Anxiety decisions — 2021

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and somatic symptom disorder. The Veteran's claim was based on alleged in-service stressors related to unloading deceased military personnel, but the evidence did not support a diagnosis of PTSD.,Service connection for alcoholism was also denied as it is not service-connected.

The Veteran's left knee disability is granted a 20% rating, and his anxiety disorder from May 23, 2016 is granted a 50% rating. The Veteran's request for a higher rating for the anxiety disorder after that date is denied, as well as his TDIU claim.

The Board finds that further development is necessary to determine the Veteran's service connection claims for a low back condition and an acquired psychiatric disability.,Specifically, additional records from Loma Linda VAMC are needed to establish continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and an acquired psychiatric disorder should be remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Board has found the VA etiology opinion inadequate for adjudicative purposes and has ordered a remand to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorders diagnosed during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's service-connected knee disability may be aggravating his diagnosed anxiety disorder, but not causing it. The case is being remanded for further development and an addendum opinion from a VA clinician.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's heart condition was caused or aggravated by his service-connected Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes in either ear and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The psychiatric claim is remanded as the evidence of record is insufficient to determine if any diagnosed psychiatric disorders are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus type II, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including anxiety and depression), eye disorders, shortness of breath, hypertension, kidney disorder, heart disorder, neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, are all denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's hypertension is currently evaluated as 0 percent disabling, and service connection for anxiety disorder, not otherwise specified (NOS), is granted.

The Veteran's psychiatric conditions are remanded for further examination and review of his service records to determine if they were aggravated by service.

The Veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder has rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to November 4, 2020. The Board granted an extra-schedular TDIU for this period.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for stress and anxiety was reopened, and the Board granted service connection for PTSD due to MST. The decision is mixed as it grants one issue but denies another.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is currently rated at 50 percent from March 16, 2012 to September 12, 2014 and denied for a higher rating.,The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is currently rated at 30 percent since September 12, 2014 and denied for a higher rating.,The Veteran is not entitled to TDIU as his service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for such.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for gallbladder condition, hiatal hernia, hypertension, and type II diabetes mellitus. The rating for lumbar spine disability was also denied. However, a separate 10 percent rating was granted for right lumbar radiculopathy, and a 70 percent rating was granted for adjustment disorder with anxiety and depressed mood.

The Board has denied service connection for seizure disorder and anxiety, but has remanded the claim of service connection for PTSD related to military sexual trauma. The case is being returned to the RO for further action.

The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder with generalized anxiety disorder does not alone preclude him from securing and following any substantially gainful occupation, so his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate compliance with prior remand instructions, specifically regarding a VA examination for service connection of TBI and its residuals. The Veteran's claim is being returned for further development.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a relationship between these conditions and military service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including mood disorder and adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, as secondary to his service-connected low back disability.