Anxiety decisions — 2003

The Board has found that the appellant does not have PTSD, but service connection is granted for an anxiety disorder and peptic ulcer disease. Fibromyalgia was not related to military service.

The Board denied service connection for an anxiety disorder and dysplasia, and granted service connection for hemorrhoids and headaches. The veteran's appeal is still pending on the issues of service connection for an anxiety disorder and entitlement to a compensable rating for headaches.

The Board has ordered further development in the veteran's case due to pending issues and new evidence. The appeal is currently on hold for additional review.

The Board has determined that the veteran's anxiety/somatoform disorder is manifested by total occupational impairment, warranting a 100 percent disability evaluation.

The Board has granted a 50% disability rating for the veteran's anxiety reaction, finding that it is productive of considerable social and industrial impairment.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, a psychiatric disability, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, and abdominal pain, all claimed as secondary to residuals of an appendectomy. The veteran was also denied an increased rating for his service-connected appendectomy scar.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including as secondary to a service-connected disability, and for erectile dysfunction claimed as secondary to tremors. The RO is instructed to obtain all relevant medical records and provide the veteran with appropriate notice before readjudicating his claims.

The Board has ordered further development in the veteran's case due to pending issues and new evidence. The appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records from VA and non-VA providers.

The veteran's fatal lung cancer is deemed service-connected on a secondary basis due to his service-connected psychiatric disorder, which played a significant role in his smoking and death. The veteran's widow is therefore entitled to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC).

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and to reopen his service connection claims. The veteran was not granted any new or material evidence in relation to his gastrointestinal disorder, eczema, or atypical anxiety with hysteric components. His seizure disorder rating remained unchanged.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are the result of noise exposure in service. The veteran's claims for eczema and psychoneurosis were also granted.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD. The issues of entitlement to service connection for fatigue, headaches, memory loss, sleep disorder, depression, nightmares, flashbacks, irritability, anger, anxiety, and skin rash have also been reopened.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully adjudicate the veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The case will be returned to the RO for further review and consideration.

The veteran does not have hypertension or an elevated blood pressure.,There is no evidence of residuals from the excision of a testicular cyst during service, and there is insufficient medical evidence to link current anxiety disorder to service.,Service connection for anxiety was denied as there is no causal link between the claimed disability and active duty.

The Board has ordered further development due to the need for additional evidence. The case is now being sent back to the RO for obtaining medical records and arranging a VA medical opinion regarding whether hypertension is caused or aggravated by service-connected psychiatric disabilities.

The Board has granted an increased rating of 100% for the service-connected anxiety reaction, effective from the date of the decision.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to procedural defects, and a full year is allowed for response.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinea versicolor is very likely related to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder is of such severity as to preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected general anxiety disorder warrants a disability rating of 30 percent, effective from the date of the decision.