Anxiety decisions — 2011

The Board found that the Veteran's current psychiatric disability, including depression and anxiety, was not incurred during active service. The initial disability rating for degenerative disc disease remains denied, while the claim for service connection for hypersomnia is also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of anxiety and depressive disorders are related to his military service along the Korean DMZ, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD due to a lack of corroborated stressor and insufficient medical nexus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and generalized anxiety disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition and an acquired psychiatric disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing the Veteran with a new examination.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder, previously diagnosed as PTSD, is currently rated at 50 percent effective October 17, 2003. The VA examiner noted symptoms such as avoidance of people in uniform and war movies, irritability, isolation from family members, and difficulty establishing social relationships.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder. The evidence submitted since the last denial supports this finding.,A VA psychiatrist concluded that the Veteran likely experienced early symptoms of bipolar disorder during service in 1985, which is related to his current condition.

The Veteran died from respiratory depression due to acute morphine intoxication. The appellant claims that the death was caused by his service-connected conditions, including generalized anxiety with depression and PTSD, which may have led him to abuse painkillers like morphine. The Board finds a need for additional development to determine if the cause of death is related to service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for generalized anxiety disorder, which is determined to be a result of his active military service.

The Board is reopening the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder on the basis of new and material evidence. However, since this claim requires further development before being readjudicated on its underlying merits, the Board is remanding the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to the RO via the Appeals Management Center (AMC).

The Board has granted increased ratings of 10 percent for the Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder and a compensable rating (10%) for his amputation of distal left ring finger, effective from August 2, 2006.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as PTSD, anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, and dysthymia, has been rated at 30 percent since April 23, 2008. The VA Board has determined that the evidence supports a higher rating of 70 percent for this condition, effective from the date of service connection.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder, diagnosed as Anxiety Disorder not otherwise specified (NOS), was found to be related to his in-service motor vehicle accident. Service connection for PTSD is granted based on new and material evidence received since the previous denial.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The claims will be reconsidered based on new information.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a video conference hearing and an effective date prior to July 8, 2009 for TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of anxiety and depressive disorders are related to his military service along the Korean DMZ, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the acquired psychiatric disorder other than anxiety and depression was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred in or aggravated by service. A skin disorder was not shown to be causally related to any disease, injury, or incident in service, to include treatment for a skin condition. The right foot disorder was also not shown to be causally related to any disease, injury, or incident in service.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if any current acquired psychiatric disorder is related to service, including PTSD. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated after this development.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected chronic prostatitis was granted, with the effective date being December 7, 2010. The Veteran is now rated at 40 percent for this disability.