Anxiety decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for left eye blindness and Parkinson's disease, among other conditions. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for the remaining listed conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right eye retinal hole with pain and loss of vision to the extent of blindness, headaches, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression and unspecified anxiety disorder) as they are not related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for an initial evaluation of PTSD and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for anxiety, increased evaluation for right ankle disability, and increased evaluation for bilateral pes planus were denied. The Veteran was granted a 20 percent evaluation for the residuals of recurrent inversion injury to his right ankle.

The Veteran's service-connected 'other specified anxiety disorder and alcohol use disorder' has resulted in symptoms that include persistent danger of hurting himself or others, resulting in a 100 percent rating for the entire appeal period. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU is moot as the schedular rating for his service-connected conditions is already at its highest level.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the onset and etiology of any psychiatric disability, including anxiety disorder and schizophrenia. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorders (including PTSD, major depressive disorder with symptoms of anxiety and insomnia, bipolar disorder, ADHD), back disorders (including arthritis), left knee disorders (including arthritis), right knee disorders (including arthritis), migraines, and tinnitus have all been denied as new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claims.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is currently rated at 20 percent, the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 5271 for marked limitation of motion. The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of any other claimed conditions.,Service connection has been granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder with panic attacks, and alcohol use disorder), sleep apnea, low back disorder, left hip disorder, right hip disorder, left knee disorder, and left lower extremity radiculopathy. Service connection was denied for the remaining conditions.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and headaches are granted as secondary to service-connected disabilities. The right foot pes planus is denied for an earlier effective date, but a rating of 20 percent is granted from June 18, 2014.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical spine disability, back disability, erectile dysfunction, prostate disability, bilateral ankle and knee disabilities, shoulder and hip disabilities, right upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathies, anxiety, depression, and PTSD were not shown as chronic in service or related to a service-connected disability. The Board found the Veteran's statements regarding these conditions being related to his military service to be speculative.,The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were first diagnosed 30 years after separation from service and are not considered to be related to service.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent disabling for the entire appeal period, reflecting significant occupational and social impairment.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders and their relationship to service. The Veteran will need a VA examination to determine if his current diagnoses are related to service or pre-existing conditions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's motion to vacate their previous decision denying an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for service-connected generalized anxiety disorder.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, to include major depressive disorder, is remanded due to a lack of a VA examination to determine if any current acquired psychiatric disability was related to military service.

The Veteran's bipolar disorder, depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder are granted as service-connected.,PTSD is denied. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for his anxiety disorder and dysthymic disorder with agoraphobia is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination, as well as consideration of additional evidence.

The Veteran's psychiatric disorder, characterized as other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, is rated at 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD, Anxiety Disorder, and Depressive Disorder are service-connected due to in-service trauma.

The Board has granted service connection and a noncompensable rating for psychiatric disorders, thoracolumbar spine disabilities (including degenerative disc disease and arthritis), and gastrointestinal disorder. The Veteran's left shoulder and cervical spine disabilities are also granted with increased ratings.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for generalized anxiety disorder not otherwise specified was denied by the Board, as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.