Anxiety Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine condition and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, and cannabis abuse disorder) due to lack of new and material evidence. The claim for a lumbar spine condition was previously denied in May 2007, and no new or material evidence has been received since then. For the psychiatric disorders, there is insufficient evidence linking them to service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability. The appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions regarding his diabetes mellitus, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder without agoraphobia are currently rated at 50 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available for these conditions under Diagnostic Code 9400. The appeal has been granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to incomplete VA treatment records and the need for a statement of the case regarding an earlier effective date for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further development, including a VA examination to determine the etiology of the claimed acquired psychiatric disability to include PTSD.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for anxiety disorder and remanded his claim for chronic restrictive lung disease due to new evidence submitted since the last denial.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected adjustment disorder with anxiety.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, but remands it for further development including a VA examination.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability, including anxiety disorder and a speech fluency disability, is currently rated at 30 percent. The Board finds that the evidence does not support an increase in rating to higher than 30 percent.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU effective January 17, 2012. The Board found that the evidence was at least evenly balanced as to whether his service-connected disabilities precluded him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment since January 17, 2012.

The Board has remanded two issues: the first regarding an earlier effective date for a 70 percent evaluation for service-connected anxiety disorder, NOS; and the second regarding an earlier effective date for TDIU. Both issues are dependent on the Veteran's combined evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examination and evaluation of his service-connected anxiety disorder, hypothyroidism, and pityrosporum folliculitis. The VA will obtain any outstanding treatment records and schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to assess the severity of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and an increased evaluation for his adjustment disorder. The decision found that there was no evidence of a chronic disease in service or within one year after separation, and the Veteran did not have continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's anxiety disorder, adjustment disorder (claimed as post-traumatic stress disorder) is causally related to active service and grants this claim.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to February 1, 2012 for the grant of service connection for various disabilities was denied. The Board found that the earliest possible date allowable for the grant of service connection is the day following separation from active duty service.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left knee Baker's cyst, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression and GAD) due to lack of current disability or evidence linking the conditions to service. The case is remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional evidence and a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new VA examination and additional medical records, including from Vet Centers.

The Veteran's service-connected anxiety did not cause or contribute to his cardiomyopathy, which developed after service and is unrelated to military service. The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death.

The Veteran's right hip disability is granted as secondary to service-connected residuals of a right femur fracture and lumbar spine degenerative changes.,An initial rating of 50 percent for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood is granted, effective September 17, 2012.