Anxiety Board decisions

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are denied as there is no current medical evidence of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease contributed substantially to his death, granting service connection for the cause of death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than July 10, 1998 for a 100 percent schedular evaluation for anxiety neurosis and a total rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that her pre-existing conditions did not worsen during service and were not related to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis, a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, and increased evaluations for his nasal bone fracture and anxiety neurosis with history of PTSD. The RO confirmed and continued the noncompensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the appellant's character of discharge from service is a bar to VA benefits, as his discharge was for the good of the service with an undesirable discharge due to unauthorized absences and he did not meet the criteria for upgrading his discharge.

The Board has granted a 30 percent disability rating for the veteran's dysthymic disorder with anxiety, effective March 23, 1998. The RO must attempt to obtain all relevant medical records and ensure that the new notification requirements of the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 are fully satisfied.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that there is no evidence of mitral insufficiency or arteriosclerotic heart disease. The claim for a compensable rating for psychoneurosis, anxiety state, remains pending.

The veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder was increased from a 30 percent to a 50 percent disability rating, effective December 30, 1998.

The veteran's death was caused by infective endocarditis due to congestive heart failure and aortic insufficiency. His service-connected disabilities did not contribute substantially or materially to his cause of death, and he did not meet the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318. The veteran's death was not caused by VA medical treatment.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to service-connected syphilis and anxiety neurosis, requiring additional development of evidence.

The veteran's anxiety disorder is part and parcel of his hysterical neurosis, which developed during service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability (PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder) does not warrant a rating in excess of 50 percent, as it does not meet the criteria for such an increase. The cold injury residuals of both feet are rated at 10 percent each.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA psychiatric examination.

The veteran's bilateral pes cavus is currently evaluated at 30 percent, and his anxiety neurosis with dysthymic disorder is also currently evaluated at 30 percent. The Board has denied both claims for higher evaluations.

The Board found that the veteran's anxiety disorder alone does not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus denying both his increased rating claim for anxiety disorder and his claim for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability.

The Board denied an increased rating for generalized anxiety disorder and did not reopen the veteran's claims for decreased visual acuity of the left eye and tinnitus.

The Board found that the appellant's initial period of active duty from October 10, 1979 to October 9, 1983 was completed under honorable conditions. However, her subsequent period of service from October 19, 1983 to December 24, 1986 ended with an other than honorable discharge due to a court-martial conviction for child abuse. The appellant's claimed psychiatric disabilities were not shown to be related to her military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and an examination to clarify the nature of the veteran's anxiety disorder and its relationship to service-connected Graves Disease.

The veteran's death was not caused by his own willful misconduct, but the Board finds no evidence that his service-connected disabilities contributed to his death. Additionally, the veteran did not meet the requirements for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318(b) as he was not entitled to a total disability rating based on his service-connected conditions for at least ten years prior to his death.