Facts about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Filing for DisabilityThese selected pages answer some of the most basic, but also some of the most important, questions for individuals who are considering filing a claim for disability benefits. Facts about the condition 1. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, commonly referred to as PTSD, is an anxiety disorder. This type of anxiety disorder originates from experiencing a very traumatic event. Instead of recovering emotionally and physically from a traumatic event, those with PTSD find that their symptoms of fear and anxiety get worse with time, disrupt their lives, and cause further complications. 2. PTSD can lead to other mental health issues, including depression, suicidal thoughts, alcohol and drug abuse, and eating disorders. 3. Studies on war veterans have shown a link between PTSD and other medical problems, such as chronic pain, autoimmune diseases, and cardiovascular disease. 4. It is estimated that nearly 8 percent of the world's population will experience some form of PTSD in their lives. Women are four times more likely to experience PTSD than men. 5. Symptoms of PTSD can vary from person to person. The most common symptoms are flashbacks of the traumatic event, nightmares about the traumatic event, being emotionally unfeeling, memory issues, anger, guilt, shame, avoiding talking about the traumatic event, avoiding situations that might make you think about the traumatic event, hopelessness, lack of concentration and focus, hallucinating, difficulty maintaining intimate relationships, and memory problems. 6. Doctors do not know why some people recover from traumatic events with relative ease, and others go on to develop anxiety disorders and PTSD. They believe it is a combination of the patient's temperament, genetic leanings toward depression and anxiety, how a person's brain chemicals react to stress, and the amount of trauma one has endured during their lifetimes, and especially during their childhood. 6. Many war veterans develop PTSD. It is also sometimes referred to as 'combat stress' or 'shell shock', because of this. 7. Men are most likely to develop PTSD due to a physically and/or emotionally traumatic childhood, serving in a war, or rape. 8. Women are most likely to develop PTSD due to a childhood abuse (physical abuse, emotional abuse, or sexual molestation), rape, physical attack, or being threatened by a weapon. 9. Those with PTSD may live normal lives if treated correctly. The best treatment plans include various forms of psychotherapy in combination with medications, such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications. Qualifying for disability benefits with this condition Whether or not you qualify for disability and, as a result, are approved for disability benefits will depend entirely on the information obtained from your medical records. This includes whatever statements and treatment notes that may have been obtained from your treating physician (a doctor who has a history of treating your condition and is, therefore, qualified to comment as to your condition and prognosis). It also includes discharge summaries from hospital stays, reports of imaging studies (such as xrays, MRIs, and CT scans) and lab panels (i.e. bloodwork) as well as reports from physical therapy. In many disability claims, it may also include the results of a report issued by an independent physician who examines you at the request of the Social Security Administration.
Qualifying for SSD or SSI benefits will also depend on the information obtained from your vocational, or work, history if you are an adult, or academic records if you are a minor-age child. In the case of adults, your work history information will allow a disability examiner (examiners make decisions at the initial claim and reconsideration appeal levels, but not at the hearing level where a judges decides the outcome of the case) to A) classify your past work, B) determine the physical and mental demands of your past work, C) decide if you can go back to a past job, and D) whether or not you have the ability to switch to some type of other work. The important thing to keep in mind is that the social security administration does not award benefits based on simply having a condition, but, instead, will base an approval or denial on the extent to which a condition causes functional limitations. Functional limitations can be great enough to make work activity not possible (or, for a child, make it impossible to engage in age-appropriate activities).
Why are so many disability cases lost at the disability application and reconsideration appeal levels? There are several reasons but here are just two: 1) Social Security makes no attempt to obtain a statement from a claimant's treating physician. By contrast, at the hearing level, a claimant's disability attorney or disability representative will generally obtain and present this type of statement to a judge. Note: it is not enough for a doctor to simply state that their patient is disabled. To satisy Social Security's requirements, the physician must list in what ways and to what extent the individual is functionally limited. For this reason, many representatives and attorneys request that the physician fill out and sign a specialized medical source statement that captures the correct information. Solid Supporting statements from physicians easily make the difference between winning or losing a disability case at the hearing level. 2) Prior to the hearing level, a claimant will not have the opportunity to explain how their condition limits them, nor will their attorney or representative have the opportunity to make a presentation based on the evidence of the case. This is because at the initial levels of the disability system, a disability examiner decides the case without meeting the claimant. The examiner may contact the claimant to gather information on activities of daily living and with regard to medical treatment or past jobs, but usually nothing more. At the hearing level, however, presenting an argument for approval based on medical evidence that has been obtained and submitted is exactly what happens. About the Author: Tim Moore is a former Social Security Disability Examiner in North Carolina, has been interviewed by the NY Times and the LA Times on the disability system, and is an Accredited Disability Representative (ADR) in North Carolina. For assistance on a disability application or Appeal in NC, click here. Most popular topics on SSDRC.com Social Security Disability in North Carolina Common Mistakes to avoid after being denied for Disability Tips to Prepare for Filing for Social Security Disability or SSI Advice to Win SSD and SSI Benefit Claims Social Security Disability SSI Questions What is the difference between Social Security Disability and SSI? How to get disability for depression Getting disability for fibromyalgia SSI disability for children with ADHD What is the Application Process for Social Security Disability and SSI? Social Security Disability SSI Exam tips More Social Security Disability SSI Questions What makes you eligible for Social Security Disability or SSI? Related Body System Impairments: Can You qualify for Social Security Disability or SSI on the basis of anxiety or panic attacks? Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Filing for Disability Panic Attacks and Filing for Disability Anxiety Disorder, Social Security Disability, and Applying for Benefits Anxiety Attacks and Filing for Disability Filing for Social Security Disability or SSI with Bipolar Disorder Bipolar Disorder and Filing for Disability Social Security Disability SSI and ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Filing for Disability ADHD, Social Security Disability, and Applying for Benefits Facts about ADHD and Filing for Disability OCD and Filing for Disability Alcoholism and Filing for Disability Bipolar disorder, Social Security Disability, and Applying for Benefits PTSD, Social Security Disability, and Applying for Benefits PTSD, Social Security Disability, and Applying for Benefits Texas Permanent Disability Benefits Eligibility and qualifying for disability in Texas How Much Are Fees and Cost For a Disability Lawyer in Texas? |
