Anxiety decisions — 2005

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, as well as scheduling examinations to assess the veteran's current mental health status and skin condition.

The veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is granted. The claims for residuals of a spine injury and a disability manifested by muscle spasm and swelling of the hips, legs, and toes are denied.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for increased rating and TDIU due to incomplete development of evidence, including a lack of notification regarding what type of evidence would be necessary to substantiate his claim. The veteran was not provided with information about the VCAA or asked to provide any relevant evidence in his possession.

The Board has granted a higher initial rating for the veteran's anxiety disorder. The appeals seeking service connection for allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, and chronic cervicitis have been withdrawn by the appellant.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA examination reports and treatment records. The issues of entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for generalized anxiety disorder and entitlement to a compensable disability rating for tinea pedis will be reconsidered based on the revised skin disease regulations.

The Board has reopened the appellant's claim of service connection for an anxiety disorder and determined that it is as likely as not that the veteran experienced this condition during his military service. The heart valve disorder and liver disorder claims are remanded due to a lack of service medical records.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for tinnitus and hypertension, as well as his application to collaterally attack the final December 1998 rating decision that continued a 10 percent evaluation for seborrheic dermatitis. The issues of entitlement to increased compensation for maxillary sinusitis and anxiety disorder are addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The veteran's initial increased disability ratings for her service-connected cervical strain with right shoulder involvement and chronic lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease secondary to trauma have been denied.,Her PTSD has also been denied an increased rating.

The veteran's anxiety neurosis has rendered him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment, warranting a 100% rating. The heart disability is found to be proximately due to the service-connected anxiety neurosis.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for anxiety disorder and duodenal ulcer disease, as well as his TDIU claim, were denied. The service-connected conditions are evaluated based on their direct impact without any presumption or secondary linkage.

The veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and other issues were denied. Additional development is needed to address the claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's history of a psychotic disorder and anxiety disorder is due to disease that was incurred in active service, granting service connection.

The veteran's claimed conditions have not been found to be service-connected, as the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that any current diagnoses are related to his military service.

The Board granted service connection for a generalized anxiety disorder and assigned a 30 percent disability rating, effective from April 27, 1993. The claim was remanded to determine if the appellant's current 50 percent rating is warranted as of November 7, 1996.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, and right knee disability were granted. The claim for a compensable evaluation for macular degeneration was denied. The veteran is now service-connected for PTSD with a rating of 50%.

The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for the veteran's depression with anxiety, effective from June 24, 2002.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD warrants a 50 percent disability rating, reflecting occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current low back disorder and psychiatric disorder were not incurred in or aggravated by active service.,There is no evidence of any back injury during service, and the current condition was first manifested many years after service.

The RO denied service connection for anxiety neurosis with paranoid features in April 10, 1978 due to lack of evidence of a pre-existing condition and the diagnosis was not among those subject to presumptive service connection.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of the medical record to comply with previous Board and Court orders.