Anxiety Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, major depressive disorder, mood disorder, pain disorder, and generalized anxiety, is being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's complete service treatment records, specifically those from his Reserve unit. The VA also needs to obtain private mental health treatment records and provide a VA psychiatric examination to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and TDIU.

The Board has determined that additional procedural and substantive development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The Veteran's claim will be remanded for further action.

The Board has granted service connection for ocular histoplasmosis, bilateral nephrolithiasis, an acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety and depression), renal disease, and mediastinal obstructive syndrome as secondary to exposure to Histoplasma capsulatum on active duty.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disorder secondary to his service-connected disabilities is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and consideration.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hyperlipidemia was denied as the condition is not a disability for VA compensation purposes. The claims for sleep apnea and an acquired psychiatric disorder were also addressed but are being remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining relevant medical records and providing a supplemental opinion from an appropriate subject matter expert regarding the Veteran's service connection claim.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder was rated at 30 percent prior to July 28, 2014 and increased to 70 percent on or after that date. The rating for the thoracolumbar spine sprain remains pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for heart disorders, headaches, cervical spine disorders, lumbar spine disorders, acquired psychiatric/mental disorders (including PTSD, depression, anxiety), and sleep disorders. The Board found no evidence to support a direct link between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder results in mild to moderate occupational and social impairment, more nearly approximating the criteria for a 30 percent rating.

The Board finds that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including alcohol use disorder and bipolar illness, are not service connected as they did not manifest during service or are not etiologically related to service. The pre-existing conditions were aggravated by military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diagnosed unspecified anxiety disorder is as likely as not related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional development of his claims file.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as depression and anxiety, is found to be secondary to his service-connected tinnitus, left ear hearing loss, and right ear otosclerosis.,The Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Veteran's back disability is not related to his military service and was not caused by or aggravated by his service connected pes planus. The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including dysthymia and anxiety disorder, bilateral pes planus, tension headaches, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, and degenerative joint disease of the left knee, preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.,The Veteran has multiple service-connected disabilities that are rated at 100% combined, meeting the criteria for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining private and VA psychiatric treatment records from 1970 to present, corroborating the Veteran's reported stressor incident involving a downed plane, and scheduling the Veteran for a VA psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The Board found that new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disorder characterized as psychoneurosis and anxiety, but reopened it based on newly submitted medical evidence indicating current diagnoses related to service. However, the Board concluded that there was no current hearing loss by VA standards, no established link between any diagnosed conditions and service, and thus denied all claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, headaches, and onychomycosis of both feet to further develop the evidence. The claims are currently denied.