Anxiety decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep disorder is not related to his service or any service-connected disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection. The issue of entitlement to a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) remains pending.

The Board has restored service connection for degenerative changes of the spine and sacroiliac joints, finding that severance was improper. Service connection for conjunctivitis is granted as it is related to active service.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is dismissed as moot due to the grant of service connection in the April 2014 rating decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder to include PTSD, anxiety and depression was denied as there is no evidence of an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD that is related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal for higher ratings for his acquired psychiatric disability (anxiety and depression). The claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss requires further development before being decided on appeal.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, now diagnosed as PTSD and depressive disorder, resulted in reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as impairment of memory; disturbances of motivation and mood; and difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships. The Board found that the evidence supported a 50 percent rating based on occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for generalized anxiety disorder and recurrent major depression, as well as a TDIU rating, were denied by the Board.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board is dismissing the case.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, in combination, affect him in such a way that he is precluded from performing either sedentary or physical work. The Board grants entitlement to TDIU.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The current psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, GAD, OCD, bipolar disorder NOS, and schizoaffective disorder, are found to have had their onset during ACDUTRA service and have recurred since then.

The Board found that the Veteran's strongyloides infection did not have its onset in service and was not related to his service-connected conditions. The cause of death, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), is considered immediate rather than contributory.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the failure to schedule a travel board hearing. The case will be returned to the Board after scheduling the hearing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to ensure that he is accorded full compliance with the statutory duty to assist, including verifying his claimed stressors and obtaining additional information regarding these events from him.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to conflicting medical opinions and need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new VA examination to determine whether the Veteran currently has PTSD related to his reported stressors. The claim for tinnitus is also being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied as he does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD. The issue regarding the temporary total disability rating due to prostate cancer surgery has been withdrawn by the Veteran. The Veteran's anxiety disorder remains at 50 percent and is pending further review.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since January 28, 2013, reflecting significant occupational and social impairment.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including current examinations and a determination of whether the Veteran's non-service-connected disabilities render him permanently and totally disabled.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder, were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The Board found that the claimed stressor was not verified and thus did not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD and mental health conditions (claimed as anxiety and depression) are not related to service, including an in-service stressor. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.