Anxiety Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient consideration of lay statements linking the Veteran's psychiatric symptoms to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's psychiatric conditions and their relationship to service. Additional development is needed, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and arranging for a new medical opinion.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted, but the claims for anxiety and depression are remanded as there is insufficient evidence to determine their relationship to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim to restore service connection for an anxiety disorder, finding that the original grant of service connection was clearly and unmistakably erroneous due to a negative etiological opinion from the VA examiner.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete records and inadequate medical opinions regarding his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection has been remanded due to the need for additional development, including an opinion on whether his mental health conditions are proximately due or aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability other than post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to include anxiety disorder, as there was no evidence of a current disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for additional medical opinions regarding his sleep apnea and its relationship to his service-connected conditions, specifically epilepsy, adjustment disorder with anxiety and depression, and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for service-connected unspecified anxiety disorder, finding that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new addendum opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric disability, including anxiety and depression, was incurred in service.

The Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder and PTSD were not found to meet the criteria for a higher disability rating prior to September 26, 2014.,From September 26, 2014 to August 2, 2018, the Veteran’s anxiety disorder did not cause significant impairment in most areas.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of any diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and/or anxiety disorder. The Veteran's claim is being returned for further examination and consideration.

The Board has remanded the case due to deficiencies in the September 2017 medical examination, specifically regarding the likelihood of whether the Veteran's anxiety and depression were aggravated by a service-connected disability, specifically his seizure disorder. The examiner is requested to provide opinions on the etiology of the claimed acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for additional development, including referral to VA’s Director of Compensation and Pension service for consideration under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for a psychiatric disability and PTSD should be remanded due to insufficient evidence. A new examination is needed to determine if the Veteran meets the criteria for PTSD, and whether his anxiety disorder and other diagnosed conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for entitlement to service connection for anxiety, sleep apnea, a heart disability, and a skin disability (including actinic keratoses and bleeding knuckles) due to unresolved issues. The claim for melanoma on the abdomen with residual scar remains denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various psychiatric disorders, including MDD, anxiety disorder, alcohol use disorder, and PTSD. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to active service.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claims for service connection for PTSD, depression, and an unspecified anxiety disorder was granted.,The Veteran's petitions to reopen his claims for service connection for a cervical spine disorder and GERD were also granted.

The Board granted a 70 percent disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability, effective from the date of the decision. The rating is based on occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, or mood.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA examination and new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The claim will be reconsidered with a new psychiatric examination.