Bipolar disorder Board decisions

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder (subthreshold PTSD), is granted. However, the Veteran's bipolar disorder is denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to restore his VA disability compensation benefits that were withheld due to incarceration, as his felony conviction was overturned on appeal.

Service connection for a chronic headache disorder and obstructive sleep apnea has been granted.,An initial rating of 70 percent for bipolar disorder has also been granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the veteran's conditions and their service, particularly exposure to cold weather.

The Veteran was unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities from July 17, 2013, to October 7, 2014. The Board granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis for this period.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and bipolar disorder, are related to his detention and interrogation in East Berlin during service. The Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate medical opinions and incomplete record. The Veteran's claims of service connection for psychiatric, lumbar spine, and left knee conditions are pending.

The Veteran's PTSD with bipolar disorder and cannabis use disorder is granted a 70 percent rating, but no higher, prior to May 11, 2019. A TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of a direct relationship between any current psychiatric condition and service or service-connected disabilities. For left knee arthritis, ratings were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher than 10 percent prior to August 31, 2021, and on the basis of limitation of flexion after that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, bipolar disorder, and depression, is related to his service. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorders, including whether they are caused by or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities. The claims for service connection and TDIU are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a VA opinion to determine if his OSA is caused or aggravated by his service-connected psychiatric disorder and medications, as well as whether his obesity is a substantial factor in causing or aggravating his OSA.

The Board dismissed the appeals for bipolar disorder and gastroenteritis due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient consideration of the combined effects of all service-connected disabilities in determining whether the Veteran is entitled to a TDIU. The case will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability other than PTSD (bipolar disorder) was denied. A rating of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is granted effective July 15, 2014. The claims for increased ratings for right lower extremity radiculopathy prior to October 28, 2016 and from that date are both denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of noise exposure or injury during periods of active duty. The appellant's current disabilities are not related to his military service.,Service connection was also denied for an acquired psychiatric disability, as there is no credible evidence showing that the disorder had its onset during a period of active duty. The appellant did not have any treatment for such conditions in service.

The Board has remanded the claims of whether new and material evidence was submitted for service connection for bipolar disorder, PTSD with alcohol dependency, bilateral hearing loss, sleep problems and nightmares, and tension headaches. The appeal is being returned to the AOJ for readjudication.

The Board has remanded the claims for hepatitis C, chronic kidney disease, liver condition (claimed as cirrhosis and liver cancer), and an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as bipolar disorder and depression) due to insufficient evidence addressing the service separation examination.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU from July 31, 2014 to July 24, 2016 and November 15, 2017 to March 30, 2018 due to her service-connected disabilities preventing her from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his claim for sleep apnea and increased ratings for various conditions. The Veteran will need to undergo additional examinations to determine the current severity of these conditions.