Anxiety decisions — 2000

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressive mood does not warrant a rating in excess of 30 percent, as it does not result in reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as flattened affect or difficulty understanding complex commands.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, a heart condition, and hemorrhoids. The evidence does not support these claims as there is no current diagnosis of any of these conditions.

The veteran's anxiety disorder has been productive of impairment that is so severe it virtually isolates him in his environment, with totally incapacitating psychoneurotic symptoms and a demonstrable inability to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is remanded due to insufficient evidence of exposure to combat-related stressors. The RO must request details from the veteran about his claimed stressors and attempt to verify them through USASCRUR.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for psychiatric disability, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. The claim is now pending for further review.

The veteran's low back strain was not incurred while pursuing vocational rehabilitation training, and his generalized anxiety disorder is currently evaluated at 50 percent disabling.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the veteran's gastrointestinal disorder, including duodenitis and peptic ulcer disease, began during service. The anxiety disorder is also considered to have begun after service. Therefore, both conditions are granted as service-connected.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and conducting VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected psychiatric disorder and bilateral pes planus.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and development of his claims.

The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disability including COPD and for a psychiatric disorder including PTSD, finding that the veteran's current conditions did not have their onset in or were aggravated by his military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and bilateral elbow strain, finding that there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for arthritis and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The decision found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, and concluded that there was insufficient evidence to establish a direct link between current symptoms and military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and a psychiatric specialist's opinion regarding whether the veteran's service-connected conditions contributed to his death.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating of her service-connected generalized anxiety disorder is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records and conduct a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's anxiety reaction warrants a 50 percent disability rating, reflecting significant impairment in social and occupational functioning.

The veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his service-connected conditions have been denied. The RO has maintained the current evaluations, which are considered adequate to compensate the veteran for his disabilities.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for his anxiety disorder was denied, but he received an increased rating of 20 percent for the residuals secondary to transurethral resection procedures and repeated cystoscopies. The effective date for this increase is April 13, 1992.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for schizophrenia and has determined that new evidence supports this reopening, leading to a grant of service connection with a 70% rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's generalized anxiety disorder had its onset during service and is therefore granted service connection.