Social Security Disability & U.S. Veterans
One of the
most rewarding parts of my practice is working with United States military
veterans. Veterans make incredible
sacrifices during their service years, including not only being apart from
their families, but also facing the constant threat of serious physical and
psychological injury. While physical
injuries are often readily apparent and undeniable, the serious psychological effects
of military service on veterans are not always as easy to identify.
What cannot go overlooked are
recent reports that 2012 saw a record 349 suicides by military personnel, a
number which “far [exceeded the number of] American combat deaths in
Afghanistan” the same year.[1] The article went on to note that “Iraq and
Afghanistan war veterans suffering from depression, post-traumatic stress or
substance abuse” appeared to be one of the main groups facing significant
risks. (Id.)
Compounding
the negative and predictable psychological effects of having experienced combat
is what some have described as the stigma in the military of seeking out help
for one’s psychological problems.[2] During “the course of a soldier or officer’s
training, we inculcate in them a vicious and emotional resistance to weakness”,
and “teach them to bear their own load as well as their buddies’.” (Id.)
One vet remarked that during service “[m]y mind was my saving grace, and
to hear that it was now my biggest burden when I returned from a tour with
post-traumatic stress sounded like a joke.”
(Id.)
Unfortunately,
the increasing number of military suicides is quite alarming, and suggests that
returning veterans are increasingly coming to terms with the intense psychological
stressors they experienced during their service.
Fortunately,
one resource available to mentally stressed, unemployed veterans is Social
Security Disability. I have personally
helped numerous veterans through the process of obtaining their benefits for
diagnoses including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depression, Anxiety,
and Intermittent Explosive Disorder – not to mention for numerous debilitating
physical diagnoses as well.
For
veterans interested in applying for Social Security Disability benefits, the
most important thing they can do is consistently get treatment for their
condition(s). Doing so serves two
purposes: (1) Treatment is helpful to
the individual who seeks it out because therapy is about confronting and
dealing with psychological pain, not hiding from it; and (2) The burden of
proof for receiving disability benefits is on the individual claiming
disability, meaning that success depends on the kind of clinical medical evidence
that is best obtained from consistent treatment.
Remember,
it takes a great deal of courage to seek out help, and asking is not a sign of
weakness, it is a sign of strength.
Secondly, you’ve served your country and earned your right to benefits
if you are no longer able to work because of either a physical or mental
disability (or combination of both).
Contacting an experienced attorney who specializes in getting
individuals their Social Security Disability benefits is the first step in
getting the help you need.
- Eric J. Patrick, Esq.