Anxiety decisions — 2016

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and any relevant SSA records. The Veteran's claim of service connection for a psychiatric disability will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and anxiety with panic attacks, irritable bowel syndrome, and fatigue associated with these conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment since December 1, 2012.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and information regarding his self-employment activities. The case will be readjudicated after these are provided.

The Veteran's initial rating of 30 percent for his psychiatric disability from August 20, 2004 through May 6, 2008 is upheld. The condition resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his relocation and the need for a new hearing date. The issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar segment of the spine, and right foot disability are still pending.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including depressive disorder NOS with panic attacks, schizophrenic disorder residual types with anxiety and somatizations, and schizophrenia undifferentiated type chronic, has been rated at 70 percent since February 22, 1999. This rating is effective as of the date of the grant of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and providing an addendum to a previous VA opinion. The Veteran is entitled to service connection for PTSD but the specific stressors are unclear.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for his service-connected generalized anxiety disorder, finding that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder, along with PTSD and depressive disorder NOS, is rated at 30 percent. The claim for a TDIU due to service-connected anxiety disorder NOS was denied as the disability alone does not prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected conditions, and denied the claim for service connection for cause of death.

The Board has ordered additional development of the record, including obtaining private treatment records and requesting an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The appellant's claim for service connection for his psychiatric disorders remains pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, anxiety disorder, and insomnia, as well as Crohn's disease. The evidence did not support a finding of in-service stressors or exposure to herbicides that would warrant granting these claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and arranging for appropriate VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric and right knee condition.

The Veteran's MDD with generalized anxiety disorder has resulted in total occupational and social impairment, warranting a 100 percent disability rating throughout the entire period of the claim.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's diagnosed acquired psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD, anxiety disorder with PTSD features, depression, and ADHD, finding that these conditions are due to military sexual trauma (MST).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a left second toe stress fracture was denied as there is no current disability.,Service connection for migraine headaches was granted, but the rating assigned (10%) does not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on frequency or severity.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, MDD, and anxiety disorder, was not shown to be related to service. His diverticulitis was also not shown to be related to service.

The case is being remanded for additional development to clarify the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability and his other diagnoses, as well as to assess his employability due to his psychiatric symptoms.

The Board has ordered additional development to obtain missing service records and private treatment records, as well as an addendum opinion using DSM-IV criteria. The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to address the issues of service connection and rating for his claimed conditions.