Anxiety decisions — 2018

The Board finds that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and anxiety, is not related to his service. The claim for erectile dysfunction secondary to diabetes mellitus was denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to include obtaining service treatment records, VA and private medical records, and a VA examination.

The Veteran's major depression and anxiety disorder have been characterized by occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, but deficiencies in most areas have not been shown. The Veteran is currently assigned a 50 percent disability rating for this condition.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board grants TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and an addendum opinion from a qualified examiner to address diagnoses other than depressive disorder and antisocial personality disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, due to the Veteran's combat experiences in Iraq. The dental disability claims are not supported by evidence of a disease or injury incurred during service.

The Veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder has been rated at 30 percent since February 6, 2012. The VA examiner found that the condition causes occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks due to symptoms such as anxiety, chronic sleep impairment, nightmares, suspiciousness, efforts to avoid thoughts, feelings or conversations associated with trauma, and efforts to avoid activities, places or people.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and verifying his reserve service. The claim for TDIU will be inextricably intertwined with the service connection claim.

The Veteran's service connection claims for residuals of seminoma, anxiety disorder, bilateral knee disabilities, bilateral shoulder disabilities, and low back disability have all been denied. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active military service or herbicide agent exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including major depressive disorder, adjustment disorder with anxiety and depressed mood, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), was not incurred or aggravated by active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case to determine if the Veteran's psychiatric disorders are related to his active service, and to provide an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any identified psychiatric disorders.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diagnosed anxiety disorder, not otherwise specified, is related to his active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for clarification of the Veteran's psychiatric disability diagnoses and a new examination to address the etiology of his psychiatric disabilities.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his service-connected anxiety disorder and his death from anoxic brain injury, cardiac arrest, and respiratory failure.

The Board has found that the Veteran's current diagnoses of anxiety, PTSD, and depression are linked to service exposure, particularly her in-service stressors. Therefore, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a new VA examination. The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is being reviewed.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to insufficient evidence and the need for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his psychiatric disorders, including whether they are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and other conditions like Borderline Personality Disorder, Depression, and Anxiety, are not service connected. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU rating on an extraschedular basis under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b) for any period on appeal.

For the period prior to August 23, 2012, the Veteran's PTSD symptoms did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 50 percent.,From August 23, 2012, to December 1, 2015, his PTSD symptoms approximated those required for a 70 percent disability rating.