Anxiety decisions — 2020

The Veteran's anxiety disorder with depressive features is rated at 50 percent prior to January 26, 2015 and denied thereafter. The Veteran also received a TDIU rating effective October 17, 2007.,Effective October 17, 2007, the Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity as to preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied as he currently meets the schedular criteria for a TDIU, but his full-time employment in a leadership position until February 2019 indicates that his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and retaining substantial gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae and denied service connection for hypertension, high cholesterol, PTSD, and other psychiatric disorders. The appeal is remanded for further evaluation of the remaining issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to his service-connected disabilities, including heart disability, respiratory disability, hepatitis C, anxiety disorder, lumbar strain, radiculopathy of both lower extremities, accessory navicular bone stress fractures of both feet, hypertension, and TDIU. The Board also noted that the Veteran's address has changed and requested appropriate action to reschedule him for VA examinations.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for service-connected depression and anxiety associated with multiple sclerosis was denied, as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating prior to June 13, 2019.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to the need for additional development and consideration of relevant VA treatment records.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, should be remanded due to a duty to assist error. The VA did not obtain adequate VA medical examinations and opinions regarding the potential nexus between the Veteran’s current mental health conditions and his military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder to include anxiety disorder NOS is rated at 70 percent, while his hallux rigidus of the right foot remains unconnected and not rated. The decision on TDIU was denied.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for major depressive disorder with anxiety has been granted, and he is now rated at 70 percent. However, his claim for PTSD remains denied.,The Veteran also had a claim for erectile dysfunction that was not addressed in the decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bronchitis, degenerative joint disease (DJD), and diabetes-related neuropathy, were denied. The Board found no current disability as claimed in any of these cases.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and depression, finding that the current condition is not causally or etiologically related to service.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Anxiety, Depressed Mood, and TBI was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to his symptoms being consistent with a 70 percent disability rating. For the TDIU claim prior to July 1, 2018, the appeal was also denied as there was no evidence showing he was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, finding that the Veteran's current psychiatric conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for left femur, right femur, and right knee disabilities. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability (anxiety disorder) was granted as secondary to pain from his service-connected cervical spine disability.

The Board has denied service connection for tinnitus due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service. The acquired psychiatric disorder claim, including PTSD, is remanded as there are insufficient opinions regarding its relationship to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment throughout the appeal period, thus his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and anxiety disorder. Service connection was denied for type II diabetes mellitus and colon cancer as they were not shown to be related to active service or herbicide exposure.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and depression, as there is no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that low testosterone is not a compensable disability, the anxiety disorder does not meet criteria for a higher rating, the back disability did not warrant an increase to 100%, headaches do not meet criteria for a higher rating, bilateral hearing loss was rated appropriately, and hypertension did not warrant an increase.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and need for a new VA examination to address the Veteran's psychiatric diagnoses, their relationship to service, and whether they are related to his service-connected disabilities.