Anxiety decisions — 2023

The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for the Veteran's unspecified anxiety disorder and also denied entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC).

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate VA examinations and failure to provide proper notification for scheduled appointments.

The Veteran was granted TDIU from May 28, 2015 to October 31, 2017 due to his service-connected disabilities. After this period, the Board denied TDIU as of October 31, 2017.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in the previous VA examination and a need for further medical opinion regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and anxiety.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues include psychiatric disorders, peripheral neuropathy, bilateral plantar fasciitis, cervical spine condition, and chronic hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an anxiety disorder with depression and PTSD have been reopened, and the Board has determined that these conditions originated during active service. The claim for PTSD is now granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders and their relationship to service, including his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD, anxiety, and depression because there was no evidence of a current disability during the appeal period.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is service-connected as it was caused by his service-connected conditions, including chronic sinusitis, adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety, low back strain with degenerative arthritis, left lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy, right knee degenerative joint disease, and tinnitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder disability, adjustment disorder with anxiety and depression, and narcissistic personality disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to her military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient information in a previous VA opinion report, requiring further development and an additional medical examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including alcohol use disorder, cannabis use disorder, and psychoactive substance-induced mood disorder, was denied. However, the Board granted reopening of his claim for service connection for Generalized Anxiety Disorder with Panic Disorder due to new evidence.

The Board has determined that there are issues related to the Veteran's quadriplegia and his acquired psychiatric disorder that require further development. The decision is remanded for a VA addendum opinion regarding the cause of the post-operative hypotensive episode, including whether any medication caused or worsened the disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inconsistency in a previous VA addendum opinion regarding whether PTSD can cause or aggravate sleep apnea. The Veteran's OSA is being reviewed again by a medical expert to clarify this issue.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, left shoulder bicipital tendonitis, major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder (NOS), left knee tendonitis, and cervical spine intervertebral disc disease (to include cervical strain) have all been denied. The effective dates for these awards have also been denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for hearing loss, service connection for sleep apnea and an acquired psychiatric disorder, as well as his TDIU claim due to inextricability with other issues.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as generalized anxiety disorder with mixed bipolar disorder and unspecified trauma and stressor-related disorder. The decision is based on new evidence provided by the Veteran during his appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable prior to September 2, 2020. The combined rating of his conditions was at least 50% but never reached the level required for a TDIU rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate VA examinations and failure to address certain evidence. The issues include PTSD, a left knee disability, and a lumbar spine disability.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to incomplete service records and the need for additional medical examinations. The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, OSA, anxiety and depression, left shoulder disability, and right shoulder disability are pending.