Anxiety Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service personnel and treatment records from the Veteran's Mississippi Army National Guard membership. The issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, anxiety disorder, sleep apnea, and psychosis for the purpose of establishing eligibility to treatment are being remanded.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder has been rated at 70 percent since January 5, 2010. Given her symptoms and inability to maintain employment due to her condition, she is also entitled to a TDIU effective from the same date.

The Board has granted service connection for major depressive disorder, recurrent with anxious distress; and anxiety disorder, NOS with features of social phobia, panic disorder and agoraphobia. The issue of eligibility to treatment was previously granted by the RO and is therefore moot.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder not otherwise specified with PTSD features resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity prior to July 17, 2014.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a videoconference hearing. The issues of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for anxiety disorder and service connection for coronary artery disease are pending.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine the etiology of any diagnosed psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated after this additional development.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder, claimed as posttraumatic stress disorder and adjustment disorder with depressed mood, circadian rhythm sleep disorder, and insomnia, has been rated at 50 percent since October 6, 2009. The disability is characterized by symptoms such as depression, chronic sleep impairment, and irritability without episodes of violence, which most nearly approximates occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board finds that the Veteran's anxiety disorder is related to service and grants service connection for this condition. The Board also finds that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of PTSD, which is related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and conducting examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected back disability and other disabilities. The issue of a TDIU will also be reconsidered.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, benign prostatic hypertrophy, high cholesterol, tinea cruris, sinusitis, and a psychiatric disability (PTSD, depression, anxiety), have been dismissed due to the Veteran's request for withdrawal of these claims.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's diagnosed psychiatric disorders and considering his lay statements concerning the onset of his symptoms.

The Veteran's diagnosed generalized anxiety disorder is reasonably shown to be related to active service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to fully and fairly consider the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD. This includes obtaining verification of stressor events in service, securing SSA records, and arranging for an examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of his psychiatric disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is related to her military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a disability manifested by fatigue is denied as there is no diagnosed condition.,Service connection granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder. The Board finds the evidence at least in equipoise that this condition began during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule the Veteran for VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for higher initial ratings and increased rating issues, as well as his claim for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, were granted. His combined disability rating is now at 80 percent.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, finding that there is no medical evidence establishing a nexus between his in-service complaints and his current diagnosed conditions.