38 CFR § 4.130
- Diagnostic Code: 9432
- Typical Rating Range: 0%,10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, 100%
Many people ask us how to get 100% VA disability for their mental health claim. The VA frequently awards increases—sometimes up to the 100% level—for mental health disorders, including bipolar disorder.
If you’re living with bipolar disorder, you may be wondering how to get a rating (or a rating increase). In this article, we’ll educate you about how the VA classifies bipolar disorder, what benefits are available for those who suffer from it, and how to submit the most convincing evidence to support your VA claim for bipolar disorder.
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What Is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes you to alternate between periods of depression and mania. (Mania is characterized by an intense increase in energy and mood elevation.) In simplest terms, when you have bipolar disorder, your moods can swing between really high and really low.
Manic episodes can cause:
- Through-the-roof energy and activity (leading you to take on endless activities and projects)
- Euphoria (making you feel incredibly happy or invincible)
- Impulsive behavior (like going on spending sprees or making high-risk investments)
- Irritability
- Rapid speech
- Racing thoughts
- Running on little to no sleep. (During a manic episode, it’s not uncommon for someone to sleep just several hours a week and feel like they’re thriving.)
Depressive episodes can cause:
- Feelings of sadness and hopelessness
- Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Extreme fatigue
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Feelings of guilt
- Thoughts of death or suicide
These mood swings can disrupt every part of your life, from relationships and employment to your ability to manage daily responsibilities. If your bipolar disorder began during your military service, it may qualify as a service-connected disability.
Can Military Service Cause Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder often has a genetic component. Maybe you have a parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle who suffered from bipolar disorder, and you’re predisposed to it due to your family history. However, bipolar disorder is more than just genetics. It can be triggered by environmental stress, like combat exposure or traumatic experiences. Frequent deployments can also ratchet up stress and trigger or worsen bipolar disorder. So can the process of reintegrating into civilian life after military service.
So while you may have an inborn predisposition to bipolar disorder, it could be the stresses and strains of military life that cause it to manifest and spiral out of control.
How the VA Rates Bipolar Disorder
The VA rates bipolar disorder under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders using diagnostic code 9432. Your mental health VA disability rating is not based on your diagnosis alone but on how severely the disorder affects your ability to function in your personal and professional lives. Ratings are issued at 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, and 100%, depending on the frequency, intensity, and duration of your symptoms.
For example, a 30% rating might reflect occasional symptoms that cause you to be less efficient at work but still allow you to function. A 70% rating, on the other hand, often indicates near-continuous panic or depression affecting your ability to care for yourself, control your impulses, and carry out routine activities.
To receive a 100% rating, you typically must demonstrate gross occupational and social impairment, which could include delusions, disorientation, memory loss, grossly inappropriate behavior, or a persistent danger of harming yourself or others.
The majority of ratings for bipolar disorder are granted at the 70% level.
Do I Need to Exhibit Every Symptom on the Rating Schedule?
No. This is a myth. The VA will consider the big picture of your symptoms and typically assign a rating that reflects the highest level of impairment. For example, if you exhibit two symptoms from the 30% rating category and four from the 70% category, the VA will likely assign you a 70% rating.
Remember to think out of the box with your symptoms. Veterans often look at a list of symptoms and assume that they don’t qualify. However, upon closer examination, they realize that they do.
For example, one of the criteria for a 100% rating for bipolar disorder is “intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living, including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene.” You may think you don’t qualify because you are able to keep yourself groomed. However, you can’t sleep for more than a few hours a night, which constitutes a major problem with “daily living.” Maybe you don’t think you fit the description of “harming yourself or others,” but your appetite has dwindled to nothing, and you don’t want to eat a thing. Perhaps this could be argued as a significant source of harm.
In another example, the 70% rating cites “spatial disorientation.” You generally know where you are, but sometimes when you’re driving, you zone out and miss your exit. This could be considered “spatial disorientation.”
Get veteran disability claim help if you are unsure of the different ways you may qualify for a rating increase.
What You’ll Need to Support Your Claim
When filing your claim, your success depends on the strength of your evidence. This includes:
- A current diagnosis from a licensed mental health professional. If you haven’t been seen lately for your condition, make an appointment right away. The VA will want to see that you have an official diagnosis and are currently being treated for your bipolar disorder.
- Medical records. These records can tell your medical story and show how your condition has worsened over time. If you’ve been hospitalized or received emergency care for your condition, make sure these records are included.
- Service records. These are critical for showing stressful situations, such as combat deployments, that may have contributed to the development of your bipolar disorder.
- A personal statement. Since bipolar disorder isn’t as easy to see as something like a broken limb, you can use a personal statement to help your VA reviewer “see” how your bipolar disorder affects you on a daily basis.
Keep your statement short and to the point, but use it to illustrate how your military service triggered or worsened your condition and how your disorder affects you on a daily basis. Does it make it hard to get out of bed? Has it kept you from holding a job for more than a couple of months? Have you drained your family’s finances during your manic episodes? Does it cause you to isolate from your spouse during your depressive episodes? - Buddy statements. Your friends, family members, or co-workers/employers can write brief statements about how they have observed your bipolar disorder symptoms. If they can testify that your symptoms were triggered or worsened by your military service, have them include these details in their statements. For example, your buddy who deployed with you may explain the details of a combat situation and how, after returning home from the deployment, you started developing mood swings that you had not demonstrated before.
- A nexus letter. This key letter from a mental health physician can help establish the link between your military service and your bipolar disorder. If you have a private provider who is familiar with your condition, you can take them a nexus letter template and ask them to write the letter for you. It should say that “it is at least as likely as not” that your condition was caused or worsened by your military service.
The VA may also schedule a Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam to evaluate the severity of your symptoms. Do not show up for this exam like you’re having your best day. Be honest and specific about how bipolar disorder affects your daily life. This is not the time to downplay symptoms.
Inconsistent or vague descriptions can hurt your case, so prepare ahead of time to communicate clearly and thoroughly. It’s not a bad idea to take your personal statement to the exam and read it so that you stay on track and convey all the relevant information about your bipolar disorder.
Common Challenges You Might Face
Many veterans with bipolar disorder face the frustration of initial claim denials or underratings. This is often due to a lack of a clear link between your medical condition and your military service. It can also be because of a lack of documentation to show the severity, frequency, and duration of your symptoms.
You might also run into issues if your diagnosis has changed over time. For instance, some veterans initially diagnosed with depression or anxiety are later re-diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In these cases, it can be challenging to clarify your true condition and show the progression over time. A VA claims consultant can help you develop a strong case.
Mental Health Claims Are Just as Valid
It’s important to understand that mental health conditions like bipolar disorder are just as valid as physical injuries in the eyes of the VA—at least, they should be. But stigma and misunderstanding still exist, which can make it harder for you to advocate for yourself. Don’t let this discourage you.
If you’ve hesitated to file because you’re unsure whether your symptoms “count,” know this: bipolar disorder can seriously affect your ability to function, work, and maintain relationships. That’s exactly what the VA disability system is designed to compensate. Your experiences and struggles are real, and you deserve support.
Your Path to a Fair Rating
Getting the VA disability benefits you deserve for bipolar disorder is possible, but it requires strategy, documentation, and resilience. Whether you’re filing a new claim or appealing a decision, stay informed and persistent.
Contact VA Claims Academy to learn how to “speak VA” so your claim resonates with your VA reviewer. We can also provide a variety of “plug-and-play” templates for things like personal statements and nexus letters. With the help of these resources, you’re not reinventing the wheel. You’re drawing on the success of past claims that have won bipolar disorder rating increases for fellow veterans.