PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2014

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent, the highest available rating under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. The disability is characterized by occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD, depression, or anxiety disorder and therefore cannot establish service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's TBI residuals, including seizures and migraines, are rated at 100% for seizures and 50% for migraines. The PTSD is rated at 50%. The rating for physical symptoms of TBI remains at 40%. The effective date is not specified.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have not met the criteria for a rating in excess of 70 percent, and his TDIU claim is pending.

The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD and his psychiatric disorders are not presumed to have been incurred in service. The preponderance of evidence fails to establish a relationship between his current psychiatric conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination of the Veteran's PTSD due to her failure to report to the scheduled examination. The RO is instructed to verify the Veteran's correct mailing address and reschedule the examination.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling prior to March 12, 2009. The evidence does not show that his PTSD has resulted in occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.,Prior to November 1, 2013, the Veteran's asthma is not shown to have been productive of an FEV-1 of 71-80 percent predicted, an FEV-1/FVC of 71-80 percent, or that he required intermittent inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy. As of November 1, 2013, the Veteran's asthma is not shown to have been productive of an FEV-1 of 56-70 percent predicted, an FEV-1/FVC of 56-70 percent, or to require daily inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy.,The Veteran's hemorrhoids are not shown to have been productive of persistent bleeding and with secondary anemia, or fissures.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's PTSD was found to be productive of occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood due to symptoms including Vietnam War-related intrusive nightmares, thoughts, and flashbacks; irritability with angry outbursts; anxiety; hypervigilance; an exaggerated startle response; feelings of detachment and estrangement from others; survivor's guilt; impaired sleep, memory, judgment, insight, attention, and impulse control; thought content consistent with the presence of homicidal ideation; a pattern of ongoing intermittent impulsive homicidal ideation; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances including at work or in a work-like setting; and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores of between 39 and 55. A 70 percent evaluation for PTSD was granted.

The Veteran seeks a TDIU for the period prior to June 27, 2014. The RO has not considered or referred her case for extraschedular consideration during this time due to significant occupational impairment caused by service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has been rated at 30 percent since April 29, 2008. The Board finds that the current rating adequately reflects the severity of his disability.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability was granted effective September 19, 2013. Service connection for PTSD secondary to the lumbar spine disability was denied.

The Veteran's PTSD has not been manifested by occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas. The Board finds that an evaluation in excess of 50 percent is not warranted at any point during the appeal period.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain and maintain gainful employment consistent with his education, training, and work experience.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD was rated at 30 percent prior to July 28, 2014. The disability picture did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the original grant of service connection for PTSD with mood disorder and polysubstance abuse was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous, thus restoring service connection for polysubstance abuse.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent, the minimum rating available for this condition. The Board found that his symptoms did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted effective June 21, 2006. He is currently rated at 70% for the period prior to July 5, 2012.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and scheduling a social and industrial survey to determine if his service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for PTSD with major depressive disorder was withdrawn prior to the issuance of a decision. The Board granted entitlement to TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities, effective May 2008.