Anxiety decisions — 2024

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is rated at 70 percent, effective from March 11, 2022. The appeal for a higher rating is denied, but the Veteran is granted TDIU.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions are inadequate for adjudicatory purposes due to their focus on obesity as an intermediate step, rather than directly addressing whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is caused by or aggravated by his service-connected anxiety disorder. The case is therefore being remanded for additional examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was granted with a 50% disability rating effective October 17, 2018. The decision is based on the merits of his case and not due to any new evidence or a change in law.

The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is granted.,The Veteran's service connection claim for restless leg syndrome is denied.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for a determination on whether he should have been granted TDIU prior to February 23, 2021. The Board finds that the Veteran has continuously pursued his service connection claims since April 25, 2018 and that the issue of whether TDIU can be granted prior to February 23, 2021 remains on appeal.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to November 8, 2021 for a 100 percent disability rating for his service-connected psychiatric disorders was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show total occupational and social impairment prior to this date.

The Veteran requested to withdraw their claim for service connection for generalized anxiety disorder, and the Board has dismissed it.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, adjustment disorder, and anxiety. The evidence shows these conditions are related to his active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his persistent depressive disorder with generalized anxiety disorder and alcohol use disorder, as well as his lumbar spine disability and bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis, render him unemployable. The Board has resolved all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran, granting TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for unspecified fatigue is denied because it would result in improper pyramiding and cause the Veteran to be compensated twice for the same disability.

Your effective date for the 100 percent evaluation for major depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety disorder has been changed to March 23, 2021. The appeal is dismissed as the earlier effective date provided a full grant of benefits.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for morbid obesity, costochondritis, and GERD were denied. The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome was also denied.,Service connection was granted for generalized anxiety disorder with panic attacks and major depressive disorder (Anxiety Disorder).

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the grant of Individual Unemployability (TDIU) and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA). The Board denied both claims.,For TDIU, the evidence did not show that the Veteran was unemployable prior to August 29, 2017. For DEA, eligibility was based on the effective date for TDIU.

The Veteran's hypothyroidism is currently rated at a noncompensable level, and the Board has determined that a compensable rating is not warranted.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, specifically anxiety disorder with insomnia, secondary to service-connected hypothyroidism, is granted.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for service-connected degenerative joint disease of the right hand is granted. The claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and gastrointestinal disorder are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and a failure to obtain necessary service treatment records (STRs). The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, adjustment disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and depression, is being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for further action.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for anxiety and depression, as well as acne keloidalis nuchae, have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the appeal process.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and records. The issues of TBI, psychiatric disability, sleep impairment, headache, vestibular disorder, shoulder disabilities, knee, ankle, foot, and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy will be reconsidered.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including anxiety, back disability, neck disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, head injury, and right ear hearing loss. The effective date of the decisions was January 12, 2022.

The Veteran's appeal for Generalized Anxiety Disorder was dismissed because the appellant requested to withdraw the appeal.