Anxiety decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and the need for a new VA examination to determine if any psychiatric disorders are related to military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, migraine headaches, an acquired psychiatric condition, and hypothyroidism due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran testified that his conditions are related to service-connected sleep apnea syndromes.

The Board has denied service connection for anxiety disorder and a head injury, but has remanded the issue of service connection for a right shoulder injury.

The Board has granted service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. The Veteran's conditions are found to be related to his military service.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to his service, and whether they clearly and unmistakably preexisted service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the cause of the Veteran's death and whether his service-connected conditions contributed to it.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sleep apnea, an acquired psychiatric condition (including anxiety), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) due to inadequate VA examination and failure to obtain private treatment records.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including depressive disorder and PTSD, is granted service connection. The rating for bilateral hearing loss remains at 20 percent from December 8, 2021.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions and need for a new VA psychiatric examination. The Veteran's current diagnosis is Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Anxiety and Depressed Mood, which may be related to service exposure but not PTSD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right wrist disability, left ear hearing loss, and an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for GAD with Tourette's syndrome due to failure to report for VA examinations without good cause. The claim for right wrist disability was denied as there is no probative evidence linking the current disability to service. The claims for left ear hearing loss and right ear hearing loss were denied because there are no audiometric findings of record showing a current disability. The claim for GAD with Tourette's syndrome was denied due to failure to report for an examination without good cause.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and schizoaffective disorder, has been denied as the Veteran failed to report for a scheduled VA examination without providing good cause.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder, are found to be related to his service due to the impact of being falsely accused of sexual assault during active duty. The Board granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and earlier effective dates have been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeals for initial disability ratings in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, gastroesophageal reflux disease with Barrett's esophagus, and sleep apnea have been remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood is rated at a 100 percent disability rating, effective July 27, 2015. The Veteran also receives SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for generalized anxiety disorder was denied, and the issue of service connection for neurogenic bladder is remanded.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for issues related to effective dates and service connection, as the Veteran withdrew his appeals. The remaining claims of service connection have been remanded.

The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed as he withdrew his Substantive Appeal with respect to all issues listed on appeal.

The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, and unspecified anxiety disorder is granted. The Board finds that the evidence is at least as likely as not that his current psychiatric conditions are related to his in-service stressor involving a fire aboard the USS Gary.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral wrist, right ankle, and lumbar spine disabilities due to failure of the Veteran to appear for VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims for entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, MDD, and GAD, as well as OSA. The issues are inextricably intertwined due to the potential impact on the OSA claim based on the Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition.