Anxiety decisions — 2024

The Board has reviewed the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, but found no new and relevant evidence to support readjudication of any of these claims. As such, the claims are denied.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical records and to schedule the Veteran for an examination to assess his service-connected unspecified anxiety disorder. The issues of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for unspecified anxiety disorder and entitlement to TDIU are also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for anxiety as secondary to service-connected narcolepsy and an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for an unspecified trauma and stressor-related disorder due to a duty to assist error.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for tonic-clonic seizures, adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, and tension headaches has been denied. The Veteran was granted a TDIU rating.

The Board finds that the Veteran's June 2017 VA Form 9 substantive appeal was timely filed, and as a result, the underlying claims under the legacy system must be reinstated. The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions are granted.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is granted a rating of 40 percent, but his request for a higher rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis and spinal stenosis was denied. The Veteran also received a grant of TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU was denied because the evidence did not show that he was unable to obtain or maintain substantial employment due to his service-connected disabilities, including anxiety disorder and bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating and an earlier effective date for her service-connected acquired psychiatric disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 30 percent, and there was no basis to grant an earlier effective date.

The appellant has withdrawn his appeal for an earlier effective date than October 16, 2020, for the grant of a 100 percent disability rating for PTSD with GAD and MDD. The Board dismissed the appeal.

The Veteran's PTSD, gastrointestinal issues, depression, and anxiety headaches render him unemployable. The Board has remanded the case for referral to the Director of Compensation Service for consideration of an extraschedular TDIU.

The Board previously denied the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent prior to October 21, 2019, for PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder. The Court vacated this decision due to incomplete translations of foreign language documents and remanded the case back to the Board for further consideration and development.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a right knee disability, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, adjustment disorder, depression, and anxiety is granted. The appeal is remanded for further examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorders, including alcohol use disorder.

The Board has denied the appellant's claim for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that he is not unemployable prior to June 5, 2023. The combined rating of his service-connected conditions does not meet the criteria for a TDIU.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for depression and unspecified anxiety disorder due to procedural errors in obtaining relevant medical records.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and duty-to-assist errors, particularly regarding the Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD, anxiety disorder, and alcohol and substance use disorders.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with unspecified anxiety disorder and unspecified depressive disorder has resulted in total occupational and social impairment throughout the relevant appellate period, warranting a 100% evaluation.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including Illness Anxiety Disorder, care-seeking type; Alcohol Use Disorder, mild; and Other Specified Depressive Disorder, results in occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks. However, his symptoms do not more closely approximate the level required for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for generalized anxiety disorder is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for fecal incontinence prior to January 9, 2019 is denied.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error and obtain a VA examination for the Veteran's psychiatric condition.