Anxiety decisions — 2018

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for acquired psychiatric disability due to new and material evidence. The case is now remanded for further medical evaluation.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete development and requests for additional information from the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete records and need for further development, including obtaining inpatient treatment records from Fox Army Hospital and mental health treatment records. The VA will also provide an opinion on whether any of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders are related to his active duty service, including a reported in-service sexual assault.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for anxiety and PTSD due to insufficient medical opinions and outstanding private treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder and generalized anxiety disorder from August 3, 2018 has been dismissed as the Veteran received a full grant of the benefit sought (a 70% rating).

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including anxiety disorder).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim of sleep apnea, and denied service connection for tinnitus, erectile dysfunction, prostate disability, high cholesterol, migraine headaches prior to December 28, 2016, left knee disability, right knee disability, hypertension, and anxiety disorder.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for migraine headaches from December 28, 2016 onwards have been granted with a 30% rating. The effective date of the award has also been denied.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disability, OSA, and headache disability. The claims are being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claim for a 100 percent rating for residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is granted for the entire claim period. The appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is dismissed as moot due to the grant of a 100 percent rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for anxiety neurosis was denied in 1973, and the denial is not considered clear and unmistakable error. The claim for PTSD has been reopened due to new evidence received since 1984, but service connection remains unresolved.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to his service, including chest pains possibly related to anxiety. The claim will be readjudicated after obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling an examination.

The Veteran's petitions to reopen claims for service connection for amphetamine-induced anxiety disorder, left hip degenerative joint disease, and hepatitis C were granted. The new evidence submitted related to these conditions was sufficient to meet the criteria for reopening the claims.

The Veteran's PTSD with anxiety disorder is rated at 70 percent for the entire appeal period, which reflects occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied in March 2012, and the Board finds no new and material evidence to reopen this claim. The Veteran is granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (depressive disorder and anxiety).,Service connection has been established for lumbosacral spondylosis and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy with effective dates of April 25, 2014.,The Veteran's claim for headaches is remanded. The Board notes that the issue of entitlement to a TDIU is inextricably intertwined with the pending claims and must be addressed concurrently.,Initial ratings are being remanded for lumbosacral spondylosis, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD, anxiety and depression as there is no current diagnosis of any such condition under DSM-5.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is currently rated at 70 percent, and the Board has granted a maximum 100 percent disability rating based on total occupational and social impairment.

The Board denied service connection for a left leg condition and remanded the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition (PTSD). The decision found no current disability related to the Veteran's left leg, but remanded the PTSD claim due to unclear character of discharge from his second period of service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed stressors and diagnoses, including PTSD. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is being reviewed again with a focus on verifying combat experience in Beirut and addressing the validity of the reported sexual assault. The claim for sleep apnea is also being remanded as there was no valid Notice of Disagreement filed.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and an acquired psychiatric disorder were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating in either case.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's former position as a computer programmer with an Associate degree education level is no longer suitable due to excessive absences from work and school caused by service-connected migraine headaches. The decision grants reentrance into the VR&E program.