Anxiety decisions — 2012

The Board has ordered additional development for the appellant's claims, including obtaining his service medical records and arranging for examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities. The case will be returned to the RO/AMC for further consideration.

The Veteran is seeking a TDIU based on service-connected PTSD, major depressive disorder, substance abuse, psychoneurosis anxiety, and conversion. The case must be remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records, specifically the September 2010 VA psychiatry examination report.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA examination reports and medical records to address the etiology of his psychiatric disorders and the severity of his duodenal ulcer.

The Board has determined that the Veteran currently suffers from generalized anxiety disorder and finds it as likely as not related to his active service, thus granting service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disorder, including generalized anxiety disorder, is not service-connected as it did not manifest in service or within one year thereafter and is not causally related to his military service or a service-connected disability.

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

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The RO found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for any of the conditions listed, except for schizophrenia.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's anxiety disorder and depressive disorder are related to an in-service head injury, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD, to include major depressive disorder and anxiety, is found to be related to his service-connected PTSD. The Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for his service-connected psychophysiologic gastrointestinal (GI) reaction with mild anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing an updated GAF score.

The Board found no evidence of an acquired psychiatric disorder in service and concluded that the Veteran's current anxiety and depression are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, claimed as anxiety and diagnosed as schizophrenia, is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and development of the record.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for an adequate opinion regarding his employability based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected heart arrhythmias and anxiety disorder with associated heart arrhythmias meet the criteria for a TDIU due to their combined effect on his ability to work.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and anxiety, was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service. The claim for sleep apnea was also denied as it is not proximately due to a service-connected disability.

The Board has granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that the Veteran's service-connected right shoulder and anxiety disorders preclude her from obtaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for her psychiatric disorder was denied as there is no evidence of a prior claim received before July 29, 2004. The Board found that the earliest date of receipt of claim for service connection is July 29, 2004.

The Board has granted service connection for a chronic acquired psychiatric disorder, namely PTSD. The Veteran's experiences in Vietnam are consistent with the environment he served in and his accounts of what he was exposed to have been consistent.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing a psychiatric examination to determine if the Veteran meets the criteria for PTSD.