Anxiety decisions — 2007

The veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a skull fracture, nose fracture, migraine headaches, recurrent fever, and an anxiety disorder, NOS with cognitive defects are all denied.,There is no current medical diagnosis or evidence linking any of the claimed conditions to military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and verifying in-service stressors. The veteran is also to be examined by a VA psychiatrist to determine if PTSD was incurred during service and whether any current psychiatric disability had its onset during service or is otherwise related to service. A VA examination is also needed to determine if porphyria cutanea tarda and peripheral neuropathy are related to service.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, anxiety disorder, right knee disorder, pes planus, residuals of a jaw injury, migraine headaches (claimed as secondary to jaw injury), and sleep apnea.

The veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected undiagnosed illness that is most closely analogous to fibromyalgia is being remanded due to a discrepancy between the results of his September 2003 VA examination and his testimony at a RO hearing in September 2004.

The Board found that the veteran did not have depression with anxiety during service and there is no evidence of continuity of symptoms. The current diagnosis of depression was first noted years after service, and the Board determined it is less likely related to service.

The veteran's duodenal ulcer disease is productive of continuous moderate manifestations, warranting a rating of 20 percent. The anxiety disorder issue was also granted.

The veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder met the criteria for a 100% schedular evaluation as of June 28, 1992. The effective date was set at this date.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain the veteran's treatment records and to provide an opinion on whether his service-connected hemorrhoids disability makes worse his mental disorder. The case will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's psychiatric disability, specifically depression and anxiety, was not incurred or aggravated by active duty service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection.

The Board found that the earliest date of record at which time it was factually ascertainable that the veteran warranted a 100 percent evaluation for his service-connected anxiety disorder was October 13, 2004. The effective date for the grant of increased rating is therefore set to this date.

The Board has determined that there is no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders to his service, and thus denied the claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of pneumonia and a psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety, are denied as there is no evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not submit timely substantive appeals for all issues, including skin disability, bilateral knee disability, sinus disability, memory loss, and PTSD.

The veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disability is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for an anxiety disorder and peptic ulcer disease, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions originated during service.

The veteran's claim for an initial rating higher than 30 percent for PTSD with dysthymia and anxiety is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to determine if the veteran's current psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD, are related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinea manus, pruritis, and a depressive disorder with prominent anxiety symptoms related to service. The veteran's right ear hearing loss is rated at 10%.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder is currently manifested by symptoms such as anxiety, panic attacks, suspiciousness, memory loss, mood swings, and periods of agitation, which result in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. The criteria for a rating in excess of 50 percent have not been met.

The Board found that the veteran's generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder were not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty military service, nor are they proximately due to or the result of his service-connected gastroesophogeal reflux disease (GERD).