Schizoaffective disorder is a mental health condition that can impact every aspect of a veteran’s life. People who suffer from this impairment experience not just episodes of schizophrenia but also symptoms similar to bipolar disorder. As a result, those who receive a diagnosis of a schizoaffective disorder will need to closely manage their day to day activities and may require medication for effective treatment.
Many veterans are diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder in connection to their time spent on active duty for the United States military. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides former servicemembers who suffer from service-connected mental health conditions with disability compensation benefits. It follows that a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder may qualify a veteran for disability benefits.
However, you must take certain steps to claim benefits based on your diagnosis. Pursuing a successful claim requires you to establish your medically identifiable condition and connect it to your time on active duty. Working with a VA-accredited lawyer can help improve your chances of filing a successful schizoaffective disorder claim.
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Schizoaffective Disorder and Active Duty
Serving in any branch of the United States military is a stressful and dangerous vocation and has the potential to harm a person’s physical health and mental wellbeing. One potentially devastating result of active duty is schizoaffective disorder.
This condition combines symptoms of schizophrenia – commonly referred to as split-personality disorder – with bipolar disorder and leads people to suffer periods of mania and depression.
Many aspects of active duty military service can lead to this diagnosis. According to the Mayo Clinic, a schizoaffective disorder can be the result of exposure to extreme stress, consumption of mind-altering drugs, and certain genetic conditions. Spending time on active duty can increase a servicemember’s risk of being exposed to the potential causes of schizoaffective disorder. Proving entitlement to service connection is essential to pursuing an effective schizoaffective disorder claim.
Potential Disability Ratings for a Schizoaffective Disorder Diagnosis
VA will assign a disability rating to a qualifying veteran based on the severity of their symptoms and the effect that their impairment has on their day-to-day life. For schizoaffective disorder claims, disability ratings can range from zero to 100 percent. However, VA can only issue benefits based on ratings of ten, 30, 50, 70, and 100 percent.
It is therefore essential to demonstrate how a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder affects an applicant’s life. By working with VA psychiatrists and therapists, a veteran can demonstrate how their symptoms of depression, mania, split-personality episodes, and other cognitive problems affect their everyday life.
Pursuing a Schizoaffective Disorder Claim
Receiving a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder can be a devastating event in a veteran’s life, but it could make them eligible to receive disability compensation. Suffering from schizoaffective disorder can result in manic episodes, periods of depression, and a split personality. These symptoms can make it difficult to obtain a job, maintain personal relationships, and care for one’s own wellbeing.
Working with an attorney can help you file a strong schizoaffective disorder claim for disability compensation benefits. Reach out to a lawyer from our firm today to learn more about schizoaffective disorder and VA disability claims.
