Anxiety Board decisions

The Veteran's service connection claims for hemorrhoids, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, anxiety disorder, depression/dysthymic disorder), and blood deficiency have been granted with effective dates of September 1, 1999, October 9, 2008, and no date respectively.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and any pertinent private treatment records. The AOJ will also make another request to the U.S. Army Crime Records Center regarding his asserted stressor in Germany.

The Veteran's duodenal ulcer disease with GERD is rated as 20 percent disabling, but does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7305. The Board denied an increased rating for this condition.

The Veteran's depression is found to be secondary to his service-connected interstitial lung disease, warranting service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of her acquired psychiatric disorder. The issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder as secondary to service-connected disabilities, and effective dates prior to February 29, 2012, for TDIU and Dependents' Educational Assistance are also being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his military service. The decision is based on the Veteran's reported symptoms of depression and anxiety dating back over 50 years.

The Veteran's appeal of the July 2015 rating decision is dismissed as an inappropriate collateral attack on a final June 2016 Board decision.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, is related to his in-service trauma and the Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, and nonservice-connected pension benefits. The reasons given were that there was no verified stressor related to military service, the veteran did not meet the threshold criteria for a TDIU, and she did not have qualifying active duty service for nonservice-connected pension purposes.

The Veteran's appeal includes claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a higher disability rating for prostate cancer, and the propriety of reducing his disability rating. The Board has ordered additional examinations to address these issues.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, specifically general anxiety disorder, is rated at 50 percent prior to August 23, 2013 and at 70 percent thereafter. The Board also granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for a higher extraschedular rating for hypertension was denied as the schedular criteria adequately describe his disability level and symptomatology.,The Veteran's claim for an extraschedular disability rating for service-connected generalized anxiety disorder was denied because the preponderance of evidence did not support finding that his psychiatric condition warranted a rating in excess of 50 percent.

The Board found that the Veteran's psychiatric disability, including depressive and anxiety disorders, is related to his active military service.

The Veteran's service-connected GAD with agoraphobia and PTSD is rated at 70 percent since October 20, 2017. The Board found that the symptoms warrant this rating based on occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD and as secondary to service-connected asbestosis, is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a medical opinion.

The Veteran's PTSD to include adjustment disorder and anxiety depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent since September 20, 2017. The rating remains subject to the laws and regulations governing the payment of monetary benefits.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and anxiety disorder NOS, but the skin disorder claim remains pending as new evidence suggests possible service connection due to Agent Orange exposure. The rating assigned and effective date are not applicable in this decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a more contemporaneous examination of his service-connected anxiety disorder and for obtaining private medical records.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for a bilateral knee disability and a psychiatric disability, finding that new and material evidence has been received to reopen these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bipolar disorder is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition. However, there is no diagnosis of PTSD in the record, so service connection for PTSD is denied.