How to File For PTSD Disability Benefits

PTSD can completely disrupt your life.

If you are active duty or retired military (or a concerned family member) and think you (or someone you love) might have PTSD, you may be eligible for PTSD disability benefits. PTSD stands for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and affects thousands of active duty and retired military personnel each year. PTSD occurs after a traumatic event in a person's life. It does not solely affect veteran's and military personnel though - anyone who experiences any of the following events can have PTSD (this is not an exhaustive list)...

• Combat or military exposure
• Child sexual or physical abuse
• Terrorist attacks
• Sexual or physical assault
• Serious accidents, such as a car wreck
• Natural disasters, such as a fire, tornado, hurricane, flood, or earthquake

During the traumatic event you may have felt out of control or as if you were going to die. After the traumatic event you may experience certain triggers that remind you of the original event. If the triggers make you react in a way that disrupts your life and daily activities, you may have PTSD. To review the symptoms of PTSD, click the link in the resources below.

If you are a veteran or active duty military and you are finding it harder or impossible to work due to symptoms of PTSD, consider filing a claim with Veteran's Affairs for disability benefits. Here's how to file for PTSD disability benefits:

Things You'll Need

• computer and internet connection
• PTSD disability application

Instructions

1. 

   Get an application form from a Veteran's Affairs office in your area (find a local office by clicking the link "Veteran's Affairs Office Locator" in the resources below). The Veteran's Affairs Office can also appoint a Service Officer to your case to help guide and support you through the PTSD disability application process. Service Officers work for you free of charge, are familiar with each step in the PTSD disability claims process and can answer your questions as you go along.

2. 

   Write a letter that outlines your behavior and explains why you think you have PTSD. The letter should also establish the date your disability started. Be sure to contact your Veteran's Affairs Service Officer for guidelines on how to write the letter.

   Have your doctor (preferably a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker) write a detailed letter or report about your unusual behaviors. For example, if you do or say things that seem very out of the ordinary and can be attributed to your past traumatic event, he/she should write about that behavior.

   Have your friends, family members and former employers write a letter explaining how you react to certain situations. For example, do you isolate yourself for hours or days when you become stressed out? If so, that may be a symptom of PTSD.

3. 

   Make an appointment with the Mental Health Department at your local Veteran's Affairs hospital or clinic. A Veteran's Affairs doctor must first diagnose you with PTSD before your application is processed. Be sure to bring a copy of your letters and completed application with you.

4. 

   Submit your PTSD disability claim to the Veteran's Affairs address provided on the application.

5. 

   Complete interviews with Veteran's Affairs. They will review your background, employment history, education, military service, and mental status. Be sure to provide them with any letters or evaluations you have gathered to help prove your PTSD disability case.

6. 

   Attend your hearing. A Veteran's Affairs judge will look at four areas of your life to determine if you are eligible for PTSD disability benefits:

   • daily living (normal tasks like brushing your teeth, making dinner, etc)
   • social functioning (doing and saying appropriate things in the company of others)
   • concentration (ability to complete tasks)
   • decompensation (extreme withdrawal or sudden blowups)

   If you or your loved one has severe mental illness from PTSD, be sure to bring an attorney with you to the hearing.

7. 

   Wait for Veteran's Affairs to process your PTSD disability application. It could take several months to receive a reply.

Tips & Warnings

• Some people are not aware that they exhibit PTSD symptoms. They know they find it difficult to go to work, but don't understand exactly why. This is why it's important for family members, friends and loved ones to keep an eye on the person who has lived through a traumatic event and assist them in getting the help they need and deserve.

• The Social Security Administration will not award you benefits just because you have a clinical diagnosis of depression or other types of mental illnesses - you have to prove that your illness prevents you from working.

• If you need help with PTSD, call your local Veterans Affairs Hospital or Veterans Center. Click on the link "Veteran's Affairs Office Locator" in resources below to find an office in your area. You can also call the Veterans Affairs toll free service center at 1-800-827-1000.

• The application process and review can take several months (sometimes up to a year) and can be very frustrating and stressful.

• If your claim is denied and you still feel like you have PTSD and need benefits, contact your local Service Officer and ask them to help you file an appeal.

• Make copies of all paperwork before you submit them. If you attend any treatment programs before your claim is approved, be sure to have your participation documented and get a copy of it. Believe it or not, Veteran's Affairs has lost claims and related paperwork before.

• Be aware that everything you say or do is documented when you see the VA doctor. Your demeanor is also noted.

Resources

• The PTSD Workbook: Techniques for Overcoming Traumatic Stress Symptoms
• The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma
• The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook
• EMDR: A Closer Look (DVD)
• We Were Soldiers Once... And Young (book)
• We Were Soldiers (DVD)
• The Things They Carried
• Full Metal Jacket (Deluxe Edition, Blue Ray)
• Fallen Angels
• Another Violent Day
• Veteran's Affairs Office Locator
• PTSD Symptoms
• EMDR Institute Inc. (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)