The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for dysthymic disorder and determined that it is more likely than not that the veteran's current dysthymic disorder resulted from his own alcohol abuse during service.
The deciding factor: The veteran's dysthymic disorder was found to be a direct result of his alcoholism, which he had been struggling with since at least September 1976 when he was referred for job performance evaluation due to an alcohol problem.
- Claimed conditions
- dysthymic disorder
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 23, 2007
- Citation
- 0715305
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0715305.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew their appeal for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Granted
The Veteran's dysthymic disorder disability was productive of total social and occupational impairment throughout the claim period, warranting a 100 percent disability rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for fibromyalgia and psychiatric disabilities, as well as his entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU), are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected dysthymic disorder, anxiety disorder, borderline intellectual functioning, and dyslexia have prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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