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Many veterans do not receive the mental health benefits they are entitled to. According to SAMHSA, in 2020, 5.2 million veterans experienced a behavioral health condition. It is a common problem, and it is understandable why it happens. Unfortunately, many do not know they have a mental health disability. Some have not been appropriately evaluated. Others are not yet service-connected for a mental health disability they have already been diagnosed with. It is not uncommon for veterans to experience mental health distress as a result of their experiences while serving in the military.
If you are a veteran struggling with your mental health, you have earned the right to file a claim and receive the benefits you deserve. This comprehensive guide will help you understand if you should be receiving VA benefits and what you need to do to get them.
To be eligible for VA mental health benefits, your symptoms must be severe enough to meet the criteria for a formal diagnosis. Your condition must also be impacting your day-to-day life.
Here are some questions to ask yourself to know whether this applies to you.
When your mental health is suffering, particularly if it is untreated, your relationships suffer as well. A veteran whose mental health is having a significant impact may argue frequently with their spouse or may have trouble maintaining a romantic relationship altogether. They may experience challenges with intimacy. Relationships with friends or even with their own children may be strained. These veterans may avoid social situations or feel extremely uncomfortable in these settings, leading to isolation and a lack of a support system.
The symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety can all cause this kind of social and interpersonal impairment. For example, a veteran with PTSD might be hyper-vigilant and irritable, leading to frequent arguments with their spouse. A veteran with depression might withdraw from their friends and family, isolating themselves because they lack the energy or interest to socialize. A veteran with social anxiety might avoid social gatherings altogether, which can put a strain on their relationships. If you find yourself struggling to maintain relationships, it is a key indicator that your mental health may be impacted by your service.
Indeed, the impact of mental health is not isolated to your personal life. Veterans in mental health distress often feel this impact at work, or if they are students, at school. They may have trouble concentrating, performing their duties appropriately, or meeting deadlines. Their interpersonal challenges may spill over into work if they are avoiding or arguing with coworkers.
If you are struggling with your work performance, it is a clear sign that your mental health is affecting your occupational functioning, which is a key part of the VA’s rating criteria.
Many veterans notice that they have difficulty controlling their anger, act more impulsively, and are more hyper-vigilant than they were prior to their time in the military. Others may lack consistent sleep or have memory problems. Regardless of what the manifestation of their mental health concerns are, they do not feel like themselves and can name specific, observable behaviors that demonstrate this.
These behavioral changes are often tied to specific mental health conditions. For example, a veteran with PTSD may be easily startled or have a constant feeling of being “on guard.” A veteran with depression may have a change in their sleeping or eating habits. A veteran with anxiety might find themselves constantly restless or keyed up. If you notice these kinds of changes in your behavior, it is a strong indicator that your mental health has been impacted by your service.
If the life challenges described above ring true for you and you experience mental health symptoms such as depressed mood, feeling worried or on edge, panic attacks, or symptoms in response to a traumatic event (e.g., nightmares, flashbacks, avoiding thinking or talking about the trauma, emotional numbness, reckless behavior, feeling shame or guilt), you may be eligible to be service-connected for a mental health disability.
The first step is to recognize that your symptoms are not something you should just “suck up” or ignore. You have earned these benefits, and you deserve to get the support and compensation you need to live a better quality of life.
The key for service connection is that these challenges and symptoms developed after or as a result of service. To pursue service connection and maximize your chances of getting an accurate rating from the VA, a great first step is a mental health assessment.
Specifically, the assessment will provide you with a diagnosis, if appropriate, and will provide the evidence you need to submit to the VA in support of your claim. Here at VMHA, our experienced psychologists specialize in conducting these assessments for veterans. Our comprehensive evaluation provides an Independent Medical Opinion (IMO). This includes an accurate diagnosis, medical evidence, and a clear Nexus that links your condition to your service.
Yes, a diagnosis is essential. The VA does not grant benefits for a condition that has not been formally diagnosed by a licensed professional. You might be experiencing severe symptoms, but without a diagnosis, the VA has nothing to evaluate. A formal diagnosis from a qualified professional is the starting point for your claim. A diagnosis is required to prove that a real, recognized condition is impacting your life. While it is possible to receive a diagnosis in the C & P exam, this is not guaranteed. Filing your claim with a diagnosis from a qualified provider increases your chances of success.
Many veterans believe they can’t file a mental health claim. They assume this because their condition is not related to a specific combat event or trauma. This is a common misconception. The VA recognizes that continuous duty stress, military sexual trauma (MST), and other non-combat stressors can cause mental health conditions.
If you don’t have a clear in-service event, your personal statement and buddy statements become even more important. You must be able to describe the events or environment that caused your mental health to decline. For example, you can describe the high-stress environment of your job or the constant pressure of a deployment. For MST claims, the VA accepts personal statements, buddy statements, and other records like mental health evaluations as evidence to support your claim.
Yes, you can. You do not have to file a VA claim to get a diagnosis. Many veterans choose to get a diagnosis first to understand their condition and to have all their evidence ready before they submit their claim. Getting a diagnosis from a private provider or through an Independent Medical Opinion (IMO) is a great way to be proactive about your health and your claim.
No, you should not wait. The single most important thing you can do to protect your benefits is to file your Intent to File as soon as possible. This locks in your effective date, and it gives you up to a year to gather all the evidence you need. Many veterans wait years to file a claim, and they lose out on valuable back pay. If your mental health is impacting your life, do not wait. Take the first step today.
A denial is not the end of the road. It is common for initial claims to be denied, but many of them are overturned on appeal. If your claim is denied, you should:
An IMO can directly address the VA’s reasoning for the denial and provide a much more persuasive argument. It is often the key to winning an appeal.
A mental health assessment is the overall process of a licensed professional evaluating your condition. An Independent Medical Opinion (IMO) is the comprehensive report that comes out of that assessment. A quality IMO includes the diagnosis, a detailed narrative of your symptoms, and a clear nexus statement. An IMO from VMHA is specifically designed to meet the VA’s requirements. This makes it the most powerful tool you can have in your claim.
If the life challenges described above ring true for you, we are here to help. Our experienced psychologists specialize in conducting mental health assessments for veterans. Our comprehensive evaluation provides an Independent Medical Opinion which includes an accurate diagnosis, medical evidence, and a clear nexus linking your mental health condition to your military service. We are committed to helping you tell your story in a way that the VA can understand.
Take our quiz and we will help you determine if a mental health assessment is appropriate for you. If it is, we will schedule you with one of our compassionate and expert psychologists.
To learn more about our services, contact us today.
Email us at info@vmhaforvets.com or call us at 214-307-2198.
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