Yes, PTSD is considered a permanent VA disability. The Department of Veteran Affairs recognizes post-traumatic stress disorder as a serious, life-altering mental condition and will award disability benefits to qualified veterans suffering from PTSD.
What Is PTSD?
Unfortunately, PTSD is a common and potentially severe mental condition suffered by many of our veterans. The prevalence of PTSD among veterans varies by service area; for instance, about 12 out of every 100 Gulf War Veterans have PTSD in a given year, whereas about 15 out of every 100 Vietnam War veterans were diagnosed with PTSD in the most recent study.
PTSD will generally develop amongst veterans after they have witnessed or experienced something traumatic. Witnessing or experiencing something traumatic can have a stressful impact on your body and health. Some of the more common symptoms which indicate that you might be suffering from PTSD include flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety.
Suffering from PTSD can be debilitating, to say the least, and can cause negative changes in thinking, as well as changes in physical and emotional reactions like being easily scared, having trouble sleeping, having outbursts of anger, etc.
In short, suffering from PTSD can have an unprecedented effect on your life, preventing you from properly working or maintaining social relationships. PTSD is generally treated through therapy. The treating therapy essentially has 3 goals for the patient: improving symptoms, teaching the patient skills to deal with PTSD, and restoring self-esteem.
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Receiving compensation due to suffering from PTSD
The Department of Veteran Affairs will compensate veterans for the PTSD they are suffering from, but only if it is connected to their military service. Therefore, you will need to prove that your PTSD is a direct consequence of your military service. In order to demonstrate this connection you must show:
- That you are currently diagnosed with PTSD
- An in-service stressor
- A medical link between the currently diagnosed PTSD and the in-service stressor
After a direct connection is established between the PTSD and your military service, the VA will assign a disability rating to the PTSD you are suffering from. Such a rating can range from 0 to 100 percent. A rating of 100 percent signifies that you are completely and permanently impaired occupationally and socially. The VA will deem you to be permanently impaired when it is certain that the condition will remain for the rest of your life. One of the advantages of having your condition given a rating of 100 percent is that the VA cannot take away your benefits at a future date.
If you meet the designated criteria, you may be eligible to receive disability benefits. To get started on this path, you will need to file a claim for disability compensation with the Department of Veteran Affairs.
Contact us for a free consultation
If you are suffering from PTSD and want to claim disability benefits then reach out to the experienced veterans disability attorneys at Marc Whitehead & Associates. We are highly experienced in dealing with the Social Security Administration and the VA in obtaining the disability benefits our clients are entitled to. We vow to put the same effort and commitment into our work for you as you put into your service to your country. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Call or text 800-562-9830 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
