Anxiety decisions — 2016

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, to include as secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and clarification of opinions provided by the VA examiner.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome and panic disorder with anxiety.,Service connection is established for both conditions based on their onset during active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically anxiety disorder and unspecified adjustment disorder, related to the Veteran's in-service stressor. The diagnosis of PTSD was not established due to minimal symptoms not meeting DSM-5 criteria.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, will be remanded to allow for a more thorough examination and opinion regarding the nature of his current diagnoses and their relationship to military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including schizoaffective disorder, PTSD, bipolar disorder, adjustment disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder.

The Board found that the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and dysthymic disorder, are not causally related to his active military service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder was manifested by symptoms productive of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. The disability did not result in severe impairment in the ability to maintain effective or favorable relationships, nor did it result in deficiencies in most areas.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, specifically specific phobia, has been granted. The case is being remanded to issue statements of the case regarding his increased rating claims for right and left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Board hearing at the Atlanta RO. The issues include service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, reopening of a right knee disorder claim, and secondary service connection for a back disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left wrist sprain and right ankle sprain was received on April 10, 2014. The Board finds that the earliest claim for entitlement to benefits for both a left wrist sprain and a right ankle sprain was received on April 10, 2014.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability (to include depression and anxiety), cervical spine disability, hypertension, right knee disability, left knee disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, and low back disability are all related to his active service.

The Veteran's current psychiatric symptoms are related to his service-connected OCD, and he does not meet the criteria for separate diagnoses of anxiety, depression, or PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, adjustment disorder, and depression, are not related to service. Huntington's disease is considered a congenital condition with no evidence of aggravation during service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD was granted, and the issue of a rating in excess of 20 percent for his left ankle disability is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling new examinations to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The case is being remanded for additional development to determine the severity of the Veteran's service-connected anxiety and headaches, as well as to obtain a proper evaluation for TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request for withdrawal of all pending claims before the Board.

The Veteran's appeal was granted, and he is now rated at 50 percent for his acquired psychiatric disorder. He also received a TDIU rating and special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status.

The Board has ordered additional development to obtain the Veteran's VA and private treatment records, as well as his Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits file. The case will be remanded for a new addendum opinion from the same examiner who provided the April 2015 VA addendum opinion.

The combined effects of the Veteran's anxiety disorder and right hip disability render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a finding of TDIU.

The Board found that the Veteran's anxiety disorder warranted a disability rating of 30 percent prior to August 4, 2015, and in excess of 70 percent thereafter. The criteria for higher ratings were not met.