Anxiety decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders and his service, specifically in relation to witnessed motor vehicle accidents during his time on land in the Navy.

The Board has granted service connection for tension headaches. The cases of the Veteran's psychiatric disorder, fatigue, insomnia, and uterine condition are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety disorder and somatic disorder, is granted as service-connected. The low back disability and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity are remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but the issues of service connection for sleep apnea, acquired psychiatric disorder (to include anxiety and depression), osteoarthritis of the right ankle, osteoarthritis of the left ankle, and lumbar spine strain with degenerative disc disease are remanded. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee chondromalacia, neck cervical stenosis, and an acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD, anxiety and insomnia). The Veteran's headaches and swallowing disabilities are remanded for further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for depression/anxiety, bilateral hearing loss, pes planus (right and left feet), and a vision condition due to additional development being required. The claims are currently pending.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for TDIU, but his service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for his acquired psychiatric disorder and entitlement to a TDIU due to worsening symptoms. The Veteran was previously granted service connection for unspecified anxiety disorder with panic attacks, insomnia disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder, but he now contends that his disability has worsened.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an anxiety disorder, finding that he does not have a separate diagnosis of anxiety and that his anxiety is a symptom of his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for complex partial seizures has been reopened, and a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of his condition.,A VA psychiatric examination is required to assess the presence and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, MDD, and unspecified anxiety disorder).

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection were denied.,No new evidence was presented to reopen the previously denied claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and relationship of the Veteran's psychiatric disabilities to his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to in-service exposure to hazardous noise.,The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes.,There is no evidence that the Veteran has a left elbow disability that began during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.,There is no evidence that the Veteran has a neck disability that began during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disabilities (including PTSD, unspecified depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and alcohol use disorder) are not related to his service.

The Board has granted service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including dysthymia, major depressive disorder, adjustment disorder, anxiety disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding service connection claims for psychiatric disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, gastrointestinal disability, and obstructive sleep apnea.,Service connection will be considered based on the presumption of exposure to toxic substances during military service.

The appeal for service connection for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy was dismissed as the Veteran's claim has been fully granted.,A rating of 30 percent, but no higher, for bilateral pes planus is granted prior to April 2, 2021. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is restored to a 50% rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for anxiety and depressive disorders due to a medical condition was granted with an effective date of December 13, 2017.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, has been reopened. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his diagnosed conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, was denied. The Board found that there were no verified stressor events in service to support the claimed conditions. The Veteran's hearing loss condition also did not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient verification of in-service stressors.