Anxiety Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety, as the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's current conditions began during service or were related to any in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's anxiety disorder, diagnosed as Anxiety Disorder NOS, is related to his active military service and has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's Schmorl’s nodes of the lumbar spine are found to be etiologically related to her active service and service connection is granted. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and PTSD, is remanded.

The Board cannot make a fully-informed decision on the issue of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder because no VA examiner has provided an opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current diagnoses and his active service. The Veteran should be scheduled for a VA examination to determine if his current diagnoses are related to in-service anxiety.

The Veteran is granted an initial rating of 70 percent for PTSD from December 6, 2008. The appeal regarding a higher rating prior to January 21, 2016 is remanded due to insufficient discussion in the Board decision.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical records and to provide the Veteran with an examination to determine the nature and etiology of her acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disorder is not reopened due to lack of material evidence. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including anxiety and depression, secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss is granted. Service connection for hypertension is denied. The effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is set at March 30, 2017.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is reopened, and the appeal is granted. The Board also remanded the case to obtain additional evidence and conduct a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service personnel records and treatment records, which need to be obtained and reviewed. The Veteran's anxiety disorder is being evaluated for its onset during service or relation to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disorders, specifically PTSD and anxiety disorder. The VA is required to obtain a new medical opinion from an examiner other than the February 2012 VA examiner to determine if the Veteran meets the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis in accordance with the DSM-5 based on MST.

The claim of service connection for PTSD has been reopened, but the issues related to active duty for training dates and other acquired psychiatric disorders need further examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder and a left knee disability, have been denied. The rating for diabetes mellitus remains unchanged.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD and cervical spine disorder, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board granted TDIU based on the benefit of the doubt.

The Board has remanded the claims for Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to incomplete records, including service personnel records. The VA will seek additional evidence and conduct a mental health assessment to determine if the veteran's anxiety disorder is related to his military service.

This appeal is dismissed for the issue of ischemic heart disease. The Veteran's anxiety disorder NOS with PTSD symptoms has been granted an initial 70 percent rating from May 31, 2005 to January 2, 2013 and a TDIU has been granted.,An initial rating in excess of 70 percent for the Veteran's anxiety disorder NOS with PTSD symptoms is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, depression, anxiety, and mood disorder, is also denied due to lack of credible supporting evidence corroborating the claimed in-service stressors.

The Veteran's claim for a chronic respiratory disorder was denied, but his claim for anxiety disorder and erectile dysfunction were reopened. Service connection for anxiety disorder is granted, while service connection for erectile dysfunction is denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety and depressive disorders, may be service connected. However, further examination is needed to determine if any of these conditions were aggravated by service or if they are superimposed on a pre-existing personality disorder.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder have been rated at 30 percent prior to June 27, 2013; 50 percent from June 27, 2013 to April 25, 2016; and 100 percent since April 25, 2016.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities was reopened and granted due to new evidence showing cold weather exposure in service.,Service connection is granted for anxiety disorder secondary to service-connected bilateral plantar fasciitis.,Tinnitus is not service connected as there is no evidence of continuity of symptomatology or a nexus to service.