Schizophrenia VA Disability | Veterans Benefits Lawyers
Did you know that over 120,000 war veterans suffer from schizophrenia and are eligible to receive compensation for their mental disorders? If you or someone you love has schizophrenia, please know there is help for veterans in need.
Schizophrenia is an extreme mental disorder that can leave lasting impacts on someone, especially if their schizophrenia stems from military service.
If you or someone you love has this mental disorder and needs help getting the compensation they need to sustain themselves monthly, please continue reading below. We will cover what you need to know about the mental disorder and who you can contact for more guidance on receiving disability benefits and the compensation you deserve from the VA.
What Is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that causes people to view reality abnormally. Working in the military can aggravate schizophrenia due to boot camp stressors, being far away from family, and experiencing combat situations.
The behaviors associated with this mental disorder can severely impact one's ability to work or their daily functioning. Over time, if the early schizophrenia symptoms, such as highly disordered thinking, aren't treated, it can worsen.
Living with Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that can cause real disability in those people who suffer from it. Severe schizophrenia is a debilitating mental disorder that can prevent people from being able to work or form healthy relationships. Some of the most challenging symptoms of schizophrenia include hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, and irrational thinking.
Living with schizophrenia usually means making adjustments to your lifestyle and sourcing adequate support and treatment for your condition. Medicines and drugs can reduce some of the most serious symptoms of schizophrenia and help sufferers to manage acute episodes. Lifestyle changes that promote good physical and mental health can also help schizophrenia sufferers to mitigate the symptoms of their illness.
Schizophrenia can also cause social impairment due to paranoia and fearful feelings. Working with a therapist to overcome some of your fears and manage anxiety could help you to live more happily with your schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a significant disability, but with proper treatment, many people are able to function and live well even with severe symptoms of this illness.
Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Some early symptoms of schizophrenia include being emotionless and wanting to isolate from others. It can also involve neglecting your appearance or showing a general indifference to life.
Additional symptoms of schizophrenia:
- Depression
- Expressionless gaze
- Inability to cry
- Oversleeping
- Forgetfulness
- Unable to concentrate
- Irritational statements
- Strange way of speaking
Although these signs can come from different types of problems, it is still a reason for concern. When you notice that you have out-of-the-ordinary behaviors or feelings, it is best to seek help. Once you can start seeing these signs in yourself or a loved one, getting treatment early can help.
Is Schizophrenia Common?
Among veterans, it is very common to develop schizophrenia. About 25% of active-duty members have schizophrenia, and war veterans also have this mental disorder.
Schizophrenia Help for Veterans in Need From The VA
It is comforting to know that there is help for veterans in need if they have schizophrenia. If your mental disorder was caused by serving in the military, you might be entitled to compensation from the VA.
Even if you or someone you love entered the service with schizophrenia, but being in the war made it worse, you could also receive compensation. This type of mental disorder makes it hard for many veterans to work or continue their daily activities. Those eligible for benefits can receive Total Disability Individual Unemployability benefits, which is a monthly compensation for veterans who can't find work.
Schizophrenia is a life-changing illness and causes disability for many veterans. The good news is that the VA pays veterans disability benefits for many mental health disorders, including schizophrenia.
Monthly Benefits Available for Veterans
The amount you receive in monthly benefits depends upon the VA disability rating that you have. Depending on their disability rating, some veterans can claim around $3,000 each month in benefits.
What Is My Disability Rating?
The VA uses a percentage amount to rate your disability. For example, if you have a 10% rating, it means your symptoms are sporadic. For some, their symptoms may be a bit more extreme, but they can be handled by medication.
If you have a 50% rating, it means you have a hard time with thought impairment and weekly panic attacks. It could also affect your healthy social relationships or your comprehension of complex instructions.
Those with a 70% rating may have a more challenging time finding and keeping work. Symptoms with this rating include depression, inability to manage stressful situations, neglect of personal hygiene, and more.
If the VA rates you at 100%, it means that you are unable to hold a job, and in some cases, unable to leave your home and need to be under supervision. This is a total disability which also means you suffer from hallucinations or delusions. These are common signs of schizophrenia, and you could be entitled to compensation.
