How to file for mental disability

Notify me of new posts by email. Anxiety, despite how much we all hate it, is a part of life. The dark side to military life often leads to higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression since soldiers confront many traumatic situations during their time serving the country.

Image: PxHere Anxiety is an emotion, not a feeling. In certain situations, the victim may reach a peak within minutes that produce panic attacks. Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders It is natural to experience occasional anxiety or worry. The symptoms of severe anxiety may begin during childhood or teenage years. The following symptoms are common: Feeling nervous, tense, or restless Increased heart rate Sense of impending danger, panic, or doom Rapid breathing hyperventilation Sweating Trembling Weakness Fatigue Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than worry Trouble sleeping Gastrointestinal GI problems Difficult controlling amount of worry Those that suffer from anxiety disorders often have the urge to avoid certain situations that may trigger negative feelings.

Types of Anxiety Disorders There are several different types of anxiety disorders. It is possible to suffer from more than one anxiety disorder at the same time. Here is a few of the most common types of anxiety disorders: Agoraphobia: A medical condition where you avoid places or situations that cause you to panic.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder: The most common form where the patient deals with persistent and excessive anxiety levels, even with ordinary, routine issues. Panic Disorder: The medical condition causes the patient to experience repeated episodes of sudden anxiety, fear, or terror that peak within minutes and produce panic attacks.

Social Anxiety Disorder: Also known as social phobia, the person has trouble interacting in social situations and often avoids them to find relief from the negative emotions. Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder: This type of anxiety disorder is common in adults that misuse drugs or alcohol. It can also result from abusing prescription medication or being exposed to toxic substances. It is impossible to cover every type of anxiety disorder in this article.

Additional Health Concerns Anxiety disorders not only disrupt a normal and happy lifestyle but can also lead to additional health problems. Drugs and alcohol can also cause or worsen anxiety, most noteworthy during withdrawals. Additionally, inherited genetic traits can play a factor in your levels of anxiety. An anxiety disorder is often the first indicator of mental illness which can lead to the following conditions: Bowel Problems Chronic Pain Depression Headaches Insomnia Problems Functioning at School or Work Poor Quality of Life Social Isolation Substance Abuse Suicide If you are suffering from high levels of stress, worry, or anxiety contact a medical professional immediately.

There are many forms of treatment for anxiety disorders and relief may be around the corner! Image: Wikimedia Commons Veterans that have anxiety which is persistent and excessive, interfere with a normal life, and cause people to avoid certain situations suffer from an anxiety disorder. Furthermore, the patient does not require medication to treat the anxiety disorder. In this rating, the veteran is not eligible for any monthly VA disability compensation.

In this rating, the veteran will likely not receive much or any form of disability assistance. Signs of depression are often much more evident in a higher rating for anxiety disorders. The patient may be too depressed to get out of bed or take a shower. While this rating is hard to obtain, it does provide full VA disability benefits to patients.

What are the Service Connections for Anxiety? Veterans are only eligible for monthly disability benefits by proving their mental health condition is linked to military service. There are several different ways you can establish a medical nexus connection. Image: Wikimedia Commons The Department of Veterans Affairs VA utilizes a rating schedule to determine the severity of an anxiety disorder, like all other medical conditions.

Veterans can only receive VA disability benefits for anxiety disorders by establishing a service connection: A current diagnosis of an anxiety disorder by a licensed VA clinic. An in-service occurrence that caused or aggravated the anxiety disorder. A medical nexus connecting the current, diagnosed anxiety disorder to the in-service occurrence.

Secondary Service Connection Those that are having trouble establishing a direct service connection have an alternative. The secondary service connection is another way to build a medical nexus connection. How to file a VA claim for Anxiety The claims process for receiving VA disability benefits takes some time yet is more than worthwhile. Follow these steps to file a VA claim for an anxiety disorder: Step 1: Schedule a medical examination with a medical professional at an approved VA clinic or hospital.

So long as your condition remains the same year-to-year, you will not later be denied disability benefits. Paying for Care. The Parity Law. The Affordable Care Act. Maryland Insurance Protections. Maryland Parity Project. Applying for Disability Benefits with a Mental Illness.

Donate Now Other Ways to Give. Bouts of illness, concentration problems, difficulty communicating, medical appointments, and unplanned absences can make getting and keeping a job extremely difficult.

With no work and no steady source of income, thousands of people with mental health conditions apply each year for Social Security Disability benefits in hopes of receiving a monthly check. The reality is that getting Disability for mental illness can be challenging and requires more effort than filling out a few forms.

Still, it is not impossible and it is worth the effort. A good starting point is to take some time to understand how the Social Security Administration handles these types of cases. Both programs offer cash benefits to mentally disabled individuals who cannot work, but they are quite different. If approved for SSDI, the amount you could receive depends upon how long you worked and how much you paid into the system. SSI is for low-income, disabled individuals with a spotty, or absent, work history.

It provides funds to meet basic needs for food, clothing and shelter. If approved for SSI, the amount you could receive depends on what state you live in and how much monthly income you have.

In order for your application to be approved for Disability for mental illness, your condition must meet certain specific medical requirements. Some mental health conditions that may qualify for Disability benefits include:. In addition, the evidence must show that these conditions significantly impact your ability to function in normal work and social conditions. To qualify for disability benefits with autism or similar pervasive development disorders, you will need to show that the condition limits the ability to communicate, engage in activities outside of a few interests, and interact socially.

Further, you must be able to show that these limitations cause significant difficulty in your ability to function in work and social situations.

You or one whom you represent will qualify for disability benefits based on an intellectual disability if you have medical documentation showing any of the following conditions:.

To qualify for disability benefits with organic mental disorders, the medical evidence needs to show that your disorder has continued for two years or more despite treatment and that it hinders you from performing even basic work functions. Essentially, you need to show that you cannot function outside of a highly supportive environment.

Alternately, you may qualify if you have at least one condition from each of the columns in the chart below:. To qualify for Social Security benefits with a personality disorder, you need evidence showing that your condition causes you to be unable to adapt to social or work situations and that the condition has caused long term problems.

The disorder needs to cause at least one of these symptoms:. To qualify for disability with psychotic disorders, you must have medical documentation showing two years or more showing that your condition severely limits your ability to function in a work environment. The documentation must show that any change in your work situation would lead to more problems or that you are incapable of living outside of a supportive environment.

Alternately, you may qualify if you have one of the following conditions and you can show that it severely affects your ability to function in a work or social environment:.