Anxiety Board decisions

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain updated treatment records and provide the Veteran with an examination to determine if his acquired psychiatric disorder is related to service, including whether it was aggravated by service.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal, and the Board does not have jurisdiction to review it.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis, anxiety disorder, and diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's left knee disability is presumed to have been incurred in service due to a diagnosed condition during active duty. His anxiety disorder is related to his military service, specifically exposure to traumatic events. Diabetes mellitus is found to be at least as likely as not caused by the Veteran's reported exposure to Malathion insecticide while serving as an air policeman.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and anxiety reaction with depressive and compulsive features were denied in final September 1972, August 2003, and December 2008 rating decisions. The Veteran is seeking an effective date prior to January 31, 2012.

The Veteran's awards of service connection for PTSD, GAD, panic disorder, and anxiety disorder NOS, as well as his award for hypertension are restored.

The Veteran's mental health conditions have been rated based on their current manifestations, with the depressive disorder receiving a 30% rating prior to April 27, 2016 and unspecified anxiety disorder receiving no compensable rating. The coronary artery disease has not met the criteria for any higher ratings since April 27, 2016. The effective date for TDIU remains at April 27, 2016.

The Board has granted service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and assigned a 100% disability rating.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings was denied. His service-connected low back disability is rated at 40 percent, and his lumbar radiculitis of the left lower extremity is also rated at 10 percent. The appeals for hearing loss, TDIU, and RLS were withdrawn.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was incurred during his period of honorable active service. As such, the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is granted.

The Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder is related to active service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The claims for hypertension and diabetes mellitus, type 2 are pending.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as adjustment disorder, anxiety, and depression, is proximately due to his service-connected hearing loss, tinnitus, and vestibular disorder. The Board finds that service connection is warranted for this condition.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity during the period from October 31, 2014 to December 29, 2016. The Board granted a 70% evaluation for this period.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service-connection for PTSD, MDD and Anxiety Disorder due to lack of credible in-service stressors and no link between current psychiatric conditions and service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, depression, anxiety, migraine headaches, a left knee disability, and residuals of left wrist fracture with mild degenerative joint disease. The issues were broadened to include a claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder with panic attacks was not caused by service, and the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to non-compliance with previous remand directives. The claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a skin condition are being deferred pending resolution of the psychiatric disorder claim.

The Board has granted service connection for Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety Disorder, but denied service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. The Veteran's current psychiatric conditions are related to his military discharge.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a hearing loss disability of the right ear, an acquired psychiatric disorder, left leg disability, and gastrointestinal disability are all denied as there is no current disability found in each case.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD. The Veteran is also requested to provide verification of her in-service stressors.