How VA Benefits Can Help You
As a veteran, filing a claim for disability or VA benefits can help you to cover some of the costs of living with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is one of the most challenging mental health conditions that affect servicemen and women, and VA disability compensation can help you to pay for drugs, medicines, and other adjustments to help you adapt to the condition.
Having schizophrenia also puts you at an increased risk for other disorders including ischemic heart disease, which can themselves require costly medical treatment. Disability benefits may also help you to cover these costs and improve your lifestyle and diet sufficiently to reduce your risk of suffering from secondary problems.
At Wettermark Keith, we are a veterans law group that specializes in securing disability benefits for veterans with valid occupational health claims. Our experienced legal experts can guide you through the claims process to maximize your chances of securing the veterans’ benefits that you’re entitled to.
Compensation for Schizophrenia Caused By Military Service
If your schizophrenia was either caused or aggravated by military service, you could receive compensation from the VA. You must submit your claim to the VA for consideration, and they must rate you before they tell you what you can receive.
If you have schizophrenia, it may be harder for you to complete the application and submit the necessary medical documents to the VA. Instead, you can rely on a reputable attorney to review your case and submit those documents on your behalf.
How Else Can a VA Disability Lawyer Help Me?
In addition to filing out the paperwork and sending in what is necessary, your attorney can also serve as a liaison between you and the VA office. The attorney will be in constant communication, finding out any significant updates you need to be aware of. They also serve as your legal advisor.
If you have any questions about the process or want to learn more about your options, you can always ask your attorney for more information. They are there to help you understand what is going on, and they will ensure that you get the compensation you deserve.
Schizophrenia FAQs
The VA disability rating for schizophrenia is a rating that ranges from 10% to 100% depending on how severe your schizophrenic symptoms are. The percent of your disability rating reflects the severity of your symptoms and thus the amount of compensation that you’re eligible to claim. Your rating is determined through psychiatric evaluations as well as interviews with your friends and family members.
The amount of money that you can claim depends on your disability rating as well as your living status. If you’re single with no dependents, you can usually claim less than if you are married with children. The amount of veterans benefits that you may be able to claim for schizophrenia ranges from around $142 per month for single veterans with a 10% disability rating to $900 per month for single veterans with a 50% disability rating and rises to over $3,000 per month for single veterans with a 100% disability rating.
Yes, if you aren’t happy with your disability rating, you can begin an initial rating appeal within one year of the initial rating period. This is a second chance to demonstrate how much your schizophrenia affects your life and what level of impairment you suffer from as a result of your disorders or disability.
What if I Was Denied Veterans Disability Benefits?
If you are a veteran and were denied benefits from your VA disability claim within the past year, you can appeal it.
A common reason why the VA may have denied your claim is simply a mistake was made. The VA often denies clearly legitimate claims, so if you were denied veterans disability benefits for schizophrenia, don’t be discouraged. Partner with a seasoned VA attorney like Wettermark Keith to fight for the rights and benefits you deserve.
Another common reason the VA denies veterans disability benefits for schizophrenia is because the veteran simply did not submit enough evidence with their initial claim. The VA isn't going to comb through your claim and request medical records that weren't included. If the VA cannot find a connection between your service and your diagnosis, they won't accept your claim. Often times, the condition could have existed before service and VA doesn’t find that it was aggravated by service.
Our VA lawyers have been successful at schizophrenia veteran's disability claims because we submit strong, indisputable evidence. We work with physicians, psychologists, and other experts to obtain reports that are submitted with appeals. If you wish to obtain veterans' disability benefits for schizophrenia, make sure you present the strongest evidence to the VA.
Help for Veterans With Schizophrenia
If you or someone you love has schizophrenia, please know there is help for veterans in need. Depending on your VA disability rating, you may receive a substantial amount of benefits that can sustain your monthly bills.
Submitting your documents to the VA after a denied claim can be tedious, especially if this is your first time submitting for benefits. Instead of doing that on your own, you can enlist the help of a reputable VA disability lawyer for more help.
If you or someone you know suffers from schizophrenia and needs help getting the benefits you deserve, contact us. We are ready to answer any questions or concerns you may have about the process and VA law.
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