Anxiety Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and examination reports. The issues include psychiatric disorders, prostate disorder, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, anemia, gastrointestinal disorders, skin disorder, bilateral eye disorders, low back disability, upper back disability, right leg disability, left leg disability, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including depressive disorder, mood disorder, anxiety disorder, and PTSD, is granted as service connected. The claims for left hip condition and right hip condition are remanded.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including a panic disorder and agoraphobia, is granted secondary to his service-connected other trauma and stressor related disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea. The case of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and conducting a new VA examination to assess the Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder.

The Board has decided to remand several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims and rating determinations for further development. The Veteran is required to provide information about his treatment providers, obtain relevant VA and private records, and undergo examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating, as well as his claim for a TDIU. The Veteran is required to provide updated medical records and complete VA forms. He also needs to undergo examinations for his ankle disorders, foot conditions, and mental health issues.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to December 13, 2016.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, anxiety disorder, and nightmare disorder as these conditions are found to be at least as likely as not related to military experiences. The claim was reopened due to the submission of new evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected unspecified anxiety disorder and unspecified depressive disorder were restored to a 70 percent rating effective August 1, 2017. Additionally, the Board granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied service connection for a heart condition and granted an effective date of January 30, 2013, for service-connected bipolar disorder. The Veteran's initial claim was implicitly denied in October 1999 due to her failure to appear for a VA examination. Her second informal claim was not developed until January 2014 when she applied again and received the grant of service connection for bipolar disorder. The Board has also remanded the issues of an initial evaluation in excess of 50 percent for service-connected bipolar disorder and TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed in-service stressor. The VA will attempt to obtain records from the CID and review them before making a decision.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and Dependents' Educational Assistance prior to May 27, 2003 is denied. The earliest possible effective dates are the current ones.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, but the Board found that he did not have total social and occupational impairment due to his PTSD. Therefore, a higher rating of 100 percent was denied.

The Veteran's anxiety has resulted in significant occupational and social impairment, warranting a 70 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for several issues, including an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for anxiety disorder NOS and depressive disorder NOS, an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for ischemic heart disease, and a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The missing November 2013 VA examination report is needed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to his active service, but additional evidence is needed for other conditions. The Veteran will need to provide updated treatment records and undergo a new VA examination.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, but denied the claim itself due to lack of evidence linking any current psychiatric condition to service.

The Veteran's death was caused by cardiac arrest, which the VA examiner opined was not related to his service-connected coronary artery disease. The Board finds that a remand is necessary to determine whether the Veteran’s service-connected coronary artery disease contributed substantially or materially to his cause of death.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development and an addendum opinion regarding service connection for heat stroke, acquired psychiatric disability including major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder, and right foot disability.