA uses a method called the whole person theory, which accounts for the fact that a person cannot be more than 100% disabled or able-bodied. The method ensures that the sum of individual disability ratings will never be more than 100%. Thus the final disability rating determined by the whole person theory method will be different from the sum of individual disability ratings combined.10

    Qualifying For Ptsd Disability

    To qualify for disability benefits for PTSD or other trauma disorders, you will need to provide sufficient medical documentation of the following symptoms:

    • Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or violence
    • Subsequent involuntary re-experiencing of the traumatic event
    • Avoidance of external reminders of the event
    • Mood and behavior disturbances
    • Increases in arousal and reactivity

    In addition to medical documentation of the aforementioned symptoms, you must also suffer from extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the following areas of mental functioning:

    • The ability to understand, remember, and apply information
    • The ability to interact with others
    • The ability to concentrate, persist, or maintain a pace
    • The ability to adapt or manage oneself

    Alternatively, you may also qualify for SSDI benefits due to PTSD if your mental disorder is considered serious and persistent. The SSA defines this as a medically documented history of the disorder for at least two years in conjunction with evidence of both of the following:

    • You have received medical treatment, mental health therapy, psychosocial support, or have been in an ongoing, highly-structured setting designed to manage and diminish the symptoms of your disorder
    • You are capable of only marginal adjustmenti.e., you have minimal capacity to adapt to changes in your environment or to demands that are not already part of your daily life

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    Tips Regarding Va And Social Security Ptsd Disability Claims

    • VA benefits are not considered earned income and therefore do not affect your eligibility for getting SSDI benefits. So if the two benefits added together surpass the SSDI income requirements, you are still eligible for those benefits and your chances for approval are not impacted.
    • Just as important, if VA grants disability benefits to you, do not assume that SSA will too. Many veterans who receive VA compensation for PTSD do not qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance for PTSD. Remember, VA disability benefits are based on percentages SSDI benefits are based on that you are totally disabled from working.
    • SSA may also use a veterans evidence to expedite processing of claims for Wounded Warriors and veterans with a 100% disability rating.

    Are Ssd Benefits Available For Veterans With Ptsd

    30% PTSD VA Disability Rating Breakdown

    Furthermore, if you are suffering from PTSD, you will want to know how you can receive compensation for your suffering. Similarly, it should account for your service. Unfortunately, this can be a complicated process involving different government agencies.

    As a result, Social Security Disability Insurance is a federal program intended to supplement the income of citizens who are physically incapable of normal employment. In addition, there are also benefits for veterans suffering from PTSD that are available through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs .

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    What Veterans Affairs Disability Benefits Can You Receive If You Have Ptsd

    If the VA determines that you suffer from service-connected PTSD, the VA will assign a disability rating to you on a scale from 0 to 100 percent. The higher your rating, the higher amount you will receive in disability benefits.

    Heres a summary of the possible PTSD ratings and what they mean:

    The VA must consider all symptoms of your PTSD when assigning a disability ratingnot just the specific examples of symptoms listed above. For example, hypervigilance is a common PTSD symptom and should be considered when assigning a veterans disability rating even though it does not appear in any of the rating criteria.

    If the VA finds that you do not have a 100 percent disability rating, you may still qualify for benefits at the 100 percent rate if you can show that you cannot obtain or maintain substantial gainful employment due to your service-connected PTSD or due to a combination of your service-connected disabilities. This is called a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability benefits, or a TDIU. Sometimes a veteran cannot receive a 100 percent disability rating for PTSD because they do not have total social impairment, but they have total work impairment and therefore may qualify for a TDIU.

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