Why are VA Disability Mental Health claims important?

FOR THE VETERAN OF THE VETERAN SHARE OF THE DAY

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, only 50 percent of veterans who need mental health treatment will get the treatment they need and are entitled to. Eligible veterans have the option to file a VA Disability Mental Health claim which can provide a range of extra benefits.

There are many reasons why this can be, most of those reasons being that the vet chooses to avoid filing a claim.

One of the main reasons is the military culture prevents active-duty members from seeking military mental health.

Don’t be that person.

The VA Schedule of Ratings Disabilities categorizes several mental illnesses that are eligible for compensation for disability.

A quick list reads:

Amnesia
Cognitive disorders (diseases affecting the brain)
Anxiety (which includes PTSD, panic disorder, and other phobias)
Dissociative disorders (for instance, multiple personalities or forgetting where you were or what you did)
Depression
Bulimia and anorexia
And adjustment disorders (for example, feeling stressed to the point of being self-destructive)
Any of these will qualify for a disability rating.


Currently, it’s believed that 20% of vets who served in Iraq or Afghanistan suffer from either PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) or major depression (this is according to a study by the RAND Center for Military Health Policy Research).

There is nothing to be gained for not filing a claim. You don’t have to keep going without help.