Anxiety decisions — 2024

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claim for service connection of generalized anxiety disorder as it was granted in a February 2021 rating decision, and there remains no case or controversy regarding this issue.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for TMJ, an ear disorder (vertigo and dizziness), obstructive sleep apnea, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety) as due to service-connected tinnitus. The VA is instructed to provide a new opinion regarding whether these conditions would be less severe but for the service-connected tinnitus.

The Veteran's anxiety and depressive disorders with panic attacks, as well as his cervical spine degenerative arthritis, are now rated at 70 percent effective May 5, 2015. The Board has granted an earlier effective date for the service connection of these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to obtain a medical opinion regarding the cause of death. The appellant believes the Veteran's suicide was caused by his service-connected disabilities, specifically PTSD.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and other conditions. The decision is based on the Veteran's reported stressor of witnessing dead bodies during active duty in Japan.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, including PTSD, MDD, adjustment disorder with mixed depression and anxiety, and anxiety disorder, is being remanded due to the submission of new evidence that may affect the outcome.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia with anxiety, chronic fatigue, and headaches is now rated at 40 percent, the maximum available rating.

The Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder with anxiety was found to have occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks, warranting a 30 percent evaluation. The Veteran is not entitled to a higher rating as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a 50 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's disability rating for PTSD with dysthymia, generalized anxiety disorder, and alcohol use disorder was reduced from 50 percent to 30 percent effective January 1, 2020. The Board found that the evidence did not show a material improvement in the Veteran's PTSD under ordinary conditions of life and work, thus restoring the original 50 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for unspecified depressive disorder and anxiety disorder due to a lack of medical opinion regarding whether any pre-existing mental health disability existed prior to service entrance or worsened during service.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, including Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, based on in-service stressors related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder conditions, as well as his psychiatric disability (including anxiety, depression, and PTSD), and neck condition. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding these issues.,Service connection was not granted because there is no evidence of a current disability in the Veteran's shoulders or mental health conditions that can be linked to his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection of anxiety and depression disorders are dismissed as moot due to the overlap with his already service-connected PTSD.,For the entire appeal period, a 70 percent disability rating has been granted for PTSD, but no higher.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran is seeking service connection for an unspecified depressive disorder and anxiety disorder, which are currently diagnosed.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeals regarding his claims of service connection for various conditions due to a failure to timely file a substantive appeal within 60 days of receiving the Statement of the Case (SOC).

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including generalized anxiety disorder with alcoholic behaviors, major depressive disorder, and somatic symptom disorder are proximately due to his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine. The Board has granted service connection for these conditions as secondary to his back pain.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as it was caused by hazardous noise exposure in service.,Service connection for hepatitis C with liver cirrhosis is denied because there is no evidence of onset or causation during service and the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis prior to separation.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to January 16, 2020 for the grant of a 50 percent evaluation for PTSD was denied. The Veteran's PTSD rating from 30 percent to 50 percent effective January 16, 2020 is also denied.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for allergic rhinitis was denied, and the Board has remanded his service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to duty-to-assist errors. The Board found that there were no nasal polyps in his case.

The Board has granted service connection for anxiety, depression, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, sciatic neuropathy of the left and right legs, as well as left and right shoulder degenerative arthritis based on new evidence submitted by the Veteran.