Anxiety Board decisions

The Veteran is seeking service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD. The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is related to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as whether it was caused or aggravated by his Meniere's disease.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected major depressive disorder with anxiety disorder NOS and another examination to determine the combined effects of his disabilities on his employment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional procedural development due to the submission of new VA treatment records since the last decision.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD and hepatitis C, as secondary to PTSD. The claims are being remanded to allow for additional examination and opinion.

The Veteran's bilateral pinguecula and dry eyes were found to primarily manifest as eye dryness with intermittent visual difficulty, without any indication of disfigurement. The claim for a compensable initial disability rating was denied. For the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, the Board found insufficient evidence to establish a link between the Veteran's conditions and her military service.

The Veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder results in occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational tasks only during periods of significant stress. The Board has determined that this does not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder, previously rated as sleep disorder and claimed as PTSD, is currently rated at 70 percent prior to January 19, 2017. The rating has been increased to 100 percent from January 19, 2017, forward.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a left arm disability or lung cancer. The claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, acquired psychiatric disorder (to include depression and anxiety), kidney cancer, loss of kidney, and hypertension is denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial rating for status post septoplasty with residual of tingling sensations inside nose is denied.,Service connection for thyroid disability and acquired psychiatric disability are both denied as the evidence does not relate these conditions to service.,The Veteran's current anxiety disorder has not been related to active service by competent medical evidence.

The Board found that the Veteran's current psychiatric disabilities, including depression and anxiety disorder, are not shown to be etiologically related to his service. The claim for PTSD was also denied as there is no evidence of a diagnosis or stressors in service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The Board also found that the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to his combat experiences in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current anxiety and depression disorders are etiologically related to his service, including witnessing a motor vehicle accident while in active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of depression, anxiety, and insomnia are related to his service, specifically his in-service motor vehicle accident and other incidents. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records, as well as scheduling a VA mental health examination.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU was granted effective June 24, 2013. The Board found that an earlier effective date is not warranted because the Veteran did not have any service-connected disabilities prior to this date.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and Anxiety Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (NOS), based on credible evidence of a grenade explosion during basic training. The claim for PTSD was reopened due to new and material evidence.

The Veteran's vision loss of the right eye, neuropathy of the left upper extremity (claimed as loss of command, left sided neuropathy and weakness), cognitive disorder (claimed as cognitive disorder to include, but not limited to, attention, memory, loss of time, space, and aphasia), and an acquired psychiatric condition, to include anxiety and depression, are considered residuals of a cerebrovascular accident. The Board has determined that these disabilities were caused by VA treatment due to carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment or some other instance of fault on the part of VA.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain updated VA treatment records, service treatment records, and a VA examination to determine the etiology of his psychiatric disabilities, stroke, and left eye scar.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further evidentiary development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his anxiety disorder and its impact on his social and occupational functioning. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is intertwined with the issues being remanded.