Are you or a loved one facing post-traumatic stress disorder?

PTSD is a disruptive and debilitating mental health condition. People who suffer from it often struggle to cope with daily life tasks and maintain a job.

When PTSD becomes severe, it can lead to other mental illnesses, such as panic attacks or depression.

Typically, individuals with this condition find it difficult to perform their work or keep their jobs.

When that happens, it’s understandable that they seek disability financial aid.

But, is PTSD a disability? Can you secure benefits for this condition? What happens if you have PTSD but are not a veteran? Does Social Security cover this mental disorder?

At our disability law firm in Indianapolis, we have heard those questions before.

In this article, we want to clarify how disability benefits work for PTSD. You’ll learn who can get benefits for this condition, what it takes to be eligible, and how to ensure you build a strong case to win disability benefits.

Is PTSD A Disability? Understanding Its Impact on A Person’s Life

Anyone can have a traumatic experience. How much that experience impacts someone’s life is sometimes unpredictable.

For some individuals, a traumatic event can be so distressing or triggering that it disrupts their daily functioning.

Unresolved trauma can significantly affect one’s mental health, and if not addressed in time, it might lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

PTSD is a serious mental health condition that results from experiencing an unresolved traumatic event.

You probably relate PTSD to war veterans, but traumatic events can also include a natural disaster, a mass shooting, domestic abuse, a car accident, and many more.

The symptoms can differ from one person to another. Generally, they start with a loss of interest in hobbies and other activities, shifts in mood and behaviour, and the development of other mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety.

When PTSD intensifies, the person can undergo dissociative symptoms. The individual typically re-experiences the traumatic event through flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts.

Some patients experience PTSD through emotional symptoms; they feel emotionally numb, avoid situations, experience heightened arousal, display anger, or struggle with sleep and concentration.

Can You Qualify for Disability Benefits for PTSD?

As you can observe from the symptoms we just discussed, PTSD can significantly impact a person’s life.

When the symptoms intensify, this mental illness can start affecting more and more areas of someone’s life.

If PTSD hinders your ability to work or attend the workplace, you might qualify for monthly benefits.

Is PTSD a disability, then? Yes, when the symptoms are severe enough to prevent you from holding a job and taking care of yourself, this condition is considered a qualifying disability.

PTSD Benefits for Veterans: What It Takes to Qualify

Veterans are among the largest population group at risk of developing PTSD.

That’s not a surprise, as war combat can lead to endless stressors and traumatic experiences.

If you’re a veteran suffering from PTSD as a result of a traumatic event during your time in service, you’re likely entitled to VA disability benefits.

Veterans’ disability benefits are run by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); this organization sets the rules and requirements to qualify for PTSD benefits.

What Does the VA Consider A Traumatic Event?

The Department of Veterans Affairs has a definition of “traumatic event” that helps it determine whether a veteran is entitled to PTSD benefits:

• Combat experiences include engaging with enemy forces, facing the fear of hostile military or terrorist actions, serving in high-risk areas, or being a drone aircraft crew member.
• Sexual assault or harassment
• Traumatic personal experiences such as physical assault, battery, robbery, mugging, stalking, or harassment by someone unrelated to an enemy force, as well as domestic abuse or harassment by a partner.
• Other traumatic experiences can include being involved in a car accident, observing a natural disaster, working in a burn ward or at a graves registration, witnessing the death or injury of another person, facing a threat to yourself or others due to non-hostile military actions or terrorist events, or experiencing friendly fire during a training mission on a gunnery range.

Are You Eligible for PTSD Compensation for Veterans?

You might be eligible for VA disability compensation if you meet the eligibility criteria:

Both of these must be true:

• Your PTSD affects your mind and/or body;
• You served on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training.

And at least one of these must be true:

• You became sick or injured while serving in the military and can connect this condition to your illness or injury (known as an in-service disability claim), or
• You experienced an illness or injury prior to enlisting in the military, and serving aggravated it (known as a pre-service disability claim), or
• You have a disability linked to your active-duty service that emerged only after your service ended (known as a post-service disability claim).

As long as you meet those criteria, you will have a good chance of securing monthly benefits.

To obtain benefits, you must apply and submit your military and medical records. You can do this online, by phone, or at a VA physical office.

A VA disability attorney can help you better understand what it takes to get approved for veterans’ benefits and help you through the process.

Are PTSD Disability Benefits Only for Veterans?

Anyone can face a traumatic event and develop post-traumatic stress disorder, including non-veterans.

The stressor events that lead to PTSD are vast, from serious accidents like car crashes to brain injury or the death of family members.

Multiple traumatic experiences can end up in this mental health disorder, which causes distress and an overly negative impact on someone’s life.

PTSD is a disability and can stop you from performing your job. In that case, you might be eligible for disability benefits.

However, the Department of Veterans Affairs only provides benefits for veterans who have served their country.

