PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2013

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that it is not secondary to his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, reflecting occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, and difficulty in understanding complex commands. The claim for an increased rating for PTSD is granted.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, based on credible evidence of a stressor related to fear of hostile military activity.,An initial compensable disability rating (10%) is granted for GERD prior to March 26, 2012. A higher rating in excess of 10% is not warranted as of that date.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to ensure full compliance with the duty to assist. The issues include rating increases for PTSD, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no credible supporting evidence of a non-combat stressor. The Veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy and his claimed stressors have not been verified.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a social survey and a VA examination to assess his ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD and depression are rated at 30 percent combined, effective July 25, 2008. The RO has not addressed the separate ratings for each condition.

The Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection of posttraumatic stress disorder has been remanded due to the failure to appear at a scheduled Board hearing.

The Veteran's PTSD has been manifested by mild symptoms such as anxiety, occasional panic attacks, poor sleep, and flashbacks. His mood is anxious but his insight and judgment are good. The disability results in occupational and social impairment comparable to reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has remanded the case for a Travel Board hearing and further development. The Veteran's appeal is currently in a pending state.

The Board finds that the Veteran's depression and PTSD are likely due to traumatic events during his military service, including racial tension and a drug overdose. The claim is granted.

The Board has dismissed the claim as moot because service connection for PTSD is already in effect.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining information about whether Vietnam casualties were treated at Fort Carson or Fitzsimons Army Hospital between November 1968 and April 1969. The Veteran's claim for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder will be readjudicated after this additional development.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inconsistencies in the diagnosis and stressor criteria.

The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD and therefore denied his claim of service connection for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current sleep disability. The Veteran's claims for service connection on a secondary basis are also addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is manifested by reduced reliability and productivity in occupational and social functioning due to anxious and flattened affect, panic attacks, sleep difficulty, impaired concentration, diminished judgment, disturbances of motivation and mood, and difficulty establishing and maintaining effective relationships. The Board finds that the criteria for a rating in excess of 50 percent have not been met.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude her from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, thus denying entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability other than mood disorder (claimed as anxiety, depression, and stress), to include PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, Anxiety Disorder with Panic Attacks, and Depression, are found to be related to pre-service events. The service-connected anxiety disorder is also found to have aggravated the Veteran's chemical dependency. As such, service connection for these conditions is granted.