I'm no expert on Somatic Symptom Disorder or Chronic Pain Syndrome other than the fact that I have been living with Chronic Pain for over 20 years. This is my understanding of how Va rates Chronic Pain Syndrome and how they might rate you when you file a claim for somatic symptom disorder. We can look to a decision from 2018 called Sanders V. Wilkie where the court found that pain alone can serve as a functional impairment and qualify as a disability, and a diagnosis is NOT required in order to receive veterans benefits. Think of it like this, If VA can pay veterans benefits to Gulf War Veterans that have an undiagnosed condition then veterans with chronic pain syndrome can also be compensated for an undiagnosed condition. Somatic symptom disorder is characterized by an extreme focus on physical symptoms such as pain or fatigue that causes major emotional distress and problems functioning. You may or may not have another diagnosed medical condition associated with these symptoms, but your reaction to the symptoms is not normal. I recommend a diagnosis, DBQ and Nexus Letter when you file your claim for Somatic Symptom Disorder. Just because you don’t need a diagnosis doesn't mean that you shouldn't provide one. The best way to file a claim for Somatic Symptom Disorder is by filing it as a secondary condition to something that is already service-connected. Somatic Symptom Disorder is a bit confusing when it comes to veterans benefits because Sanders V. Wilkie is still new so we will have to keep an eye on it and see how Va reacts.
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