Anxiety decisions — 2021

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition other than PTSD, including anxiety disorder and alcohol use disorder, is granted. Bilateral hearing loss is also granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and missing records. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depression, unspecified mood disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, is now pending again.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to missing service medical records and the need for additional examinations. The Veteran's reported symptoms during and since service are being evaluated, as well as any aggravation of his disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder. Service connection for a low back disability is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete development of records and need for additional medical opinions. The issues include PTSD, unspecified anxiety disorder, ADHD, bipolar personality disorder, and moderate depression secondary to service-connected left foot and left ankle disabilities, as well as bilateral knee disorders.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus, type II. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that these conditions began during service or are related to in-service events.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher disability rating for major depressive disorder with anxiety associated with hypertension prior to October 23, 2012 was denied.,From October 23, 2012 onwards, the Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for major depressive disorder with anxiety associated with hypertension was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for anxiety was dismissed as withdrawn. Service connection is granted for left and right knee patellofemoral syndrome.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to April 9, 2014 due to insufficient development and consideration of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of August 15, 1986 for his service connection for PTSD. The decision found that entitlement to this benefit did not arise prior to this date.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability (unspecified depressive disorder and unspecified anxiety disorder) is currently rated at 70 percent since August 25, 2020. The appeal for a higher rating prior to that date remains pending. Additionally, the claim for TDIU prior to August 25, 2020, is also pending.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete records and the need to obtain additional information from the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the case for a new examination to determine if the Veteran's anxiety is related to his periods of active duty training (ACDUTRA) and whether it was aggravated by his service-connected rheumatoid arthritis.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is permanently aggravated by his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has granted a disability rating of 100 percent for the Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder, finding that his symptoms meet or approximate those required for such a rating.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for coronary artery disease was granted, and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (adjustment disorder with depression and anxiety) was also granted. The Veteran's claim for obstructive sleep apnea and its secondary effects on CAD is remanded.

The Board denied service-connection for PTSD and an anxiety disorder, finding no current diagnosis of PTSD during the appeal period and insufficient evidence linking the Veteran's anxiety to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for left shoulder disability and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and anxiety disorder) due to insufficient opinions in the VA examinations. Further development is needed.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete verification of stressors and need for an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's depressive disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and for residuals of Bell’s palsy were denied as there was no competent medical evidence to support the diagnoses or a link between current conditions and service.