New Diagnosis Criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

When the American Psychiatric Association releases its 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) this fall, it will include some new, highly welcomed guidelines and criteria to be used in determining if an individual is living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Effects of PTSD Diagnosis Criteria

In her article “An Easier PTSD Diagnosis” published recently in Times U.S. online, Elspeth Cameron Ritchie expresses approval of these changes to the DSM. However, she goes on to express interest in how these changes will affect the disability system and services through the military and Veterans’ Affairs. She is specifically concerned with how and when the myriad required evaluation services will apply these updates. She writes, “According to the APA, the changes are voluntary and to be implemented over time…. To do right by our troops, the view from here is that both the Pentagon and VA should embrace the new criteria without delay.”

According to Ms. Ritchie, the changes made will make it easier for service members and veterans to meet the criteria for PTSD diagnosis by replacing some existing elements with new evaluative symptoms. In particular, the new guidelines eliminate a requirement that people experience extreme fear, helplessness, or horror at the time of a traumatic event.

Veterans with PTSD

The Department of Veterans Affairs has its own specific requirements for making a determination that a veteran is entitled to disability compensation benefits for PTSD developed as a result of military service.  If you are a veteran living with PTSD as a result of military service, both Jason Perkins and Travis Studdard are accredited to handle Veterans’ benefits claims before the Department of Veterans Affairs. We invite you to contact our office with related questions and concerns by calling the phone number on the right of this page or filling out the “Need Help” form on this page.

Travis Studdard is an attorney who focuses on representing veterans in VA disability compensation claims.  He regularly writes about issues that are important to veterans and their families.

You can subscribe to his Veterans Disability channel on YouTube.

I can't express enough how great it was to work with Perkins Studdard. They are extremely knowledgeable, professional and keep you aware of everything happening with your case. Very friendly from the front office to Mr. Perkins. I would HIGHLY recommend Perkins Studdard!James Strickland
I recommend Travis for an Veteran that has been dealing with constant denial with claims. He also , cover cost for my nexus letter when I ran into financial troubles , that helped me win my case.edwin Cook
I highly recommend Travis Studdard to represent anyone looking to help with VA claims. The VA is very difficult to deal with when attempting to get benefits from service connected injuries, at least that's my experience. Travis and his team knows the VA system and the legal procedures to help you get what you deserve. Travis was kind and passionate with me throughout this process and therefore, I highly recommend this law firm to represent DAV's.Terry Hembree
Such an awesome team. They spoke to me like a person and helped me through every decision with knowledge.Kevin Collett
Highly recommend this firm. Did exactly what they said they were going to and fairly timely. The VA is sometimes extremely difficult to navigate but this took all the leg work away from me and got me the result I thought was fair.Andrew Boone
Amazing staff, very informed along with excellent communication. Within just a few weeks of work, Mr Studdard was able to make things happen that normally take years! Highly recommendJacob Sylvester
Perkins Studdard LLC is the place you need to be if you have a Workers Comp case going on! Mr. Jason Perkins and his staff get the results that you need. They work with you and fight for you.Coming from another lawyer my husband and I were really surprised and appreciated the communication and honesty and understanding throughout the entire process. My husband loves the videos because they held so much information and helped him understand what what was going on. Thank you so much for representing us!!!Deborah Tompkins
I highly recommend Jason Perkins and the Team at Perkins and Studdard. Jason did a wonderful job on my case and actually got me better results than what I was hoping for. He was always so patient with me and made sure I was understanding every process in my case. He never seemed to mind me asking questions and always gave me straightforward answers. My phone calls to him or his staff were promptly answered or returned and everyone was always so helpful, personable, and respectful. He kept me updated on all the details of my case and sent helpful videos for me to review that were very informative.Dru Vaughn
Helped me when I needed after getting hurt at work. Thank you for everything!The Knight Family
I could not have asked for a better lawyer to represent my worker comp. case. Any questions I had during the process was always answered in a timely manner. Mr. Perkins really cared about insuring that I wasn't being taken advantage of during this process and helped us reach a settlement that I feel comfortable with. I would recommend this firm to my parents or children.syndel Laber

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