Anxiety decisions — 2008

The Board has determined that the veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and hypertension did not begin during service or within one year of separation from active duty. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verification of combat stressors and an opinion on whether the veteran's anxiety disorder was aggravated by his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's current psychiatric disabilities, including major depression and dysthymia, are not related to his service. The in-service diagnosis of adjustment disorder did not lead to a current disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missing service treatment records and incomplete information.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disability, claimed as anxiety disorder. The evidence did not support a finding of a verified in-service stressor or a causal link between current symptoms and service.

The VA has determined that the veteran's generalized anxiety disorder warrants a 30 percent evaluation, effective from February 2, 2001.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service and National Guard records, particularly those related to the veteran's active duty for training in San Antonio, Texas. The RO/AMC is instructed to verify all periods of active duty for training performed by the veteran with the Arkansas National Guard and obtain his complete personnel and medical treatment records.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected psychoneurosis, anxiety state is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and notification.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims due to insufficient medical evidence and a need for further examination. The claims of service connection for depression with anxiety, type II diabetes mellitus, and esophageal stricture are being reviewed.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for an anxiety disorder, finding that it is not related to his military service or a service-connected disability.

The veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and he did not meet the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 or 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining service personnel records and VA treatment records, providing Dingess compliant notice, scheduling a VA psychiatric examination, and ensuring all relevant evidence is associated with the claims file.

The veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder with depressive features produces symptoms of such severity that it causes total occupational impairment, resulting in a 100 percent schedular rating. The issue of entitlement to TDIU benefits is rendered moot by the award of a 100 percent schedular evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to allegations of worsening service-connected disabilities since a June 2005 VA examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of increased rating for generalized anxiety with depression, service connection for heart disability, and residuals, bilateral frozen ears. The claim to reopen a previous denial regarding residuals, bilateral frozen feet was also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a disorder manifested by fatigue, headaches, joint pain, depression, and anxiety, diagnosed as compatible with fibromyalgia.

The Board has granted service connection for dysthymia with anxiety and a TDIU rating, but the effective date remains August 24, 1998.

The Board has reviewed the claims for increased evaluations and service connection, but found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation or service connection in all cases. The appeals are therefore denied.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected anxiety reaction did not significantly or materially contribute to his congestive heart failure, which resulted in his death. Therefore, the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death was denied.

The veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized dental services is denied as the treatment was not rendered in response to a medical emergency and VA facilities were feasibly available.