To obtain disability benefits for PTSD as a non-veteran, you must apply through Social Security.

Social Security Disability Benefits for PTSD

The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers different benefit programs to assist individuals with disabilities.

To access those benefits, you must:

• Have a disability that is listed in the SSA’s Impairment Listing (also known as the “Blue Book.”)
• Your health condition hinders your ability to work.
• Your disability is expected to last 12 months or longer.

Is PTSD a disability according to the SSA?

Yes, PTSD is listed in the SSA’s Blue Book under trauma and stressor-related disorders.

That means you can get disability benefits if you have post-traumatic stress disorder (as long as you also meet the other criteria).

To obtain Social Security disability benefits, you must apply to one of their programs:

• Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Additionally, you must meet all the medical and non-medical requirements the SSA demands.

Ultimately, to win benefits, you must build a strong case and provide sufficient medical evidence that supports your claim of having PTSD.

Is It Difficult to Qualify for PTSD Benefits?

In most cases, mental health disorders are more difficult to prove than physical conditions.

Why? Because there are far more tests and exams for physical health conditions than those for mental illnesses.

The cornerstone of any disability case is substantial medical evidence.

If you can not prove you have a qualifying disability whose severity hinders your ability to work, it will be nearly impossible to win your case.

Does Your PTSD Meet the Eligibility Requirements: SSA’s Criteria

The SSA imposes stringent criteria for all mental disorders, including PTSD.

To be eligible for disability benefits, you must demonstrate that your PTSD is severe, persistent, and hinders your ability to maintain employment.

Before filing the application, consider whether your symptoms meet the PTSD eligibility criteria and if you have enough medical evidence to support your claim.

The SSA examiners will thoroughly review your case to see if you meet the following conditions:

A. You can provide medical documentation of all of the following:

• You faced exposure to or threats of death, serious injury, or violence.
• You involuntarily re-experience the triggering event through intrusive memories, dreams, or flashbacks.
• You avoid reminders of the traumatic experience.
• You experience severe mood and behavior changes.
• You exhibit heightened reactivity, such as an increased startle response and trouble sleeping.

and

B. You have significant limitations in at least one of the following areas or are noticeably limited in two or more:

• Understanding, remembering, or applying information.
• Interacting with others.
• Focusing, persisting, or keeping a steady pace during work activities.
• Adjusting or regulating your behaviors and emotions.

or

C. Your PTSD has persisted for a minimum of two years, and you possess evidence indicating:

• You have undergone medical treatment, therapy, or support in well-structured environments that successfully alleviate your PTSD symptoms.
• You struggle to adapt to change, particularly to demands that are not already part of your daily routine.

Your PTSD Meets The Criteria: Now What?

If your PTSD meets the SSA’s or VA’s criteria, now it’s time to apply for disability benefits.

We already mentioned above how to apply for veterans’ disability benefits.

For Social Security benefits, you can also apply online, by phone, or by visiting a physical office.

You can file a claim even if you are unsure you’ll qualify. However, fighting disability benefits is a time-consuming process.

While you should never put off filing a disability claim—it will only delay the receipt of your benefits—you may consider waiting if you can not build a strong case.

Our advice is, apply now if:

• You have a PTSD diagnosis by a licensed mental health care practitioner
• You regularly relive the traumatic event
• You find it difficult to regulate your mood, interact with others, and maintain concentration, or
• You’ve experienced PTSD for a minimum of two years, and you show signs of difficulty adjusting to changes in your surroundings.

If you meet those standards, you have good odds of securing disability benefits for PTSD.

Your PTSD Doesn’t Meet All the Requirements: What To Do?

Even if your PTSD doesn’t fulfill all eligibility criteria, it may still be worthwhile to apply if it affects your work capabilities.

The truth is that securing disability benefits is never easy. About 70% of claims get rejected at the initial instance, and claimants may appeal.

If you have PTSD and it’s impacting your ability to work, applying for it is worth the shot.

Focus on gathering enough medical evidence, write a compelling statement, and consider working with a seasoned disability lawyer.

Claimants who work with a professional attorney enhance their chances of winning disability benefits by three times.

Securing Disability Benefits for PTSD

Is PTSD a disability? Yes, PTSD is a debilitating, stressful mental health condition that can significantly affect someone’s ability to work.

Therefore, both the VA and SSA consider PTSD a qualifying disability.

Each organization has its own application process and rules for accessing disability benefits.

If you are a veteran, you must apply through the VA website or head to one of their offices. For non-veterans, Social Security offers different programs to assist individuals with PTSD.

Winning disability benefits for a mental illness can be challenging. You must build a strong case and provide substantial medical evidence.

At our disability law firm, our dedicated team has the skills and resources to help you win financial and healthcare benefits for PTSD. Don’t hesitate to contact us; we’ll be happy to help you build a winning case.