Anxiety decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to additional medical records being added to the claims file after an August 2017 Supplemental Statement of Case.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's psychiatric conditions, particularly adjustment disorder diagnosed shortly after service. The case will be reviewed again with new medical opinions and records.

The Veteran's unspecified anxiety disorder and a left ankle disability are related to his service, and the Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, has been reopened and is granted. The evidence submitted relates to unestablished facts necessary to substantiate the underlying claims of entitlement to service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD and anxiety has been dismissed due to his request for withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to additional development being necessary, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and adjudicating the broadened issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's thyroid disability is granted service connection as it is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure. The anxiety disorder claim remains pending and will need further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's initial rating for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis is denied as it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The ratings for bilateral hearing loss, acquired psychiatric disorder, and right knee disorder are also denied.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically anxiety, has been granted service connection.,Service connection for squamous cell carcinoma (claimed as throat cancer) due to herbicide exposure and lung scars secondary to the same condition are pending and will be remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disability, neck disability, and left lower extremity neurological disability. The appeal regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded due to insufficient evidence of record. The appeal regarding right ear hearing loss is also remanded.

Service connection has been granted for lumbar spine disability, bilateral hip disability, and left ankle disability. The right shoulder disability remains under review.,The acquired psychiatric disability (anxiety and depression) is now considered service-connected.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss has been reopened and granted. The claims for Meniere’s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease/Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include generalized anxiety disorder), cirrhosis of the liver, a left shoulder disability, and radiculopathy of the left upper extremity are all remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically whether it is related to service or secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.

The application to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a back disorder is granted. The application to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for an anxiety disorder is also granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) prior to August 1, 2015 due to a lack of evidence showing he was incapable of performing the physical and/or mental acts required by employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, specifically whether they are related to service or pre-existed service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and chronic fatigue syndrome due to inadequate examinations. A new examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to military service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and anxiety due to conflicting medical opinions regarding whether these conditions are related to a period of active duty training (ACDUTRA). The case is being returned for further development, including an examination to determine if rheumatoid arthritis had its onset during ACDUTRA.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorder renders him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU. The claim for nonservice-connected pension is moot as it was superseded by the grant of TDIU.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's death, and no jurisdiction remains for further action.