Anxiety decisions — 2022

The Veteran's treatment at St. Luke Medical Center on August 10, 2017 was for a condition that required immediate medical attention due to an infected abscess in the left groin. The VA facilities were not feasible and the Veteran could not reach them promptly. Therefore, payment or reimbursement is granted.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection and rating issues related to his hearing loss, headaches, right ear hearing loss, PTSD, depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. The appeal was withdrawn by the Veteran during a September 2021 hearing.

The Veteran's PTSD and adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depression were rated at 30 percent, but the Board denied an increased rating in excess of this level.

The Veteran's bladder cancer is granted service connection due to exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and anxiety disorders, is also granted based on the Veteran's combat experience.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, was reduced from a 70 percent rating to a 50 percent rating. The Board has restored the 70 percent rating effective June 1, 2014, based on an inadequate September 2013 examination report.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral wrist condition, lumbar spine condition, right ankle condition, and acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression, anxiety, PTSD and insomnia) due to incomplete service records and inadequate nexus opinions.

The Veteran's neurobehavioral disorders, including ADHD, bipolar disorder, OCD, depression, anxiety, and insomnia, are not service-connected due to lack of evidence linking them to her exposure at Camp Lejeune. Her cardiac disability and skin disabilities remain denied.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD should be remanded due to insufficient medical evidence and a need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including unspecified anxiety disorder, unspecified mood disorder, ADHD, and insomnia, as well as his allergies, to include allergy induced asthma, are all granted service connection. The conditions were presumed to have existed prior to service.

The Board has dismissed all appeals related to various conditions, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left knee condition, and muscle tear of the left arm. The appellant withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim to reopen her service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder. The Board found that there is at least equipoise evidence in favor of a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's anxiety disorder is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and service connection have been denied.,Her claims for initial compensable ratings and TDIU/SMC are being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the need for additional VA opinions regarding his claimed anxiety and mental health symptoms related to his hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of 100% for his psychotic disorder, anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder was granted. The issue of service connection for PTSD has been withdrawn. Service connection for tinnitus and lumbar spine disability is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of her acquired psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder and anxiety. The RO must obtain all outstanding mental health service treatment records from Tripler Medical Center and provide a VA examination to determine if any currently-diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorders are related to service or caused by her service-connected TBI.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings or service connection based on his symptoms.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain missing VA treatment records and for a new examination to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is related to service.

The Veteran's PTSD with TBI was rated at 50 percent prior to October 7, 2021 and granted a 70 percent rating thereafter. The Veteran also received a grant of TDIU effective September 2, 2020.,PTSD symptoms included anxiety, suspiciousness, chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss, flattened affect, disturbances of motivation and mood.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his service connection claim for PTSD is granted. The Board has also remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claims of service connection for Depression and Anxiety.