Anxiety Board decisions

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected conditions, specifically left temporal parietal arteriovenous malformation and headaches, as well as his anxiety disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, finding that there is no current diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome or another disability manifested by fatigue separate and distinct from an already service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD with anxiety, low back strain with L-5 spinal stenosis, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity are denied. The claim to reopen entitlement to service connection for right and left knee disabilities is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board has ordered a remand to determine if an increased rating is warranted. The matter of TDIU has also been remanded due to its inextricably intertwined nature with the PTSD claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include claustrophobia, unspecified insomnia disorder, depression, general anxiety disorder, and panic disorder is remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's service connection claim for MDD is granted. The claims for PTSD, anxiety disorder NOS, and vertigo are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The VA is instructed to attempt to corroborate any in-service stressors, obtain additional treatment records, and provide a comprehensive examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression, finding that there is no credible evidence linking his current mental health conditions to his military service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder, which was service-connected at 100%, resulted in him being housebound. The Board has granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance or being housebound.

The Veteran's residuals of prostate cancer are currently rated at 40 percent from November 16, 2015 to January 10, 2020. The Veteran is not entitled to a higher rating for this period.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including persistent depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, finding that these conditions are due to his active duty.

The Board has granted effective dates of April 30, 2004 for a 50% rating for Generalized Anxiety Disorder and TDIU benefits. Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits were also granted on this date.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder and PTSD have been rated at 70 percent since September 6, 2011. This rating is effective as of that date.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of blood clots, left knee DJD, and adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood were denied. The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran’s assertions that his current conditions are related to his military service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining updated VA treatment records, requesting an addendum opinion from the September 2019 VA examiner regarding the severity of the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability during the pendency of the appeal, and readjudicating the TDIU claim.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to insufficient medical opinions and need for updated VA treatment records. The Veteran's service connection claim for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is being reviewed along with his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is rated at 70 percent, which exceeds the requested rating of 30 percent.,CAD is currently rated at 30 percent and does not warrant a higher rating due to the absence of congestive heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of 30 to 50 percent.,The thoracolumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent, which corresponds to forward flexion limited to 60 degrees during flare-ups and after repetitive use testing. The Veteran's symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to lack of left ventricular dysfunction or ankylosis.,Left knee chondromalacia is rated at 10 percent, which corresponds to objective evidence of painful motion without loss in range of motion on flexion. The Veteran's symptoms do not warrant a higher rating.,GERD with hiatal hernia is rated at 10 percent, which corresponds to considerable impairment of health but does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's service connection claim for restless leg syndrome was denied as there is no evidence linking the condition to her active duty service or a service-connected disability.,The Veteran's TDIU claim was also denied due to her having multiple service-connected disabilities, none of which alone meet the schedular requirements for TDIU.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is rated at 50% since October 24, 2016. The Board denied a higher rating as the symptoms did not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise and thus favoring the Veteran's claim.