Anxiety decisions — 2019

The Veteran's appeal has been remanded for further evaluation due to unresolved issues regarding service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae, adjustment disorder with anxiety, and lumbar strain.

The Veteran is competent to handle the disbursement of VA funds due to his successful management of personal affairs, including managing an automobile repair business and overseeing his father's medical care.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions in a previous VA examination. The Veteran's claim for service connection for psychiatric disorders other than PTSD, including schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety, as well as any such conditions secondary to his service-connected tinnitus, is now pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's current functional status and cognitive impairment, requiring further development including a new VA examination.

The Veteran's PTSD, to include depression and anxiety, has been rated at 70 percent since May 1, 2015. The Board finds that the symptoms do not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete evidence and a need for an examination to determine if the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorders are related to his time on active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability to include PTSD, finding that there is no current diagnosis of a psychiatric disability under DSM-V criteria. The Veteran's previous diagnoses were not made under DSM-V.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and his TDIU claim is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed psychiatric disabilities, specifically posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. The VA is instructed to verify the Veteran’s reported stressors and obtain an additional medical opinion to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for chronic fatigue syndrome and unspecified anxiety disorder, as well as the reconsideration of a previous denial regarding dry eyes, were denied. The right shoulder disability claim was also remanded.,Service connection for dry eyes is not supported by new evidence.

An initial 70 percent rating for anxiety disorder is granted effective July 9, 2007.

The Board denied service connection for anxiety disorder, cognitive difficulties/memory loss, depressive disorder, mood disorder, and panic disorder as these conditions are considered symptoms of the Veteran's already service-connected PTSD.

The Board has found that the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, including PTSD, affective disorder, depressive disorder, NOS, and anxiety disorder, is remanded due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations. The case must be returned for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the appellant was 'insane' at the time of his discharge from service, which could affect his eligibility for VA benefits.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, MDD, and GAD, is reopened. Service connection is granted for this condition as secondary to his service-connected pseudo-seizures. The lower back condition issue remains pending due to the need for a VA examiner's opinion.

The Veteran is currently in receipt of a 70 percent rating for generalized anxiety disorder, effective March 26, 2012. The Board has found the evidence to be at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's anxiety disorder results in total occupational and social impairment, warranting a 100 percent schedular rating.,The Veteran’s anxiety disorder disability resulted in total occupational impairment throughout the current appeal period beginning March 26, 2012. The Board has also found that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's anxiety disorder has resulted in total social impairment for the current appeal period.

The Veteran's PTSD, anxiety disorder (claimed as a conversion disorder), and chronic depression are all found to be related to his service-connected PTSD. Service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is also granted.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder was not found to be related to his military service, as there is no evidence of an in-service event or injury. The Board found the Veteran's inconsistent post-service reports more probative than his service records regarding traumatic experiences.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and other psychiatric disorders, finding that new evidence supports reopening of his previously denied claim. The Board also found that there is a reasonable possibility that the Veteran's current psychiatric conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a lack of consideration of VA treatment records and their respective diagnoses in the April 2018 VA examination. The Veteran is required to undergo another psychiatric examination.