However, many barriers remain, including the persistent stigma around addiction, gaps in treatment availability, and inconsistent policies across states. Expanding access to evidence-based care – particularly for vulnerable and underserved populations – can reduce the substantial health and economic costs tied to alcohol misuse. In tandem, community-level support and robust prevention strategies offer optimism that high-risk drinking can be mitigated through thoughtful policy changes, education, and early intervention. In other words, it is possible for veterans to receive VA compensation for a substance abuse-caused disorder. The veteran will just have to take additional steps while establishing service connection.
Submitting Your Disability Claim
Understanding the scope and nuances of alcohol abuse is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies, guiding treatment efforts, and informing public health policies. While the scenario above is certainly possible via VA’s policies and rules, it is important to keep in mind that the veteran will need strong medical evidence linking their PTSD to their liver disease to win such a claim. They should enlist their doctor to write a nexus opinion firmly establishing the connection between their disorders. Common reasons for not seeking treatment include stigma, fear of retaliation, or simply not having access to the right resources.
- We always recommend consulting with an attorney experienced in disability claims.
- If you need someone that will listen, understand, and fight then these are the people.
- Research has already linked PTSD to higher mortality rates due to liver disease.
- Much to their dismay, there are no disability benefits designated exclusively for drug or alcohol addiction as the SSA does not consider drug addiction or alcoholism to be a qualifying disability.
- An employer may be required to provide an accommodation to a person with alcohol use disorder (e.g. a flexible schedule to enable the employee to attend counseling appointments).
Long Term Disability for Alcoholism
In addition to the above options, there are other support services out there that veterans can make use of. Note that for pancreatitis in particular, the proper diagnostic studies must be conducted to confirm the condition. See the health and economic benefits of interventions for breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, and skin cancer. Please do not include any confidential or sensitive information in a contact form, text message, or voicemail. The contact form sends information by non-encrypted email, which is not secure. Submitting a contact form, sending a text message, making a phone call, or leaving a voicemail does not create an attorney-client relationship.
How Social Security Evaluates Drug and Alcohol Abuse (DAA)
North Carolina has a low rate of alcohol-related deaths per capita and a low rate of under-21 deaths. New Mexico has the third-highest number of alcohol-related deaths per capita among all the states; it’s 23.4% higher than Alaska’s per capita death rate, which is the nation’s second-highest. Nevada’s alcohol-related death rate per capita is high, but it has a very low rate of underage deaths.
Alcoholism is a serious medical condition which impacts an individual’s employment as well as their personal life.
First, it is important to know whether or not the person has been advised to stop drinking or using drugs by the doctor. If the doctor has advised the person to stop and they continue to engage in the behavior, SSA will likely determine that the person is ignoring medical advice. Other considerations are also whether the person is using v. abusing, is it prescription drugs or illegal drugs, etc. This would imply in alcoholism statistics most clinical areas that the alcohol abuse was secondary to the depression, in other words, the depression caused or led to the alcohol abuse.
Accessibility of Treatment
Fatty liver disease is another condition that can result from chronic alcohol consumption. Fatty liver disease is rated under Diagnostic Code 7345 of 38 CFR § 4.114 – Ratings of the Digestive System. Pancreatitis is another condition that can arise from long-term, heavy alcohol use. While there’s no specific VA rate for alcoholism, the VA recognizes it as a disability when it is drug addiction treatment possible to establish the link between a service-connected condition and other disabilities that could develop from your time in the military. Individuals diagnosed with AUD may be considered eligible for disability benefits under programs like Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Drug Abuse and the Body’s Neurological system
In addition, personal statements—also known as lay evidence—from people close to the veteran can help illustrate how their condition affects everyday life. Chronic diseases account for most illness, disability, and death in the United States and are the leading drivers of health care costs. A 24/7 hotline for Veterans and their families where they can receive qualified, and what is important, anonymous. You don’t have to be enrolled in VA health care or qualify for benefits to connect. A major life activity affected by addiction includes essential functions such as walking, talking, sleeping, performing manual tasks, and working. Addiction can significantly impair these activities, qualifying individuals for disability protections under federal law.
Can Alcoholics Get Social Security Disability?
However, it is not impossible if you can establish a strong link between excessive drinking and the conditions of your military service or service-connected disabilities. It’s no secret that some severe health conditions are more common among Veterans than the general population. Reports from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) show that 6.2% of Veterans (over 1.3 million people) struggle with Substance Use Disorder (SUD). Yes, alcoholism is recognized as a disability under federal law, specifically through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This means individuals with alcohol use disorder are protected against discrimination and may be eligible for reasonable accommodations in the workplace.