Anxiety Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea and remanded the issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and anxiety disorder) and hypertension.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to lack of substantial compliance with previous development requests.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was granted service connection. The initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to March 29, 2019, and the initial 10 percent rating from March 20, 2019, were also granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's GAD has been granted an initial rating of 50% from October 29, 2010 to July 12, 2017 and a higher rating of not more than 70% since July 13, 2017. The effective date for service connection remains November 26, 2004.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including anxiety, hip and knee disabilities, and hypothyroidism, have rendered her in need of regular aid and attendance due to her functional impairments. The Board has granted SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety disorder due to incomplete development of records and a need for further examination.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a VA examination to assess her employability given her service-connected disabilities prior to April 29, 2019.

The Board has remanded the claims for thoracic outlet syndrome and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and anxiety, due to insufficient evidence in some cases. The Veteran's TOS may have preexisted service but was not aggravated by it. The MST claim is also being addressed.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, finding that his symptoms are related to his military service and he meets all three elements of a valid PTSD claim.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an abdominal scar, acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD, depression, and anxiety), and COPD due to conflicting evidence and lack of verification of claimed stressors.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate VA examinations and the need to obtain additional medical records. The issues include psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, MDD, GAD, and fibromyalgia; and joint pain, specifically fibromyalgia.

The Veteran's service-connected unspecified depressive disorder with PTSD and anxiety is currently rated at 30 percent, effective July 14, 2014 to December 8, 2015.,A rating of 50 percent for the period beginning December 9, 2015 has been granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability and a back disability, finding that there is not enough evidence to support these claims. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, a skin disability manifested by multiple lipomas (now claimed as soft tissue sarcoma), and an acquired psychiatric disorder (generalized anxiety disorder, now claimed as PTSD). However, these claims are still pending because the RO needs to obtain updated VA treatment records and provide a VA examination to determine if there is a causal relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and his in-service herbicide exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient rationale in previous opinions and potential new evidence from a June 2019 VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various psychiatric conditions, bilateral plantar fasciitis, tinnitus, degenerative arthritis of the spine, right ankle condition, and bilateral hand degenerative arthritis have all been denied. The Board found that there was insufficient evidence to support a direct relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, anxiety (acquired psychiatric disorder), right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, right elbow disorder, back disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, tinnitus, and headache disorder have all been denied. The evidence does not support a finding of current disabilities or a link to active duty service.,The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, anxiety (acquired psychiatric disorder), right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, right elbow disorder, back disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, tinnitus, and headache disorder are all denied. The evidence does not show current disabilities or a link to active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder, which includes PTSD and alcohol use disorder, is now rated at 70 percent disabling from October 21, 2019. This rating reflects the significant impairment in occupational and social functioning.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disability is granted, with the diagnosis of PTSD being linked to in-service trauma. The Board finds that all elements of service connection have been satisfied.