Anxiety decisions — 2017

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete medical records and for an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's diagnoses of unspecified depressive disorder and insomnia.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected GAD disability and to determine whether his PTSD represents a progression or separate condition from GAD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to address the nature and etiology of his psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's low back disability warrants a combined staged rating of 80 percent, and his anxiety disorder warrants a 50 percent rating. SMC based on the need for aid and attendance is granted.

The Veteran's opiate dependence and pain disorder associated with both psychological factors and a general medical condition have been rated, but the appeal for an increased rating is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for an adjustment disorder from October 18, 2007 to December 16, 2015. The claim for anxiety disorder and additional acquired psychiatric disorders (in addition to PTSD and depressive disorder) is denied.

The Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder is currently rated at 50 percent, and his TDIU claim has been granted. The Board remanded the case for further evidence development.

The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent for the Veteran's service-connected anxiety and depression, effective June 5, 2003. The issue of entitlement to an increased rating remains on appeal.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD and found that new evidence submitted since the July 2005 rating decision raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. However, the Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder as there is no current diagnosis of such disorders or a causal relationship to in-service events.

The Veteran's service connection claim for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine is granted. The Board finds that there is sufficient evidence to place the relevant evidence in equipoise as to whether the Veteran has a back disability related to service, and thus grants service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a generalized anxiety disorder has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew their appeal prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected chronic adjustment disorder and determine whether he has any other psychiatric conditions with distinguishable symptoms from his service-connected condition. Additionally, a VA audiological examination should be conducted to determine if the Veteran currently experiences left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development to determine the nature and likely etiology of his psychiatric disabilities, including whether they are related to service or caused by his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is currently rated at 30 percent, with no changes in rating. The issues of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen claims for asbestosis and obsessive compulsive disorder are not addressed due to the mixed disposition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD and other psychiatric conditions are service-connected, with all reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the claimant.

The Veteran's polycythemia vera is related to his service, as are the secondary conditions of fatigue, bone pain, dementia, major depression with anxiety, hypertension, transient ischemic attacks (TIA), heart failure, anemia, pre-syncope, renal insufficiency and headaches.,Osteoarthritis and disc degeneration of the cervical spine are also related to his service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a left shoulder disability were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of nexus between these conditions and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of an acquired psychiatric disorder or stomach condition, and therefore cannot establish service connection for these conditions.,Regarding bilateral hearing loss, the evidence does not meet the criteria for a current disability as defined by VA regulations.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and nerve disease, but denied them on the merits. The heart condition claim is also addressed.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorders have been rated at 50 percent since February 23, 2016. The effective date of this rating is May 2, 2014.