Bipolar disorder decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bipolar disorder and migraine headaches are related to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including depression, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder, were not incurred in or aggravated by his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional service treatment records and private medical records. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran first manifested bipolar disorder during active duty and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service treatment records and other issues.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing the Veteran with a notice letter addressing VA's duties to notify and assist in his original claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD and major depression, including bipolar disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further proceedings, including scheduling a hearing before the Board.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The RO found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for any of the conditions listed, except for schizophrenia.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for a bipolar disorder, which the Board finds is as likely as not related to his active duty.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including depressive disorder, bipolar disorder NOS, and bipolar disorder with psychotic features, is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if it had onset in service or within one year of service discharge.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to September 16, 2005, for the grant of service connection for bipolar disorder with severe depression is denied. The Board found that no earlier application was received and thus the appropriate effective date is the day following his separation from active service.

The Veteran's PTSD was manifested by occasional acute dreams and thoughts related to his service in Vietnam, low irritability threshold, sleep impairment, a history of occupational instability, and GAF scores of 70. The Veteran was employed but had difficulty managing anger and avoiding work due to psychiatric issues.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his VA treatment records and a supplemental opinion from the examiner who conducted the August 2011 examination.

The Board finds that the Veteran's head injury and any related psychiatric disability were caused by his own alcohol abuse, not service. Therefore, he is not entitled to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need to obtain additional medical records, clarify treatment from VA and private providers, and provide a new VA examination for psychiatric and bilateral hearing loss/tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to scheduling issues for a hearing before the Travel Board. The appellant's claim for an effective date prior to March 14, 1995, for service connection of bipolar disorder remains pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bipolar disorder, diagnosed during service, meets the criteria for service connection. However, there is no evidence of PTSD in service or otherwise connected to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bipolar disorder is related to his military service, granting his claim for service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran's claimed PTSD is not related to his service, and he has other diagnosed psychiatric conditions. The claim for service connection for PTSD was denied.