PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Board decisions

The Veteran has withdrawn all issues on appeal, including the requests for higher ratings for PTSD with alcohol abuse in remission, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and degenerative enthesitis of the left knee.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his PTSD and updated VA treatment records. The claims for an increased rating for PTSD and TDIU are inextricably intertwined.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess his PTSD symptoms, as well as the need to obtain more recent medical records from VA facilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of PTSD and anxiety disorder are related to his service, including his in-service experiences in Vietnam. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD and specific situational phobia and an anxiety disorder, not otherwise specified (NOS), is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination using DSM-5 criteria.

The Veteran's PTSD warrants a rating of 70 percent, but not higher. The Board also granted entitlement to TDIU for the period prior to January 20, 2015.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and lumbar strain disabilities prevented her from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment from February 1, 2010 to March 31, 2010.

The Veteran's PTSD has resulted in total occupational and social impairment, warranting a 100 percent evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information about the Veteran's claimed stressors, and a request for verification from the Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC) is necessary.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and consideration, including scheduling a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD did not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to December 31, 2007. Therefore, his claims for earlier effective date for TDIU and an extraschedular rating for PTSD were denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including chronic renal insufficiency, bilateral cataracts, PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and erectile dysfunction, do not render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent from September 26, 2005 to November 24, 2007 and at 70 percent from February 1, 2008. The appeal for higher ratings is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD, hepatitis C, and major depressive disorder are service-connected. The Veteran is assigned a 70 percent rating for his major depressive disorder.

The Veteran's PTSD with depression has been rated at 30 percent since January 4, 2010. The VA examiner found the Veteran to have occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas due to symptoms such as flattened affect, circumstantial speech, near-continuous panic or depression affecting ability to function independently, unprovoked irritability with periods of violence, spatial disorientation, neglect of personal appearance and hygiene, difficulty establishing effective relationships, and intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living.

The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD is granted as his current diagnosis of PTSD is related to his experiences in Vietnam.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating of PTSD was denied. The Board found that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating, as they were consistent with a 30 percent rating under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders.

The Veteran seeks effective dates earlier than the assigned dates for service connection of PTSD and TBI. The Board finds that the earliest effective date warranted is July 21, 2005, for TBI.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for service-connected PTSD is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and private medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with alcohol dependence and marijuana abuse is currently rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that this rating does not accurately depict the severity of his condition. The evidence shows occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms including chronic sleep impairment with nightmares; anxiety; hypervigilance; exaggerated startle response; suspiciousness; irritability and frequent outbursts of anger; impairment of short and long-term memory; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships; and difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances, including work or a work-like setting. The Board concludes that the Veteran's symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.