Anxiety decisions — 2013

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for memory loss and anxiety disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or a link to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and depression, is not causally or etiologically related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD and thus denied service connection for this condition. The Veteran's psychiatric disabilities, including panic disorder with agoraphobia and generalized anxiety disorder, were also considered but no new or material evidence was presented to reopen these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD, are not service-connected as there is no credible evidence linking any current psychiatric disability to service.

The Veteran's PTSD was initially granted and rated at 30 percent, but his disability rating was increased to 50 percent as of the date of claim. The Board found that prior to July 2012, the Veteran's symptoms warranted a 50 percent disability rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. As of July 2012, he met criteria for a 70 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development of her claims, including obtaining more recent VA treatment records.

The Veteran's PTSD is related to his military service. However, the relationship between his other diagnosed psychiatric disorders and his military service or service-connected PTSD remains unclear.

The Veteran has been shown to have an anxiety disorder not otherwise specified that is related to his military service, and the Board granted this claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's anxiety disorder, NOS and depression are related to his military service. However, there is no confirmed diagnosis of PTSD. The Veteran's bipolar disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of new evidence. The claims for PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus are related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and a VA examination to assess his psychiatric conditions and left ear hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and anxiety disorder, but denied reopening of the peptic ulcer disease claim. The Veteran is currently rated at 50% for PTSD with anxiety disorder from October 6, 2003 to November 14, 2007.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including anxiety disorder, sinusitis, retropatellar pain syndrome of the right knee, tinnitus, and limitation of extension of the right knee, have rendered him unemployable. The Board finds that his TDIU is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not competent to handle disbursement of his VA benefits due to his dementia diagnosis.

The Board found that the Veteran's reported stressors were sufficient to support a diagnosis of PTSD, and thus service connection for his psychiatric disabilities is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD and anxiety disorder, with features of depression, are found to be service-connected.,Service connection for hypertension is not addressed in this decision.

The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The Veteran's current anxiety and depression are attributed to situational factors rather than in-service events.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination to determine if the Veteran currently has a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, that had its onset during his period of active duty military service. The examiner is requested to provide opinions on whether any current psychiatric disorders are related to service.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation is being remanded to allow for a VA examination and further evaluation of his need for aid and attendance due to his service-connected anxiety disorder.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at private facilities were denied as the treatment was not related to a service-connected disability and did not meet the criteria for emergency treatment.