Anxiety decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to the Veteran's failure to report for VA examinations. The issues of entitlement to higher ratings for generalized anxiety disorder and headaches, as well as TDIU prior to June 25, 2018, are now pending.

The Veteran's petition to reopen her claims for service connection for insomnia, bilateral pes planus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including schizophrenia and anxiety), and thoracolumbar spine condition is granted.,An earlier effective date of May 2, 2016, but no earlier, for a disability rating of 20 percent for neuropathy of the left hand fourth webspace is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including depressive disorder, panic disorder with agoraphobia, and generalized anxiety disorder, are causally related to his service. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment prior to June 24, 2019. A TDIU is granted from July 25, 2013.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination opinions regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension is related to service-connected major depression and generalized anxiety disorder.

The Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and sleep disturbances, is denied as there is no diagnosed condition separate from his service-connected OSA. The Veteran's claim for headaches is remanded due to inadequate opinion regarding the onset of symptoms in service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorders, TMJ, and various musculoskeletal conditions have been denied. The effective dates for the grants of service connection for these conditions are also denied.,Additionally, the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence of in-service exposure and need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's representative withdrew all issues on appeal, including those for service connection for various conditions.

The Veteran's hypertension is rated at 10 percent, and the Board found no evidence to warrant a higher rating. The acquired psychiatric disability claim has been remanded due to insufficient evidence for proper evaluation.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and readjudication.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete evidence and need for further examination. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is pending.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, GAD, MDD, schizoaffective disorder, and unspecified schizophrenia and other psychotic disorder. The examiner is asked to identify any current psychiatric disorders found on examination or that have existed since May 2017, as well as whether each current disorder originated during service or is otherwise etiologically related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, as it was aggravated by military sexual trauma during service. The Board also found that the service-connected PTSD aggravates other acquired psychiatric disabilities such as bipolar disorder and OCD.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions alone do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation during the period from March 6, 2015, to June 20, 2016.

The Veteran's hypertension is related on a secondary basis to his service-connected anxiety disorder, kidney disease, and sleep apnea. The Board finds that the opinions of record do not adequately address this relationship and remands for new opinions from an appropriate VA medical examiner.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea but has remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including paranoid reaction.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service treatment records and the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to conflicting medical opinions regarding the nature of his psychiatric disorder, right shoulder disability, and bilateral flat feet. The case is also being remanded for a determination on whether he qualifies for TDIU.