If you are a veteran and you are unable to work because of your medical conditions then in most cases you should apply for SSDI and VA IU.  Yes, you can get both.  There is some differences in how each agency determines if you are disabled.  In a SSDI case, the Social Security Administration will look at all your medical conditions to determine if you are disabled.  In a VA IU case, the Veterans Administration will only look at your service connected medical conditions to determine if you are disabled.  So, if you are unable to work due to your service connected medical conditions then you should definitely apply for both.

To get a full understanding of how you can help yourself prove you are disabled for your SSDI claim I recommend you research my website and the SSA website but in this post I will give you some helpful tips.  First, make sure you take the time to write down every place you received treatment for your medical conditions.  This should include hospitals, clinics, private doctors and any medical tests.  Second, make sure SSA has all your medical records from these places.  Second, make sure to understand what you have to prove to win your particular case.  One way to do this is to research this website and the SSA website.  You must understand the 5 step process used to determine if someone is disabled.  Part of this is understanding the Medical Vocational Guidelines also referred to as the GRID Rules.  You should also make sure to read the medical listing of impairments for your particular medical conditions.  Third, it is very important to be able to show what your limitations are in a work environment due to your medical conditions.  The easiest way to do this is to get an RFC form completed by your treating doctor.  For more on this see my page on these forms.  To give yourself the best chance to win and SSDI claim you need to make sure all your records are in and that you also have opinion evidence which shows your limitations from your medical conditions.