When Mental Trauma Prevents You From Working

Not all work-related injuries are physical. If you were involved in or witnessed a traumatic event at your workplace, you may be suffering the emotional effects of that experience. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that could affect your ability to do your job, and in some cases it can create problems in your home life as well. You are entitled to collect workers' comp benefits if you are suffering from this disorder, so read on to learn more.

What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? When some people are involved in or witness a stressful event, their minds are impacted in such a manner that they revisit the event repeatedly. Some people experience flashbacks, where they feel as if they are reliving the traumatic event, which can create conditions like depression, anxiety, problems sleeping and eating, mood problems, and more. Since PTSD is now an officially recognized mental disorder and is listed in the DSM-5, which is the handbook of mental disorders, it is considered a covered condition for workers' comp insurance.

What can workers' comp do for me? If your claim is approved, you can expect to have all of your mental health therapy, drugs, and diagnostic tests covered, in addition to a portion of your salary paid to you while you stay home from work and recuperate.

What could cause PTSD at work? Most people became aware of this disorder chiefly through soldiers returning from duty who are suffering from the effects of the trauma of war. You don't need to be a soldier to experience horrific events, however. Here are just a few of the possible scenarios in civilian life that could provoke PTSD:

• You work as a bank teller and you are held up by an armed robber.
• You work as a teacher ,and a gunman makes your school a target.
• You work as an emergency medical technician and respond to an unusually gruesome accident scene.
• You work in an office, and a fired co-worker returns to work and commits suicide in front of you.

How can I get my workers' comp claim approved? It can be more challenging to get benefits from these types of injuries, so take care to:

1. Seek treatment immediately. Mental health treatment can help you deal with the PTSD and help you get your life back to normal again. Seeking and staying in treatment is a vital facet of getting your claim approved.
2. Let your supervisor know about your PTSD so that a claim can be filed. If you feel that your issue is not being taken seriously by your workplace or if you are having problems with your claim, contact a workers' comp attorney at a law firm like the Law Offices of Terry Katz & Associates right away.