Anxiety decisions — 2021

The Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches and dizziness have been withdrawn.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for anxiety and back pain have been reopened, but the underlying merits of these claims remain pending.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a VA examination to determine if the Veteran currently suffers from an acquired psychiatric disorder and whether any such disorders are related to service or service-connected disabilities. The TDIU claim is also being remanded due to its inextricability with the remaining claims.

The Board dismissed the appeals regarding increased disability evaluations for anxiety disorder and lumbar spine DDD, as well as the petitions to reopen claims for service connection for antisocial personality behavior disorder (claimed as intermittent explosive disorder), PTSD, and sleep disorder secondary to PTSD. The Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of PTSD was denied due to lack of a current diagnosis. The Veteran's anxiety disorder, however, has been granted with a 10% rating effective from November 12, 2018.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for unspecified anxiety disorder was denied as the disability did not meet the criteria for a 50% or higher rating.,The issue of entitlement to Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities became moot as the Veteran received a 100% schedular rating for prostate cancer.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, claimed as anxiety disorder NOS and major depressive disorder with anxious distress, is related to his service in Vietnam. The Board found that the evidence supports a finding of direct service connection.

The Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to his active service, and the Board has granted service connection for these conditions. The right hip injury claim is remanded due to a lack of medical opinion regarding its relation to service.

The Veteran's petition to reopen her claim for service connection for anxiety disorder was granted. Her claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, other than MDD, is denied. The Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 30 percent for headache disability and for a compensable rating for ulcerative colitis disability are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, and erectile dysfunction. However, it granted service connection for headaches (secondary to hypertension and tinnitus) and bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's level of hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a disability rating higher than 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete compliance with previous requests for additional development and an opinion regarding the etiology of a psychiatric disability, including depression and anxiety.

The Board has withdrawn several issues from the Veteran's appeal, including those related to PTSD, IBS, lumbar degenerative disc disease and lumbar facet hypertrophy, obstructive sleep apnea, left ankle fracture with residual loose body, tendonitis and left foot talar osteochondral defect, right ankle osteochondral defect status post-surgical repair with history of strain. The Board has also remanded the Veteran's TDIU claim and his claims for service connection for blood clots of the left knee.

The appeal for service connection of PTSD, MDD, and GAD was dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder preexisted his valid service from September 2006 to April 2007. The examiner is asked to provide a clear and unmistakable opinion on this matter.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of Gulf War Syndrome, PTSD, depressive disorder, anxiety, insomnia disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, and cognitive/memory disorder are all denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits prior to the effective dates of his TDIU award is denied as he did not meet the criteria for SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) or DEA eligibility based on permanent total service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information and need for additional examination regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and mood disorder.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, finding that his current psychiatric conditions are secondary to his service-connected right shoulder disability.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to non-compliance with previous remand instructions. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is being reviewed.

The Veteran's adjustment disorder with depression and anxiety has not resulted in occupational and social impairment that warrants a higher rating. The current 30 percent disability rating is maintained.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete records and conflicting medical opinions. The issues of service connection for acquired psychiatric disorders, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction are being reviewed.