Anxiety Board decisions

The Veteran is seeking service connection for anxiety. The Board finds that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any current psychiatric disorder, including anxiety.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination to address the nature and etiology of his acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's unspecified bipolar disorder with depression, anxiety disorder, and mixed borderline paranoid and dependent personality traits has not been manifested by total social and occupational impairment. Therefore, the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent is denied.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for various service connection claims, including those related to psychiatric disorders, hearing loss, arthritis, and dental conditions. The Board also remanded several issues for further development.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, other than PTSD, manifested during his active military service and the Board finds that it is related to service.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. The Veteran's claim was not decided on the merits of a lumbar spine condition.

The Veteran's service-connected anxiety neurosis has rendered him unable to maintain substantial employment for the entire period under consideration, and thus he is granted a TDIU from May 1, 2007 through December 12, 2007.

The Board has dismissed the service connection claim for TBI and denied the service connection claims for psychiatric disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, and bilateral hearing loss disability. The remaining issues are REMANDED to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ).

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with anxiety disorder has been granted an initial rating of 100 percent, reflecting total occupational and social impairment due to persistent delusions or hallucinations, intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living, disorientation to time or place, and memory loss for names of close relatives.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has determined that his claim for TDIU is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a verified in-service stressor for PTSD and his current acquired psychiatric disorder, other than anxiety disorder and to include depression, is not service connected.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's anxiety disorder NOS is related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a diagnosis of PTSD and his anxiety disorder was not incurred in or caused by active service. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's current psychiatric disability, including depression, mood disorder, and anxiety with sleep disorder, is found to be related to service. However, the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD have not been met.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA psychiatric examination under DSM-IV criteria to assess his service-connected GAD and its impact on employment. The TDIU claim will also be considered in conjunction with the increased rating claim.

The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disability, specifically anxiety disorder NOS and depression, is denied as there was no evidence of a current disability during the period on appeal that manifested during or was causally related to his active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus was denied. The Board found that there is no current diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy related to diabetes or service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions and service connection.