Anxiety decisions — 2012

The Veteran is found incompetent to manage his VA funds due to mental capacity issues related to brain trauma, anxiety, depression, dependency, and other conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for adjustment disorder with anxiety, depression, and behavioral disturbances. The Veteran was diagnosed with these conditions during his military service but they are not considered to be related to service.

The Veteran does not have a service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, anxiety disorder, or panic disorder. The Board found that the Veteran's current symptoms are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD was not diagnosed in accordance with DSM-IV criteria, and the Board finds that he does not meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD.,His acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD and an adjustment disorder with anxiety, including depression, is not related to service. The psychosis did not manifest itself within one year of service.,The Veteran's bilateral shoulder pain is caused by a strain and his arthritis in either shoulder did not manifest itself within one year of service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD, has been granted due to credible supporting evidence of an in-service assault.

The Board has determined that there has not been substantial compliance with the mandates of the October 2010 remand order and thus, the case is being returned to the RO for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder is associated with his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as depressive disorder NOS, was incurred in service and is related to his military service. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and adjudication, including a VA examination to determine the nature, extent, onset, and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for vocal impairment was denied due to lack of evidence showing that the error in medication caused his current condition. The claims for increased ratings for anxiety were also denied as there is no medical evidence indicating that the error in medication caused or exacerbated his existing anxiety disorder.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder, other than PTSD (to include anxiety and depression), were denied as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD. The acquired psychiatric disorder was not shown to be related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, were granted service connection based on reopening of the claim with new evidence. Service connection for bilateral cataracts is pending as it was not addressed in this decision. The rating for bilateral hearing loss remains unchanged.

The Board has granted service connection for a disorder manifested by dizziness and tension headaches on the basis that they are secondary to service-connected hearing loss and/or tinnitus. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and insomnia, is also granted as it is found to be aggravated by service-connected hearing loss and/or tinnitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, finding that there is no competent medical evidence linking these disabilities to his period of active military service.

The Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder is currently rated at 30 percent, effective January 6, 2011. His bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability evaluation.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including an anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder, are found to be caused by his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disabilities were not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and PTSD, is found to be aggravated by his service-connected seizure disorder. His hypertension is also found to be aggravated by his acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD. The anxiety disorder has been productive of complaints including occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks due to symptoms such as anxiety and chronic sleep impairment.,Throughout the rating period on appeal, the Veteran's shrapnel wound injury to muscle group VIII of the right elbow was productive of complaints of pain and fatigability, with a retained shrapnel fragment that did not penetrate the joint space, no muscle atrophy, no loss of range of motion, no loss of muscle strength, and was not more than moderate in severity.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and extent of his psychiatric disability, including PTSD, and the severity of his service-connected left arm shell fragment wound residuals.