Your PTSD VA Rating: A Guide to Service-Connected Trauma
At Trajector Medical, we know that your military service may have left a lasting impact. If you’re living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), you may be medically, legally, and ethically eligible for VA disability benefits. But understanding your PTSD VA rating, and how to strengthen your case, can feel overwhelming.
You’re always in control of your benefits journey. Our team of licensed medical professionals helps you gather the medical evidence that matters, so you can tell the true story of your condition.
What Is PTSD and How Is It Connected to Your Service?
PTSD is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event during your military service. Symptoms may include nightmares, flashbacks, avoiding certain places, or feeling on edge.
A crucial part of any PTSD benefits journey is showing that a specific event, or “stressor,” happened while you were in the service. The VA requires you to link a traumatic event directly to your military duty. This “stressor” can be different for everyone. Common examples include:
- Combat Exposure: Being in direct combat, seeing casualties, or experiencing explosions.
- Military Sexual Trauma (MST): The VA has specific rules for these cases and may accept evidence like changes in behavior or reports to crisis centers.
- Non-Combat Trauma: Serious accidents, such as a training crash, or witnessing a tragic event while on duty.
The more details you can provide about the stressor, such as the date, your unit, and where it happened, the stronger your case.
Common Myths & Facts
Veterans often receive conflicting advice from online forums or well-meaning friends. Here are some facts to help you move forward with confidence:
- Myth: “You can only get a high rating for combat PTSD.”
Fact: The VA provides benefits for all types of in-service trauma. The key is providing a clear link between the event and your symptoms
- Myth: “If your stressor isn’t in your records, you’re out of luck.”
Fact: While documentation is important, the VA recognizes that not all traumatic events are formally recorded. The VA may accept alternative evidence, such as your personal statement or a “buddy statement” from a fellow service member.
Understanding the Domino Effect: PTSD and Secondary Conditions
PTSD doesn’t always happen on its own. The constant stress and anxiety it can cause may lead to other health issues, known as secondary conditions. Think of it like a line of dominoes: the first domino is your service-connected PTSD, and when it falls, it can knock over other medical conditions, which may also be connected to your service.
Common health conditions that may be linked to PTSD include:
- Sleep Apnea: The stress, anxiety, and medications for PTSD can disrupt your sleep and potentially contribute to sleep apnea.
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): Chronic stress from PTSD can affect your digestive system and potentially lead to symptoms of GERD, like heartburn.
- High Blood Pressure (Hypertension): The body’s constant “fight or flight” response from PTSD can lead to elevated blood pressure over time.
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): The body’s stress response triggered by PTSD can disrupt normal digestion and bowel movements.
- Erectile Dysfunction (ED): Anxiety, depression, and certain medications used to treat PTSD can all affect sexual health.
- Chronic Pain: PTSD can change how your brain processes pain, making you more sensitive to physical discomfort.
To connect a secondary condition, you generally need a current diagnosis for that condition, proof of your service-connected PTSD, and a medical opinion that explains the link between them.
What Each Rating Means for Your Daily Life
The VA rates PTSD under Diagnostic Code 9411, based on how your symptoms affect your daily life and work. Your rating is not just about having a diagnosis; it’s about the level of impairment you experience because of your symptoms. Ratings can range from 0% to 100%.
| VA Rating | What It Means for Your Life |
| 0% | PTSD is diagnosed, but symptoms do not interfere with work or social life, or are controlled by continuous medication. |
| 10% | Symptoms are mild and only decrease work efficiency under significant stress. |
| 30% | Occasional problems at work and with people. Symptoms may include depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, weekly panic attacks, or mild memory loss. |
| 50% | Noticeable problems at work and in relationships. More frequent panic attacks or difficulty with short-term memory. |
| 70% | Significant problems in most areas of life, such as work, school, family, and friendships. May include suicidal thoughts, obsessional rituals, or near-constant panic or depression. |
| 100% | Symptoms are so severe that they make it impossible to work or live a normal social life. May include persistent delusions or hallucinations, grossly inappropriate behavior, or inability to perform daily self-care. |
The Crucial Role of Medical Evidence
Strong medical evidence is the foundation of any successful benefits journey. For PTSD, this may include:
- Current Diagnosis: A clear diagnosis of PTSD from a qualified mental health professional (such as a psychiatrist or psychologist).
- Detailed Clinical Records: Consistent notes from your mental health providers detailing your symptoms, their frequency, severity, and how they impact your daily life, work, and social functioning.
- Personal Statements: Your own statement on VA Form 21-4138 describing your symptoms and their impact.
- Buddy Statements: Statements from friends, family, or fellow service members (on VA Form 21-10210) who witnessed your trauma or the changes in your functioning.
- Medical Nexus Letter: A professional medical opinion from a qualified mental health professional explicitly linking your current PTSD to your in-service stressor. A strong nexus letter should state that it is “at least as likely as not” that your PTSD is due to service.
Taking the Next Step in Understanding Your Medical Journey
Living with PTSD can be a profound challenge that impacts every facet of your life. You served our country, and you deserve to understand your medical situation and how it may relate to your potential VA disability benefits.
At Trajector Medical, our team of licensed medical professionals helps you document the medical evidence that matters, so you can move forward with confidence, knowing your case is as strong as possible.
Your Journey. Your Story. Your Future. They all belong to you.
All content is for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Individual results may vary. Trajector Medical is a private company and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency.
