Anxiety decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including anxiety disorder NOS and depression, as these conditions had their onset in service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea secondary to PTSD, and TDIU due to the need for a medical examination.

The Veteran's case is being remanded for a VA examination to assess the severity of his generalized anxiety disorder.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and the need for a VA examination to assess the Veteran's employability status.

The Veteran's asthma claim is reopened and granted.,Obstructive sleep apnea, acquired psychiatric disorder (generalized anxiety disorder), bilateral hip condition, eye condition, and headache condition are all granted as secondary to service-connected pneumoconiosis.,Low back and neck conditions are denied.,A rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral SNHL is denied.,An effective date prior to November 15, 2013 for the grant of a 10 percent disability rating for bilateral SNHL and an effective date prior to November 15, 2013 for the grant of service connection for tinnitus are both denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including general anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizoaffective disorder, is being remanded due to the submission of new evidence. The Board will now review whether these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for alcohol use disorder is dismissed. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder, is granted.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for anxiety and service connection for bilateral dry eye syndrome need further development. The Veteran will be required to undergo additional examinations and provide updated medical records.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his PTSD increase and TDIU is denied. However, he was granted a TDIU from October 15, 2015 to February 8, 2016, and SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) for the same period.

The Veteran's service connection claims for migraine headaches and an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include depression and anxiety) secondary to hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied due to the Veteran's willful misconduct in causing his motor vehicle accident, which resulted in these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for tinnitus has been denied as the condition is already at its maximum schedular rating.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of tinnitus has also been denied, as there was no prior claim within one year of separation from service.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing VA treatment records and a need for a new examination to assess the current severity of the service-connected generalized anxiety reaction with PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional records and further development of the claims. The Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD, tinnitus, hyperacusis, anxiety disorder, and erectile dysfunction are being reviewed.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for her acquired psychiatric disorder, which includes anxiety disorder and depressive disorder, is granted effective March 29, 2012. The effective date prior to this grant is denied.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to conflicting medical opinions and the need for further examination. The Veteran's hypertension, anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, sleep apnea, diabetes, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, and degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine are all being reviewed.

The Veteran's other specified anxiety disorder is rated at 70 percent since December 1, 2015. The rating reflects occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and examination. The Veteran's hepatitis C claim requires obtaining updated treatment records, including VA records. For his anxiety disorder, a new VA psychiatric examination is needed due to the significant time since his last evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for chronic adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depression to include residuals of TBI was granted, effective March 10, 2013.

The Board has reopened the service connection claim for diabetes mellitus type II due to new and material evidence. The service connection claims for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, are remanded as additional development is needed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and OSTRD, has been reopened and granted. The appeal for service connection for a back disability was withdrawn by the Veteran.