Anxiety decisions — 2018

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient information regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and dysthymic disorder. The Veteran needs a new examination to determine if any current diagnoses are related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is related to his military service, including an in-service personal assault. The Veteran must undergo a VA examination to provide an opinion on this issue.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation since July 27, 2010. The Board granted TDIU for this period.

The Board denied service connection for ischemic heart disease and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and anxiety disorder with panic attacks and depression) due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active duty service, including exposure to herbicides.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's anxiety disorder, NOS is related to his military service and grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Board dismissed the appeals seeking service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease, erectile dysfunction, neurological conditions, an anxiety disorder, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and major depressive disorder.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder existed prior to service and if it was aggravated by active service. The VA must obtain the Veteran's SSA records, complete VA treatment records, and schedule a VA examination for an opinion on the etiology of his current psychiatric disorders.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to new evidence being obtained by VA, and the Veteran did not waive initial consideration of this evidence by the AOJ.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for service connection of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, finding that no claim was received within one year of his separation from active duty. The effective date is set at November 20, 2013.

The Board has remanded the claims for ischemic heart disease, adjustment disorder with anxiety and depressed mood, and total rating based on unemployability due to service-connected disability. The Veteran needs to provide records of his cardiac treatment from the 1980s and 1990s, and a VA examination is needed to determine if he has ischemic heart disease. A VA psychiatric examination is also required to assess the severity of his adjustment disorder. The VA examiner should address how his service-connected disabilities affect his ability to work.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder, claiming ankylosing spondylitis, as the evidence did not show it was incurred in or aggravated by service.,Service connection was also denied for depression and/or anxiety (other than PTSD) to include as secondary to a low back disorder.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD has been reopened and granted. Service connection is also granted for acquired psychiatric disorders including anxiety and mood disorders, which are found to have onset in service. The effective date for the grant of service connection for migraine headaches remains June 27, 2014, as requested by the Veteran's representative.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations to assess his lumbar spine disability and acquired psychiatric disability.

The Board has ordered a new examination to clarify the Veteran's current psychiatric diagnoses and assess whether any of them are related to service, including an in-service stressor.

The Veteran's anxiety and depressive disorders are currently rated at 70 percent since June 27, 2011. Prior to this date, the rating was 50 percent.,Effective June 27, 2011, the Veteran is granted a TDIU on a schedular basis.

The claim for service connection for PTSD is granted, but the Veteran's anxiety and depression are not related to service or a service-connected disability. The appeal is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis prior to June 10, 2008 was denied as the evidence did not show that he had difficulty obtaining and retaining employment due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder, NOS is rated at 50 percent since the entire period on appeal. The symptoms are most comparable to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

Your anxiety and depression have been granted service connection for PTSD, which is already in your record. The issues of anxiety and depression are now without controversy as they are related to your service-connected PTSD.