Anxiety decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence and an inconsistent opinion in the previous VA examination. The Veteran's psychiatric disorders are being reviewed again for a fair decision.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD with an anxiety disorder and major depression, finding that the Veteran's in-service stressor meets the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD under 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f)(3).

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders are remanded for a VA examination to address all theories of entitlement raised by the record, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and personal assault during service.

The Veteran's claims for joint pain, back disorder, anxiety disorder, eating disorder, left shoulder arthritis, right shoulder arthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, and right knee osteoarthritis have all been denied. The claim for allergic rhinosinusitis was previously denied but is being reviewed de novo.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. A new VA examination is required to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to unclear information about the Veteran's current psychiatric disability and its relation to her military service, including any MST. A new VA examination is needed.

A 100% rating has been granted for the Veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder.,The claim for PTSD is denied as it is already covered by the service-connected anxiety disorder.,Service connection for hypertension is denied as there is no evidence that it is proximately due to or aggravated by the service-connected anxiety disorder.,Service connection for stroke is denied as there is no direct link between the service-connected anxiety and the stroke.,Service connection for sleep apnea is denied as there is no direct link between the service-connected anxiety and the condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of Generalized Anxiety Disorder was granted effective November 10, 2014. The Board found that the condition arose by this date and thus an earlier effective date is not warranted.

The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disability, including Major Depressive Disorder and Adjustment Disorder with Anxiety and Depressed Mood, is granted. For the entire period on appeal, an initial evaluation of 10% for his left hip disability (limitation of flexion) is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression, anxiety, and dysthymia, is at least as likely as not related to his service. Therefore, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as depression and anxiety, is granted service connection. The claim was reopened due to new evidence showing a current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and records review.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's psychiatric disorders and their relationship to service-connected tension headaches. The AOJ is instructed to attempt verification of the Veteran’s claimed stressor, conduct a new VA examination, and provide an opinion on whether any currently identified psychiatric disability had its onset during active service or is otherwise related to active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including unspecified anxiety disorder, opioid use disorder, and alcohol use disorder, previously claimed as PTSD. The Board found that there was no current diagnosis of PTSD and that the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran’s acquired psychiatric disability is related to in-service stressors.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected DDD, L5-S1 and Adjustment Disorder with Anxiety and Depressed Mood are remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder, NOS is productive of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity in most areas but has not been manifested by total occupational and social impairment. The Board finds that an evaluation of 70 percent is warranted for the Veteran’s service-connected anxiety disorder, NOS.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and anxiety as secondary to service-connected migraines, should be remanded due to inadequate examination findings and need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were granted in a December 2014 rating decision, but the Board found that no earlier effective date could be assigned as there was no evidence of an earlier claim. The appeal is denied.

The Veteran's GAD and Major Depressive Disorder are rated at 70 percent, effective from the date of this decision. The Board also granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for anxiety and depression, as well as PTSD, were denied. The decision found that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim for anxiety and depression, and there was no verified stressor to support the diagnosis of PTSD.