Anxiety decisions — 2002

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including generalized anxiety disorder and residuals of a back injury, have resulted in the need for regular aid and attendance of another person or being housebound. The Board has determined that these conditions are attributable to his service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's increased ratings for anxiety reaction and gastroesophageal reflux disorder were denied, but he was granted a 30 percent rating for GERD.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a chronic psychiatric disorder, specifically anxiety disorder, during service or post-service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for chronic anxiety disorder is denied.,Gingivitis was diagnosed during service and continues to be present. However, as per VA regulations, gingivitis cannot be considered a ratable disability for compensation purposes. The veteran's appeal regarding this issue is therefore denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for PTB, heart disease, arthritis, and anxiety as new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The Board found that the evidence submitted since the August 1977 rating decision is not new and material, thus denying the petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for anxiety and depression.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that his service-connected disability did not cause or contribute to his death and that there was no evidence linking any clinical manifestations in service to his later diagnosed conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected panic disorder with anxiety, finding that the symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder results in total occupational and social impairment, warranting a 100 percent rating.

The veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder is rated at 70 percent, and he has been granted a total rating based on unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's appeal is dismissed due to their death.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder did not contribute to his cause of death, which was due to an acutely expanding and leaking thoracic aortic aneurysm.

The veteran's service-connected schizophrenia with severe anxiety is shown to be productive of a level of social and industrial inadaptability that more nearly approximates a disability picture consistent with that of a demonstrable inability to obtain or retain employment, warranting a 100 percent rating.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is denied, but he is granted a 50% rating for his generalized anxiety disorder.

The Board found that the veteran's alcohol and polysubstance abuse/dependency, dysthymic disorder with depression, and anxiety disorder (other than social phobia) did not originate during active service or were not caused by his service-connected social phobia.

The veteran's psychiatric symptoms, including sleep disturbance, have not been shown to be related to service or an undiagnosed illness incurred during his Gulf War service. The Board denied the claim for service connection.

The veteran's sinus tachycardia with anxiety disorder is currently rated at 30 percent, effective January 12, 1998. The evaluation for anxiety disorder remains unchanged.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected residuals of heat injury with recurrent episodes of altered consciousness, anxiety and PTSD warrant a 30 percent evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected PTSD with generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder most nearly approximates a disability picture of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50 percent evaluation.

The Board has granted a 70 percent evaluation for the veteran's post-traumatic psychoneurosis (identified as a generalized anxiety disorder with PTSD) effective from October 31, 2001.

The Board has determined that a rating of 30 percent for generalized anxiety disorder is warranted before October 6, 1999 and no higher thereafter.