PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2020

The Veteran is unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected PTSD, which causes near continuous panic attacks, sleep problems, impairment of short and long term memory, difficulty understanding complex commands, impaired judgment and abstract thinking, disturbances of motivation and mood, difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships, difficulty adapting to stressful situations, and impaired impulse control.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus and PTSD, but denied for left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy. A rating of 70 percent for PTSD prior to March 22, 2019, is granted.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and schizoaffective disorder due to a lack of adequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's PTSD.

The Board dismissed the issues of an increased rating for a lumbar disability and service connection for left ulnar neuropathy, as well as the claims for migraine headaches, gastrointestinal disorder, tinnitus, eczema, and reduction of knee ratings. The Veteran's appeal was withdrawn by his representative.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board granted TDIU on an extraschedular basis beginning February 23, 2004.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for PTSD and TDIU is remanded due to the need for additional medical records, clarification on alcohol use disorder, and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service-connected, and the claims for increased ratings for left ankle and right knee disabilities are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic headaches and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, panic disorder with anxiety, and MDD, as these conditions are related to the Veteran's in-service personal assault.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection for hypertension due to withdrawal by the Veteran. The remaining issues of PTSD ratings, acid reflux disease, skin disability reopening, and TDIU are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's PTSD results in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, but does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as it does not demonstrate deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder, recurrent panic disorder, agoraphobia and generalized anxiety disorder is rated at 70 percent since January 8, 2015.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is service-connected as it is at least as likely as not related to his combat experiences in Vietnam.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, finding that there is no credible evidence of an in-service stressor and concluding that the Veteran does not have a current psychiatric disorder.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for chronic diarrhea, obstructive voiding, an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD), abnormal gait, Dupuytren's contracture, and throat constriction due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset or causation during military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, PTSD, right foot condition, right ankle condition, and right knee conditions are all remanded. The left knee condition claim is also remanded as secondary to the right knee condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD, finding that his symptoms most closely approximated a 30 percent rating.

The Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder (other than PTSD) have been denied due to lack of a confirmed in-service stressor, and the evidence does not support a diagnosis or link between current symptoms and any verified stressors.

The Veteran's back disability is granted service connection. The PTSD rating is granted at 70% prior to December 11, 2016 and denied for any higher ratings.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, COPD, and a heart disorder were denied in July 2009. The appellant did not have a pending claim at the time of her husband's death, so accrued benefits are denied.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and bipolar disorder, is granted as service connected.