Anxiety decisions — 2006

The veteran's anxiety disorder is granted as service-connected, and his residuals of a shell fragment wound to the left arm are rated at 20 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a PTSD diagnosis and finds that his other psychiatric conditions are not service-connected. The TDIU claim is also denied as there is no combined rating of 70% or more for service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's anxiety disorder and hypertension are not related to his military service or Agent Orange exposure, and thus denied both claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a nerves and anxiety disorder, PTSD, an enlarged heart, a stomach condition, and diabetes mellitus type II (DM), including as secondary to exposure to Agent Orange. The appeals were not about service connection at all.

The Board has granted a 50 percent disability rating for the veteran's anxiety disorder with strong hysterical features, effective from April 7, 1988.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorders, including anxiety disorder, severe depressive disorder, and aggressive disorder. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's generalized anxiety disorder is aggravated by his service-connected post-gastrectomy and gastrojejunostomy syndrome, warranting secondary service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, but denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD. The veteran's participation in combat campaigns provided credible supporting evidence to establish the occurrence of a stressor related to his PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verification of stressors and a VA psychiatric examination to determine if the veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased disability rating for service-connected generalized anxiety disorder and entitlement to compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for right eye disability, as well as his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU).

The Board has remanded the case due to missing medical records and SSA disability benefits records. The veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is pending.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for generalized anxiety disorder and double pneumonia, finding no current diagnosis of either condition.

The Board found no clear medical opinion linking the veteran's current psychiatric problems to his service, specifically the removal of his teeth in service. Therefore, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining SSA records and issuing a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) citing to 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f). The veteran's claim is pending as both service connection and reopening of PTSD claims are at issue.

The veteran's claims for higher disability evaluations for his service-connected scars, anxiety, and headaches status post concussive syndrome were denied. The RO found that the current ratings adequately reflected the severity of these conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's generalized anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating than 50 percent, as it did not cause significant impairment in most areas such as work and social functioning.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically a generalized anxiety disorder. The case is now remanded for further development including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The veteran's generalized anxiety disorder is currently rated at 50 percent, while his schizophrenia (with paranoid features) remains at the maximum 50 percent rating. The decision on each condition is separate and does not affect the other.

The Board found no evidence of hypertension or anxiety during service, and denied both claims as there is insufficient medical evidence to link these conditions to service.