Anxiety Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of the Veteran's death and his psychiatric and heart conditions. The VA is required to obtain relevant medical records, including those from VA facilities and private doctors, and provide opinions on whether these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU were denied as there is no effective date prior to September 27, 2011.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional evidence to corroborate the Veteran's reported in-service stressor, which is necessary to establish service connection for PTSD and anxiety.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, including PTSD and anxiety disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a diagnosis meeting VA criteria for PTSD and insufficient medical evidence to link the current anxiety disorder to his service.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder prior to April 10, 2017 was rated at 50 percent and denied a higher rating.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient verification of in-service stressors reported by the Veteran, and for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed psychiatric disorders, and requests additional examinations and records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, increased urinary frequency, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions. The earlier effective date for the grant of an increased evaluation for right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is also being remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee scar and generalized anxiety disorder (claimed as PTSD) due to insufficient evidence regarding the in-service events. The AOJ is instructed to clarify when the Veteran believes an in-service injury occurred, obtain relevant medical records, verify his periods of service, and provide addendum opinions from appropriate physicians.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depressive disorder and anxiety, secondary to service-connected narcolepsy, and for TMJ. A new examination is needed to clarify the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's sinusitis and generalized anxiety disorder are granted, with a 50% evaluation for the latter beginning September 3, 2015. The left-hand crush injury claim is remanded.

The Board dismissed the appeal of the Veteran's claim for service connection for allergic rhinitis, as the Veteran withdrew his appeal from this issue. The other issues were remanded for further development.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals on the issues of entitlement to increased disability ratings for irritable bowel syndrome and recurrent major depression with generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder without agoraphobia due to his withdrawal of appeal.

The Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder is rated at 50 percent, the maximum schedular rating. The Board has granted a total disability rating for individual unemployability (TDIU) effective from December 31, 2014 to December 2, 2015.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for various psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, dysthymic disorder, anxiety disorder, depression, and adjustment disorder is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran has PTSD as a result of his military service, and therefore grants service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder with psychosis. The rating in excess of 40 percent for left shoulder impingement syndrome remains pending.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right knee arthritis, deep vein thrombosis, atrial fibrillation, and anxiety disorder, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether he can perform such work.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including myxoid liposarcoma of the right leg/groin and pelvis, chronic pain/chronic fatigue syndrome associated with it, fibromyalgia, lymphedema, premature menopause, loss of her right ovary, carpal tunnel syndrome, nerve damage to the right leg (lower extremity neuropathy), an acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety and depression), insomnia, and temporomandibular joint disorder with dislocated jaw. The denial is based on a lack of evidence supporting the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was reopened due to new evidence. The claim is granted as the evidence shows a relationship between the current psychiatric condition and service.