Anxiety decisions — 2023

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and anxiety, is related to service. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a VA opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and sleep disorder. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder, not otherwise specified, was rated at 30 percent and did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities that resulted in an overall combined rating of 80 percent. However, he was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for a generalized anxiety disorder is dismissed. The Board also remanded his claims for increased ratings and TDIU.

The Veteran's headaches are not related to his active service.,The Veteran does not have a left thumb condition, left hand condition, or right foot condition that is related to his active service.,The Veteran's adjustment disorder (anxiety) is not related to his active service.,The Veteran's vertigo is not related to his active service and is not secondary to his service-connected tinnitus.

The Board has dismissed all claims for service connection as the Veteran withdrew his appeals for these conditions prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's PTSD with mild cannabis and AUD is currently rated at 50 percent, but the Board denied a higher rating.,The Veteran was also denied TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The VA needs to obtain additional information about the Veteran's stressors during service and provide a new medical opinion on the etiology of his anxiety disorder, other unspecified depressive disorder, and adjustment disorder.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for anxiety with depression, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The claim for tinnitus is granted as it likely began during service, but the claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations, including VA examinations for his acquired psychiatric disorder, neck disability, low back disability, right knee disability, left shoulder disability, sleep apnea, right ear hearing loss, and left ear hearing loss (for VA purposes).

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a respiratory disability, heart disability, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, and right knee disability due to potential development needs.,Service connection is not currently established for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of generalized anxiety disorder is granted because he has a current diagnosis, experienced an in-service incident, and there is a positive medical nexus between the two.

The Veteran's claims for depression, memory loss, and social anxiety are denied as there is no evidence of a separate psychiatric disorder from his service-connected PTSD.,The claim for an undiagnosed illness (claimed as Gulf War syndrome) is denied due to lack of objective indications of a chronic disability.

The Veteran's other specified anxiety disorder is rated at 30 percent disabling, but the Board finds that this rating is not supported by the evidence of record.,The Veteran contends he is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities. The Board denies entitlement to a TDIU as there is insufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that the Veteran was unemployable because of service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the TDIU claim due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's employment history and earnings, as well as incomplete VA treatment records. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include unspecified anxiety disorder, and for insomnia as secondary to the service-connected unspecified anxiety disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for plantar warts, an acquired psychiatric disorder (depressive disorder and anxiety), and bilateral hearing loss. The decision found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for plantar warts and concluded that there was not sufficient evidence to establish a link between the claimed conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's anxiety. The effective date issue remains pending.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inconsistencies in medical opinions and a need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, bilateral knee disability, chronic pancreatitis, back disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety and depression).