Anxiety decisions — 2020

The Veteran's chronic adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood has been rated at 70 percent since September 26, 2014. The rating is granted as the symptoms have resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including depression, dysthymic disorder, anxiety disorder, somatic symptom disorder, and mood disorder, are proximately due to his chronic pain associated with his service-connected disabilities. As such, the claim for secondary service connection is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected anxiety disorder, finding that the symptoms did not warrant a higher disability rating.

The Veteran's claims for nerve damage to the left side of face and eye, color blindness in the left eye, bronchitis, right collarbone condition with nerve damage, hemorrhoids, and acquired psychiatric conditions are being remanded due to incomplete service treatment records.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD. The claims for anxiety and depressive disorder have been denied.

The Board has restored service connection for PTSD effective June 1, 2019, based on the finding that there was no clear and unmistakable error in the October 2017 rating decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were reopened and granted effective October 6, 2015.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, PTSD, and peripheral neuropathies, prevented him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment from August 12, 2015, to February 6, 2019. As a result, the Board granted a TDIU during this period.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, is granted as service connected.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depressive disorder, anxiety state NOS, and PTSD. The evidence does not establish a verified in-service stressor or injury that could be related to these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed because her Notice of Disagreement (NOD) did not clearly identify the specific issues she wanted to appeal.

The Board has found that new and relevant evidence was presented to warrant readjudication of the claim for service connection for headaches. The claims for sleep apnea and an acquired psychiatric disorder are also remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent since January 2017. The Board denied a higher rating, finding that the Veteran’s occupational and social impairment did not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for a psychiatric disability, degenerative arthritis of the spine and lumbar spondylosis, and right knee arthritis. The Veteran's current conditions are found to be related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine, cervical spine, left shoulder, left knee, right foot disabilities and residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI) to include acquired psychiatric disorder to include anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder and PTSD. The Veteran's current conditions are believed to be related to in-service injuries during airborne training.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there is no evidence of a diagnosed condition in service and insufficient continuity of symptomatology to establish a nexus with service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion to determine if diagnosed psychiatric disorders are related to service.

The Veteran's major vascular neurocognitive disorder and anxiety were granted initial ratings of 50 percent prior to December 28, 2017.

The Board has granted service connection for adjustment disorder with mixed depression and anxiety, but the other issues related to left ankle and knee disabilities are remanded.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with social anxiety to include traumatic brain injury with memory loss is currently rated at 50 percent prior to June 18, 2020 and denied for a higher rating since that date.