Anxiety Board decisions

The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether there is a relationship between the Veteran's current psychiatric disorder and his period of service. As such, the Veteran is entitled to the benefit of the doubt, and service connection for a psychiatric disorder (mood disorder with anxiety) is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include a panic disorder with agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder, and depression as secondary to asthma are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board found no evidence to support a service connection for any psychiatric disability, including depressive disorder. The Veteran's current diagnoses are attributed to alcohol abuse and not related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's anxiety disorder, to include obsessive compulsive disorder, chronic, severe, finding that it was aggravated by his active duty service.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is rated at 50 percent, effective from December 20, 2005. The Board found that his symptoms warranted this higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran seeks service connection for depression, anxiety, poor sleep, and poor concentration, to include as secondary to bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. He also seeks TDIU benefits based on his service-connected disabilities. The case is being remanded due to the need for additional development including a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of his claim for TDIU.

The Board found no credible evidence to support the Veteran's claimed in-service stressors, and thus denied service connection for PTSD. The Board also noted that there was insufficient evidence to establish a direct link between his current psychiatric conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of depressive disorder with anxiety that is related to his military service. Therefore, he cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The Board granted a 30 percent evaluation for the appellant's anxiety disorder with elements of PTSD, finding that it predominantly manifested by symptoms such as anxiety, depressed mood, distrust of other people, chronic sleep impairment with nightmares and night sweats, and poor remote memory. This resulted in occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent inability to perform occupational tasks.

The Veteran's claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits was denied as her bipolar disorder disability rating of 30% did not meet the requirement of being permanently and totally disabled.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA psychiatric examination to determine if the current psychiatric disorder is related to emotional maladjustment during service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depressive disorder, or anxiety, is being remanded due to the need for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of any diagnosed psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's claims of increased disability rating for vascular headaches, service connection for a sleep disability including as secondary to service-connected vascular headaches, and service connection for an anxiety disorder were all denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has granted the petition to reopen the claim of service connection for an innocently acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD. The case is remanded for further development and readjudication on the merits.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA psychiatric examination and obtaining Social Security Administration records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's psychiatric disability, specifically generalized anxiety disorder/panic disorder, warrants a 70 percent rating due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his reserve component records and private treatment records.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder has been rated at 70 percent since December 20, 2005. This rating is in line with the criteria for a 70 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and other mental disorders is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination, consideration of new regulations, and further development.