Anxiety decisions — 2009

The Veteran is seeking service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including depression and anxiety. The Board has determined that further examination and opinion are needed to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disability.

The Veteran seeks service connection for schizoaffective disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, which he claims are due to his exposure to aircraft fuel while in service. The case is REMANDED for additional development including obtaining VA and private medical records.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and anxiety, is denied as there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to his active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, an increased rating for peptic ulcer disease (PUD), and a prior effective date for PUD. The Veteran was also denied secondary service connection for hiatal hernia, cholecystectomy, irritable bowel syndrome, right hip subtrochanteric bursitis, and anxiety with panic attacks.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current psychiatric disabilities, including major depression, dysthymia, anxiety disorder, and conversion disorder, are causally related to his military service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder and memory loss, both claimed as due to undiagnosed illness, were denied. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service or due to an undiagnosed illness.

The Board has reopened the appellant's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression, anxiety disorder, and PTSD. However, the case is remanded to obtain further information regarding the claimed stressors in Vietnam.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and recurrent major depressive disorder. The Veteran's current psychiatric conditions are found to be related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence is not new and material, and thus the Veteran's claims for service connection for a sleep disorder and seizure disorder (previously characterized as blackouts) are denied.

The Veteran seeks service connection for anxiety and insomnia, which he claims is secondary to his service-connected back disability. The Board has determined that additional development is needed before a final decision can be made.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding no nexus between his current psychiatric conditions and his military service. The claim was reopened based on new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA examination.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is productive of total occupational and social impairment as of September 29, 2008, warranting a 100 percent disability rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected anxiety state did not contribute substantially or materially to his death, and thus denied service connection for the cause of his death.

The Veteran's claim seeking an earlier effective date for the grant of a 50% disabling evaluation for PTSD is dismissed as it cannot be established by a request for revision based on CUE due to a final rating decision in November 1947.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have PTSD at any time since filing his claim, and therefore service connection for this disability is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and opinion to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to his active service.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected chronic anxiety reaction, moderate, major depressive disorder, and diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is rated at 70 percent from November 15, 2005 forward. The effective date for the TDIU and DEA awards has been set as of August 30, 2004.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and clarifying the appellant's attorney's comments.