How to Qualify for Social Security Disability with PTSD in Indiana and Nationwide
The good news is you CAN qualify for disability for a mental health condition, and the Social Security Administration DOES recognize PTSD for disability benefits under its “trauma- and stressor-related disorders” category.
Providing evidence of your symptoms is always central to your disability claim.
Symptoms for PTSD vary in nature and severity among individuals, but common elements include:
- Repeated intense, disturbing thoughts, feelings, flashbacks, or nightmares about the traumatic event
- Overwhelming feelings of guilt, sadness, fear, or anger
- Overreacting to triggers that remind you of the event
PTSD disability claims are like any other type of disability claim in that you will need to provide evidence that you can’t work for at least a year—not in your present job and not any other line of work. Beyond these basics, there are some specific types of evidence you’ll need to support your PTSD disability claim.
Documents that can support your claim include:
- Medical records, including radiology reports or scans, to show that your symptoms aren’t caused by a physical injury
- Employer statements attesting to your inability to function properly in your job
- Police or military reports, if applicable to your trauma
- “Symptom and effect” records in which you have kept track of your PTSD incidents, what triggered them and what happened
- A Residual Functional Capacity form, filled out by your health care provider, measuring the level of daily activity you can handle
- Observations of family and friends
It doesn’t have to be all on you to do this legwork. PTSD disability advocates at Hanley Disability can handle it for you.
