Anxiety decisions — 2012

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service, and he has an acquired psychiatric disorder that is not due to willful misconduct. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder remains pending as the issue of whether new and material evidence was submitted is still under consideration.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD and anxiety disorder, are related to his service. The claim is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability. The Veteran's current low back disability is related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and Social Security Administration records. The Veteran must also be provided with VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed psychiatric disorders and hypertension.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to provide the Veteran with an examination and address his claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD.

The Veteran's effective date for a 100% rating for PTSD was granted on March 27, 2007 based on the findings of an August 2007 VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of his 30% disability rating for generalized anxiety disorder was denied as there is no evidence showing a factually ascertainable increase in disability within one year prior to the June 26, 2007 claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's appeal to the RO for additional action, including obtaining morning reports from a specific Army unit and ensuring that all development is completed in accordance with the remand instructions.

The Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorders are not related to his active military service or secondary to, or otherwise aggravated by, his service-connected pterygium. The Board finds that the Veteran's claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder, claimed as PTSD, was granted an initial rating of 30 percent. Service connection for a left foot lipoma due to herbicide exposure was also granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of evidence. The issues include service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including anxiety, depression, sexual disorder, and PTSD; and chronic sinusitis.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine if any diagnosed psychiatric disorder is related to service. The Veteran's claims for hemorrhoids, rash, stomach disability, and impotency are also being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded to obtain clarification on his claimed Southwest Asia theater of operations service and to schedule him for VA examinations to address the nature and etiology of his psychiatric, neurological, and gastrointestinal disabilities.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, that can be causally linked to an event or incident in service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA psychiatric examination and corroboration of stressors. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is pending.

The Veteran is found to have PTSD and an anxiety disorder, both of which are presumed due to service. The skin condition claim was not addressed as it did not involve a presumptive exposure basis.

The Veteran's PTSD was manifested by total occupational and social impairment from December 10, 2007, to December 17, 2007. From December 18, 2007, to January 30, 2009, the disability was manifested by flattened affect, disturbances of motivation and mood, and difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective social relationships.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for PTSD and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a diagnosis of PTSD related to combat experiences in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including anxiety and insomnia, was aggravated by his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, as well as his claims for increased ratings for a left shoulder scar and arthritis of the left shoulder due to shrapnel wound with retained foreign body are all granted.