PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2016

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and finds that his acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety, is related to service. The decision grants service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder but denies hypertension, kidney stones, low back disability, and cysts on the neck and ears.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have been evaluated and rated appropriately based on the criteria provided in the Rating Schedule.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection for PTSD should be restored, but the issue of a rating in excess of 50 percent remains pending and requires additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and updated VA medical records. He also needs to undergo new VA examinations for his PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is found to be aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Board finds that service connection for erectile dysfunction is warranted, secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including updated employment and educational history, VA treatment records, and a comprehensive examination to determine the severity of her service-connected disabilities and their impact on her employability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a more contemporaneous and complete examination by a vocational specialist to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability. The case will be readjudicated after this development.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety disorder NOS, mood disorder NOS, and depressive disorder NOS. The issue of medical care under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1702 is moot as the Veteran's claim for service connection is now established.

The Board finds that the Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than August 17, 2005, for the grant of service connection for PTSD is not warranted. The RO administratively closed his initial claim in January 2002 due to his failure to respond and he did not pursue it until August 17, 2005.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to May 12, 2011 for a rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD was denied as the evidence did not show that his disability increased within one year prior to April 28, 2011.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to April 28, 2011 for TDIU was also denied as the evidence did not show that he became unemployable due to PTSD within a year prior to April 28, 2011.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD with depression, anxiety, and sleep disorder is attributable to his fear of hostile military or terrorist activity during service. As such, the appeal for service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for his psychiatric disabilities is being remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of recent medical records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for an updated VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of his service-connected PTSD. The Veteran seeks a higher initial rating for this disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is secondary to medication prescribed for his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants service connection.

The Board finds that March 23, 2006 is the correct effective date for the award of service connection for prostate cancer because there is no evidence showing an earlier claim. The Veteran's psychiatric disability and asthma claims are remanded for additional development.

The VA examiner found that the Veteran's current sleep apnea is at least as likely as not related to his service-connected PTSD, and thus granted service connection for sleep apnea secondary to PTSD.

The Board has ordered the case to be remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining a November 2010 VA psychiatric examination report or treatment record from Cheyanne VA Medical Center.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development and consideration of his claims for an increased rating for PTSD and a TDIU.

The Veteran's PTSD is manifested by symptoms such as flattened affect, impaired judgment, disturbances of motivation and mood, difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships. The disability results in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability, specifically PTSD with depressive disorder NOS, has been productive of sleep impairment, suicidal ideation, near continuous depression, social isolation, paranoia, nightmares, hypervigilance, anger problems, avoidant behavior, obsessional rituals that interfere with routine activities, difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances, and an inability to establish and maintain effective relationships. The Veteran's disability is currently rated at 70 percent disabling.