PTSD: How Your Experiences Affect Your Claim
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is one of the most common mental health disorders affecting veterans of all ages. Whether it is the only condition from which a veteran suffers, or it is part of a constellation of injuries and afflictions, veterans suffering from PTSD deserve compensation for this debilitating psychiatric condition.
How a PTSD Claim Gets Approved
The VA requires veterans to meet multiple criteria before a diagnosis of PTSD warrants disability benefits. For a veteran to be considered disabled, he or she must prove the following:
- Received a diagnosis of PTSD from a psychiatrist or psychologist
- The PTSD symptoms are related to a specific traumatic event or stressor
- Confirmation from a VA psychiatrist or psychologist that the stressor was enough to cause PTSD
- That the stressor occurred during the veterans military service
- The stressor or triggering event is likely to have actually happened, and there is no evidence disproving it.
The VA will look at a veterans service record and evaluate the likelihood that a traumatic event affected the veteran. The VA will also check for any contradictory evidence which may challenge the veterans account of events.
For example, if a veteran is experiencing PTSD after fighting in combat or serving in a war zone, the VA will look to see if the events which traumatized the veterans are consistent with the other activities in that area at that time, and it if is likely that the veteran was there to witness them. Some events, like being taken prisoner of war, are known to be traumatic enough that very little other proof is needed once a veterans POW status is confirmed.
In addition, the VA can sometimes use outside records and sources to confirm the veterans PTSD. If, for instance, a veteran is seeking disability benefits because of mental and emotional trauma suffered after a personal or sexual assault while in the service, the VA may look for records from hospitals, trauma centers, or law enforcement to confirm the veterans account of the assault.
How a PTSD Claim Gets Rated
When considering how to rate a veterans PTSD disability, the VA will consider a variety of factors. The VA will look at a veterans pre-military history, service records, and how the stressful event affects the veterans post-military life.
Some factors the VA considers include:
- Legal history, including arrests and jail sentences
- Educational accomplishments
- Employment history
- Quality of marital and family relationships
- Substance abuse issues
- Treatment for other medical conditions
- History of psychiatric care
- Hobbies and leisure activities
A veteran with disabling PTSD should be able to show that his or her life has been affected negatively in many of these areas. The VA will also look for pronounced psychiatric symptoms like memory loss, hallucinations or delusions, depression, anxiety and sleep impairment.
Veterans receive disability ratings based on how an injury affects his or her life. Similarly, in assessing PTSD, the VA will consider how the veterans daily functioning is impaired. Can the veteran manage finances? Hold a job? Go to school? Maintain a relationship? The more impairment there is in these areas, the higher the disability rating will be.
Vets National Advocates Can Help
If your claim for disability benefits was denied, or you have unsuccessfully tried to increase your disability rating on account of your PTSD, you need help. At Vets National Advocates, we can assist you in filing an appeal, and will help you get the benefits you deserve.
Call (877) 777-4021or use our case evaluation form to speak with an advocate today.
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