Agoraphobia is a mental health disorder characterized by an intense fear and avoidance of places or situations. Many veterans return home from service having experienced traumatic events that triggered agoraphobia and find that the symptoms negatively impact their daily lives.
Don’t fight the VA alone
If you’re a veteran struggling with agoraphobia, you might be wondering if you are eligible for an agoraphobia VA rating.
In this article, we discuss what agoraphobia is, how veterans may be more at risk of developing the condition, and how the VA assigns an agoraphobia VA disability rating.
In this article about the agoraphobia VA rating:
What is agoraphobia?
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder and is often a symptom of panic disorder. People with agoraphobia have a fear of going places that may trigger panic or feelings of being trapped, embarrassed, or helpless.
Agoraphobia can look different from person to person and varies in severity. For example, someone may avoid traveling by airplane because of fear of enclosed spaces. Another person might have an intense fear of large crowds and may avoid concerts, sporting events, or festivals. People with serious cases of agoraphobia may never even leave the safety of their homes.
Most cases of agoraphobia develop after experiencing one or more panic attacks, as individuals begin to avoid situations or places that triggered the attacks out of fear of experiencing another.
Symptoms of agoraphobia include fear of:
- Being in public or crowds
- Leaving home alone
- Enclosed spaces
- Large open spaces
- Using public transportation
For someone to be considered agoraphobic, symptoms must persist for at least six months.
Agoraphobia in veterans
Some people are more at risk of developing agoraphobia than others. In some cases, it can be genetic, while in others, traumatic experiences may trigger the condition.
The intense fear and anxiety associated with traumatic military experiences can lead to a heightened sense of vulnerability and a fear of situations in which escape might be difficult or help may be unavailable.
In addition to panic disorder, agoraphobia is also associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental health issue that affects about 7% of veterans. Both conditions revolve around feelings of safety and internal or external reminders of a particular event can create intense fear, anxiety, or feelings of being unsafe. Nearly 80% of people with PTSD are diagnosed with another mental health disorder.
Veterans with agoraphobia may be eligible for compensation from the VA. In order to receive a disability rating for agoraphobia, your condition must have been caused or worsened by your military service. Below, we discuss the criteria used to assign an agoraphobia VA rating.
Agoraphobia VA rating
Agoraphobia is rated using diagnostic code 9412 under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. Agoraphobia can be rated at 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, or 100% depending on severity and frequency of your symptoms.
TDIU for agoraphobia
Mental health conditions can make it difficult to carry out daily tasks. Working and earning a living can become especially hard for someone with an anxiety condition such as agoraphobia.
For example, a veteran with agoraphobia may avoid small spaces, making it nearly impossible to work in a small office or cubicle without triggering a panic attack. A veteran with agoraphobia who avoids public transportation may find it hard to commute to work.
In some cases, a veteran may be awarded total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for agoraphobia and related issues. TDIU is also known as individual unemployability or simply IU. Veterans are eligible for these benefits if they can’t hold down “substantially gainful” employment due to their service-connected conditions.
To be eligible for TDIU veterans must meet the following criteria:
- Have at least one service-connected disability rated at least 60% OR
- Have two or more service-connected disabilities, with at least one disability rated 40% or more, with a combined rating of 70% or more
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Frequently asked questions
Using the criteria under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders, veterans with service-connected agoraphobia may receive an agoraphobia VA disability rating of 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, or 100% depending on the severity and frequency of their symptoms.
Yes, there is a connection between agoraphobia and PTSD. Because both conditions can involve avoidance of places and circumstances in order to feel safe, veterans with PTSD may also have or develop agoraphobia.
Neil Woods
Neil Woods is a VA disability attorney and the owner and president of Woods & Woods. He received his law degree from Western Michigan University.
