Anxiety decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder manifesting as depression and anxiety, which is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right shoulder fusion and right elbow arthritis.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disorders. The VA is instructed to obtain additional records and provide another opinion from a psychiatrist or psychologist.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service-connected. The Board has remanded several other issues for further development and consideration.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, Anxiety disorder, and Depressive disorder as there is no evidence of a diagnosis in accordance with DSM-5 or a causal link to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety), a low back disorder, tinnitus, a foot disorder (plantar fasciitis), and hypertension. The reasons given were that there was no current disability meeting VA criteria for these conditions, or evidence of in-service injury or exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's right knee, right heel, and acquired psychiatric disabilities. The VA must obtain addendum opinions addressing these issues.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder, was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The Board found that his current diagnoses (PTSD and unspecified anxiety disorder) are related to his military service, particularly his experiences during the Tet Offensive in Vietnam. As a result, the Veteran's claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for migraine headaches and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, depression, anxiety disorder, and panic disorder).

The claims for service connection have been reopened, but the cases are being remanded due to insufficient evidence and need for further development.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the claims of service connection and rating for various conditions, including anxiety disorder, diabetes mellitus, heart disability, peripheral neuropathy in the lower and upper extremities, as well as TDIU. The Veteran will be provided with new VA examinations to address these issues.

The Veteran's claims for bowel disorder, radiculopathy of the right sciatic nerve, lumbar IVDS, and PTSD with anxiety, adjustment disorder, and depression have all been denied.,The case is also remanded to address the issue of entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction (ED) and urinary incontinence.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his service-connected anxiety disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his VA treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for both the Veteran's residuals of acute renal failure and his generalized anxiety disorder as secondary to his residuals of acute renal failure. The decision concluded that there was no causal relationship between the in-service injury and the current conditions.

The Veteran's rating for an acquired psychiatric disorder was reduced from 50% to 30%, effective July 1, 2015. The reduction is granted.

The Board has granted a 70 percent rating for the Veteran's psychiatric disability, effective May 7, 2002, finding that his symptoms resulted in deficiencies in most areas due to his mental health issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for PTSD, depression and GAD are remanded due to new evidence received since the last decision. The VA is required to obtain a medical opinion to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression, as secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a current diagnosis of an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for colon cancer, anxiety, and PTSD have been denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions. The claim for special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a creative organ has also been denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating due to incomplete records, inadequate medical opinions, and insufficient examination reports. The claims will be reviewed after obtaining additional information and evidence.

The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is reopened and remanded. The claims for service connection for migraine headaches as secondary to the service-connected disability of left testicle epididymitis, and for individual unemployability are also remanded.