April 6, 2026
PTSD Affects More Than Your Mental Health. The VA Should Recognize That. PTSD is one of the most common — and most misunderstood — VA disability claims. Many veterans carry symptoms for years before connecting them to their service: difficulty sleeping, hypervigilance, irritability, avoidance of certain places or situations, trouble maintaining relationships. The VA rates PTSD under Diagnostic Code 9411 at 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, or 100%, based on how your symptoms affect your ability to work and maintain daily life. A 70% PTSD rating, for example, currently pays over $1,700/month. Visit the VA Calculator But here’s what many veterans don’t realize: PTSD rarely exists on its own. The chronic stress response it creates can cause or worsen physical conditions — sleep apnea, migraines, hypertension, gastrointestinal issues. Each of those can be claimed as a secondary condition with its own separate rating. That means a veteran rated at 70% […]