Anxiety decisions — 2019

The Veteran's PTSD, anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder are granted as they are related to his in-service assault. The claim for TBI is remanded due to lack of a diagnosis.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, glaucoma, bilateral hearing loss, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety disorder) as there is no evidence of a direct causal relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities was denied because the effective date of February 1, 2018 is not earlier than that date.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including other specified anxiety disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder, is granted as service-connected.,A 10 percent evaluation for limitation of flexion of the left elbow is granted. The current rating criteria do not support a higher evaluation based on functional impairment or pain during motion testing.,The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is remanded due to an error in obtaining evidence prior to the October 2018 rating decision.,The Veteran's left knee and right knee disabilities are both remanded for further review.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's employment status and his service-connected disabilities. The VA is instructed to obtain SSA records, review the TDIU claim on an extraschedular basis, and provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient evidence regarding his exposure to asbestos and potential service connection for respiratory condition, as well as further development of his heart disease, DM II, HTN, gout, and chronic low back pain.

The Veteran's death was not caused by, or substantially or materially contributed to, by an event, injury, or disease incurred in or aggravated by active service. The Board found the evidence does not support a finding that his anxiety disorder caused or contributed to his cause of death.

The Veteran's PTSD and Sleep Disorder have been granted a total schedular disability rating of 100 percent for the entire period on appeal, effective from September 19, 2001.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychological disorder including PTSD and a major depressive disorder, diagnosed as an anxiety disorder. The TDIU claim is remanded.

The Board has reopened the claims for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric condition to include major depressive disorder, adjustment disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. The claims are remanded for further development including a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for paranoid schizophrenia was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The case is remanded for a VA examination to determine if his psychiatric disorders are related to his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted as a new diagnosis after her initial service, and she also has established diagnoses of depression and anxiety. The Board found that the Veteran had experienced an in-service stressor related to sexual assault.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, anxiety disorder, headaches, a head scar, and fibromyalgia have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his claims during his June 2019 Board hearing.,The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for service-connected headaches has also been dismissed.

The Board has remanded the claim due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and anxiety, claimed as PTSD. The VA examiner needs to provide a more detailed opinion on whether these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claim for hypertension was denied in May 2017, and the appeal is now denied.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, is denied as there is no evidence of its onset during service or within one year post-service.,The Veteran's left ankle injury is not considered to have manifested during service. The claim is therefore denied.,There is insufficient evidence linking the Veteran’s unspecified anxiety disorder (including PTSD) to his military service. Service connection for this condition is also denied.,Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted, but diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, and left ankle injury claims remain denied.,The claim for tinnitus is granted as it began during active duty.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's mental health conditions and their relation to service. The Veteran is seeking service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of June 8, 1987 for the grant of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits due to a suicide caused by service-connected mental health issues.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim of service connection for PTSD is granted. The appeal regarding a rating in excess of 30 percent for an anxiety disorder is also remanded.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder is granted secondary to his service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder. The claim for anxiety as a symptom of PTSD is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an extension of the delimiting date for education benefits under Chapter 30 (MGIB) beyond November 16, 2016 is being remanded due to a lack of readjudication after obtaining new evidence from a medical examination.