Anxiety decisions — 2020

The Board has dismissed all the veteran's appeals for various disabilities, including cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, left knee disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis with heel spurs and metatarsalgia, posterior thigh muscle (left thigh disability), hypertension, inguinal hernia, kidney stones, and generalized anxiety disorder. The appeals were withdrawn by the veteran's representative on September 21, 2020.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of timely substantive appeal for PTSD, but will reconsider the original claim. The Veteran's service records show he had anxiety and depression during his military service.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is rated at 70 percent for the entire period on appeal, while a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain is denied. The issue of TDIU is remanded.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and PTSD, is rated at 30 percent since the appeal period began.

The Veteran's GAD is rated at 70 percent effective February 1, 2018.

The Veteran's PTSD prior to February 27, 2020 was rated at 30 percent due to occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks. Since February 27, 2020, the Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent based on reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including a VA psychiatric examination to assess the severity of his service-connected PTSD and other mental health conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, generalized anxiety disorder, tinnitus, coronary artery disease with coronary artery bypass graft residuals, hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and a midline chest scar, make him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted the claim for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including referral to the Director, Compensation and Pension Service, for extraschedular consideration of a TDIU rating due solely to the service-connected anxiety disorder.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, and adjustment disorder. However, the evidence does not support a finding that her current symptoms are related to her military service.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically PTSD, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder with panic features, which is related to military sexual trauma (MST) during the Veteran's service.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, characterized as anxiety disorder and depression, was granted a rating of 70 percent prior to March 23, 2010.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding private treatment records and a need for additional medical examination. The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, is pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability and a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss have been denied by the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and anxiety disorders. The remand also includes the issue of service connection for erectile dysfunction as due to these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition characterized by depression, anxiety and trouble sleeping as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right ear hearing loss. The rating assigned is noncompensable.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including low back disability, sciatic nerve disorder, left and right knee disabilities, left and right hip disabilities, and lower extremity radiculopathies. The primary basis for denial is that there is no evidence of a direct relationship between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including schizophrenia and unspecified anxiety disorder, is being remanded due to errors in duty to assist. The issue has been expanded to include the Veteran's stressor allegations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for unspecified anxiety disorder, pulmonary embolism, and lupus as secondary to service-connected pulmonary embolism due to incomplete records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for unspecified anxiety disorder, finding that there was no current diagnosis for PTSD and that the symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.