Anxiety Board decisions

The Veteran's kidney disorder and psychiatric disability are being remanded for further development.,His back disorder is also being remanded, as it may be related to his service-connected kidney disorder.

The Board dismissed the appeal for an increased evaluation of right knee chondromalacia and granted service connection for major depressive disorder with generalized anxiety. The claim for increased evaluation of left knee chondromalacia is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to conflicting evidence and the need for a new examination. The examiner must determine if any diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorder is related to service, caused by service-connected disabilities, or aggravated by them.

The Veteran's application to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied.,Service connection for unspecified anxiety disorder and migraine headaches is granted.

The Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, is remanded due to insufficient evidence. The VA needs to obtain relevant medical records and conduct a clarification examination to determine the nature and etiology of any diagnosed conditions.

The appeal challenging the withholding of VA compensation due to concurrent receipt of drill pay and service connection for various conditions is denied.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his anxiety disorder and specific acrophobia associated with mild traumatic brain injury was denied. The Board found that the symptoms did not meet the criteria for a 70 percent disability rating under DC 9413.

The Veteran's service-connected panic disorder with agoraphobia and anxiety is rated at 70 percent, effective from the date of the decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was granted with an effective date of June 15, 2005. The initial rating assigned is 70 percent.

The Board has remanded the cases due to a lack of an examination for left ear hearing loss and because new evidence may be relevant to reopening claims for depression and anxiety. The Veteran's service records show he served aboard Naval vessels, which could have exposed him to noise during his active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, recurrent major depressive disorder, and unspecified depressive disorder, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected prostate cancer and prostatectomy residuals. The claim for a lumbar spine disability is remanded.

The Veteran's request to reopen a claim for service connection for a mental disorder (claimed as anxiety) including as secondary to service-connected foot disabilities was denied. The ratings for right and left foot plantar fasciitis with Achilles tendonitis associated with bilateral pes planus were also denied, as well as the compensable ratings for left foot second digit claw toe deformity and left fifth hammer toe deformity. The Veteran's Tailor's bunion (left foot) was not rated.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right wrist condition and acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for anxiety disorder and service connection for depression due to incomplete VA treatment records and inadequate examination opinions.

The Veteran's request to reopen the issue of entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and PTSD is granted. The case is remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression, anxiety, and PTSD), pleural effusions, asthma, sleep apnea, pseudobulbar affect, stroke residuals, thyroid tumor, atrial fibrillation, and headaches. The decision also denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus and TDIU.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as PTSD, adjustment disorder, and anxiety disorder is granted service connection. An initial compensable rating for hemorrhoids is granted. The Veteran's dermatitis is rated noncompensable under the old criteria but granted a non-compensable rating under the new criteria. Ratings are granted for tensional headaches since December 6, 2011 and depressive disorder not otherwise specified (previously diagnosed as circadian rhythm disorder). A compensable rating for temporomandibular joint disorder is also granted.

The Board has granted service connection for major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. The Veteran's current psychiatric conditions are found to be related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, anxiety, and somatoform disorder, as secondary to his service-connected seizure disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional development of the medical records.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder secondary to service-connected coronary artery disease and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's CAD is currently rated at 60% effective August 17, 2016.