Anxiety Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case to obtain updated medical opinions regarding the Veteran's current psychiatric and seizure disorders, as well as to determine if service connection can be established for these conditions. The Veteran will need to provide a correct mailing address so that he can schedule the necessary examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining a new medical opinion from a psychiatrist to address the relationship of her diagnosed psychiatric disorders with service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, sleep apnea, left carpal tunnel syndrome, a neck disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities.

The Veteran has withdrawn his claims for service connection for PTSD and an increased evaluation for coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to a compensable evaluation for service-connected left thumb strain, status post old fracture deformity first metacarpal bone, entitlement to a compensable evaluation for service-connected bilateral hearing loss, and entitlement to special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person have been dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder was rated at 10 percent prior to May 12, 2010 and granted a higher rating of 50 percent effective May 12, 2010. The claim for TDIU remains pending.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as panic disorder without agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, and mood disorder. The sympathetic dysfunction (facial flushing with hyperpyrexia) and compensatory sweating (hyperhidrosis) are also found to be related to the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, were granted service connection.,Given the grant of service connection for his mental health conditions, the issue of eligibility for treatment is moot.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and MDD, are related to his combat service in Southwest Asia.

The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD is granted, as his symptoms are related to combat stressors experienced during his military service.

The Board finds that the May 2014 discontinuation of the Veteran's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment benefits was improper due to lack of proper review and participation in the program.

The Board finds that the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam and thus is not entitled to presumptive service connection for any conditions. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that any of his claimed disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder did not result in total occupational and social impairment at any time during the period on appeal, thus his claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 70 percent was denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed psychiatric disorders, including PTSD. The appeal is currently in remand status.

The Board finds that there is no evidence of a chronic psychiatric condition during service, and the Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorders are not shown to be related to his military service. The Board also cannot establish service connection for any acquired psychiatric disorder as superimposed upon a personality disorder.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD, obstructive sleep apnea, and hypertension. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to active service.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not cause him to be in need of regular aid and attendance, as his limitations are due to non-service connected disabilities.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is not related to his service, but acknowledges that he experienced symptoms during and after his duty on funeral detail. The decision is mixed as some issues are granted while others are denied.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder not otherwise specified has been evaluated as 30 percent disabling prior to September 11, 2014 and 70 percent thereafter. The Board finds that the evidence does not support an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for the period prior to September 11, 2014 or a higher rating thereafter.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of current diagnoses or a link between any claimed conditions and active military service.,No new effective date has been granted as no earlier effective date claim was filed.