Anxiety decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, GAD, SAD, and ADD is remanded due to the need for a VA examination. The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is also remanded as there is insufficient evidence on whether it was caused by or aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's PTSD with anxiety is currently rated at 70 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was previously denied due to unverified in-service stressors. New evidence has been submitted, including photographs and military orders, which raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. The Board is remanding the case to clarify all current psychiatric diagnoses and determine their relationship to service.

The Veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder and hypothyroidism have rendered him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment, leading to a grant of total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran seeks earlier effective dates for various service connection and rating decisions, but the Board finds that no such effective dates are warranted based on the evidence of record.,The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 6260. The maximum schedular rating available for tinnitus is also 10 percent.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder due to the lack of verified in-service stressors and insufficient evidence linking these conditions to active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected PTSD is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeals have been withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision.

The Veteran's PTSD and Anxiety Disorder are both rated at 50 percent, indicating reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as flattened affect, circumstantial speech, panic attacks more than once a week.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD. The case is REMANDED for further development and an examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between his current psychiatric disorders and his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD with depression, anxiety, and alcohol abuse is currently rated at 70 percent from October 19, 2018. The appeal has been remanded due to the need for further development.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including bi-polar disorder, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances, had its onset during service and is related to service. Service connection for these conditions has been granted.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including unspecified anxiety disorder and PTSD, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's anxiety disorder likely began during her active duty service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's unspecified anxiety disorder, but denied service connection for his sleep apnea. The Board found that the Veteran's anxiety disorder is related to his military service and that his sleep apnea is not related to his military service or a pre-existing condition.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since June 2016. The Board found that the symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they do not meet the criteria for total social impairment or other severe disability levels.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for unspecified anxiety disorder and granted it, finding that the Veteran's anxiety disorder began during service and has been recurrent since then.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric condition due to a duty to assist error and inadequate VA examination. The case is now pending for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for cellulitis of the bilateral lower extremities and chronic fatigue syndrome have been dismissed. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability to include anxiety, depressive disorder, and PTSD has been remanded.