Anxiety Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the etiology of any current breathing disorders and an opinion on whether service connection is warranted. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder remains pending.

The Veteran was granted service connection for PTSD and an anxiety and depressive disorder, both diagnosed as acquired psychiatric disorders.,Service connection was also granted for hypertension.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus began during military service and has been continuous since then, granting service connection for this condition. The other issues of service connection are addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder was found to not cause occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, as required for a higher disability evaluation.

The Board found that the appellant does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected anxiety disorder, and thus denied the claim for secondary service connection.

The Veteran's anxiety and depressive disorders have been granted service connection, with a rating of 10 percent prior to January 12, 2012, and increased to 50 percent thereafter.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including blurred vision, night sweats, traumatic brain injury, sleep apnea, psychiatric disability (PTSD, major depression and anxiety), residuals of frostbite of the ears, and low back disorder. The decision is based on a finding that there is no direct evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and increased rating due to new evidence received since a final denial, including VA and private treatment records. The Veteran's claim of service connection for an anxiety disorder is reopened, but his PTSD claim remains pending. A psychiatric examination is needed to determine if he has PTSD related to service events, and a knee examination is required to assess current severity.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than the already granted anxiety disorder NOS with PTSD traits is denied. The claim for secondary service connection for hepatitis C to include as secondary to service-connected anxiety disorder NOS with PTSD traits is also denied.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA mental disorders examination to clarify diagnoses and determine whether any current psychiatric disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining VA outpatient treatment records and scheduling a medical examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities. The TDIU claim will be adjudicated after the referred issues are addressed.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD symptoms are indicative of reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50 percent evaluation. The issue of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for the period since October 9, 2012 remains pending.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for his major depressive disorder with anxiety disorder is being remanded due to the need to obtain private treatment records from the University of Utah.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (other than PTSD), including panic disorder and major depressive disorder, finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep disorder is not related to his service or any service-connected disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection. The issue of entitlement to a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) remains pending.

The Board has restored service connection for degenerative changes of the spine and sacroiliac joints, finding that severance was improper. Service connection for conjunctivitis is granted as it is related to active service.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is dismissed as moot due to the grant of service connection in the April 2014 rating decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder to include PTSD, anxiety and depression was denied as there is no evidence of an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD that is related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal for higher ratings for his acquired psychiatric disability (anxiety and depression). The claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss requires further development before being decided on appeal.