If you have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), you know how difficult this illness can be. Due to the serious symptoms that come with PTSD, you might be unable to function at work. One of the most significant problems PTSD sufferers can face is the challenge involved with obtaining employer-provided long-term disability benefits.
Obtaining long-term disability benefits from an employer-provided insurance plan is no easy task. Many applicants are denied on their initial claim filing. While all claims are difficult, claims involving emotional disabilities like PTSD are the most difficult of all. It is critical to understand the steps you can take to ensure you get the benefits you need.
A serious illness
PTSD is not something to be taken lightly. People who haven’t experienced PTSD cannot know how difficult it can be for those who suffer from it. Usually caused by a stressful situation, PTSD can cause symptoms that include:
- Intrusive memories, usually of the traumatic event, including flashbacks and nightmares
- Mood swings
- Depression
- Hopelessness
- Becoming easily startled
- Sleeplessness
- Alcoholism
- Aggressive tendencies
This is a short list of symptoms that can haunt people who suffer from PTSD. This is a very serious illness that should be considered a legitimate cause of disability.
Establishing the disability
When seeking long-term disability benefits, it is critical to establish that the disability is real and debilitating. While the medical field has come to accept PTSD and other psychological and emotional illnesses as causing legitimate disabilities, the insurance industry has not come to this opinion as easily, which makes it even more difficult to obtain benefits.
Medical recommendation
A proper medical report is critical to obtaining disability benefits for PTSD. The report needs to include all the symptoms and a positive statement that you are unable to continue working as a result of the symptoms. One essential part of this report will need to address changes in symptoms, as well. If you have had PTSD for some time, and have still been able to work, your doctor will need to illustrate that your symptoms have worsened such that you are now unable to work.
Legal help
When seeking long-term disability benefits for PTSD, there is nothing more important that working with an experience team of attorneys. A skilled and experienced lawyer can walk you through the entire process, including the application process, helping you find a good doctor who understands the disability procedures, and working with the insurance company to ensure that you get the benefits you need.