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When it comes to obtaining disability benefits for your service-connected anxiety disorder, you will need evidence in order to get the best possible outcome. The VA will not simply take your word for it.
For your anxiety VA rating claim to be successful, you’re going to need evidence. This includes proof of your diagnosis, documentation regarding your symptoms, and evidence that your condition is linked to your time in the military. The attorneys at Gang & Associates are ready to help you navigate the VA claims system and get the outcome you deserve. The initial consultation is always free, so reach out to learn how we can help with your anxiety VA rating claim.
Understanding Anxiety
Before you can prove that you are living with anxiety, you will first need to understand the type you have. There are different forms of anxiety with varying symptoms, meaning that the way you prove your disability is real might be different from the approach someone else uses.
What these conditions have in common is that they are something more than feeling anxious or stressed. Anxiety disorder leads to disruptions in your life, making it difficult to work or perform daily tasks due to your stress. This condition can take its toll over time, impacting your ability to earn a living, relate to others, or even sleep. Some of the different types of anxiety include:
- General anxiety. As the name suggests, generalized anxiety involves constantly worrying about a wide range of life experiences. This condition can make it difficult to concentrate or sleep due to racing thoughts or worries.
- Social anxiety. Social anxiety involves strong reactions to social situations to the point where it is difficult to engage in activities involving other people. This issue is most common in crowded spaces or at events.
- Panic attacks. One of the most difficult forms of anxiety, panic attacks result in sudden and unexpected episodes of fear. Often, these attacks are triggered by events that are not traumatic on their own, but they somehow bring back anxiety from your past. Panic attacks can include chest pain, racing heart rate, and difficulty breathing.
Identifying the nature of your condition is the first step towards securing disability benefits for anxiety. Our firm can help you develop the evidence needed for a successful claim and a fair anxiety VA rating.
How to Prove Your VA Claim for Anxiety
Proving that your anxiety is related to your service—or that you have the disorder at all—can be difficult due to its subjective nature. Unlike a broken bone or spinal damage, there are no visible signs or symptoms that will confirm that you are living with anxiety. You will need evidence to prove that you have this condition and that it began during or is the result of an event that occurred during your military service.
Having a diagnosis of anxiety from a medical professional is an important first step. While it will not guarantee your claim will be successful, it is a necessary part of showing the VA that you are living with a disability.
There are multiple types of evidence you might use to establish service connection. Your medical records will play an important role, especially if you were diagnosed with anxiety during your service. Even without an in-servicediagnosis, any history of symptoms could be valuable to not only proving you have anxiety but also that it is linked to your service.
A nexus opinion is arguably the most important piece of evidence you can provide. Written by a doctor or other medical professional, these letters include an opinion from a medical professional that your anxiety stems from a service-related event. To support this conclusion, the author will rely on your medical and military records plus any relevant medical journals or research.
Anxiety as a Secondary Service-Connected Claim
Secondary service connection is the process of proving that a disability came about due to another service-connected (or should-be-service-connected) disability. Sometimes proving that your anxiety is directly linked to an event that occurred during your active-duty service can be difficult. Other times, it’s simply not feasible or true. , However, anxiety often arises as a result of another serious condition, such as chronic pain or heart disease.
When it comes to anxiety as a secondary service-connected claim, you must provide evidence of a connection between your anxiety and a service-connected (or should-be-service-connected) condition. One benefit of this approach is that you have often already established the link between your service and your underlying health issue. Instead of having to prove that again, this approach only requires that you show the two conditions are linked. Making this case requires two things:
- Proof that you have been diagnosed with anxiety, and
- Medical evidence showing your anxiety is the result of another service-connected condition
Again, the evidence of a connection between the two conditions comes in the form of an opinion from a medical expert. This document, known as a nexus letter, should provide background on your underlying claim, your anxiety diagnosis, and how the two are related. Ideally, it should be written by a doctor familiar with the VA claims process. Our firm can help you secure a strong nexus letter for your case.
Learn More About How Evidence is Important to Your Anxiety VA Rating
You deserve compensation for your service-connected conditions, but the VA does not make getting an anxiety VA rating easy. It is crucial that you develop strong evidence in your case, and the team at Gang & Associates is ready to help. We understand what goes into a successful claim, and we will carefully review your records to make the strongest case possible. Contact us for a free case evaluation as soon as possible. We look forward to the opportunity to advocate on your behalf.