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Whole decision: Denied

The veteran's PTSD symptoms from February 27, 2003 to January 18, 2007 were characterized by occasional suicidal ideation and some difficulty in establishing social relationships. From January 18, 2007 to September 26, 2008, his symptoms included continued suicidal ideation requiring hospitalization multiple times, deficiencies in most areas such as family relations, judgment issues with alcohol abuse, anger problems, occasional impulsive speech and inappropriate behavior, near continuous depression affecting his ability to function appropriately, mild neglect of personal appearance and hygiene, and a GAF score range of 40 to 65 (and for alcohol dependence as low as 25).

The deciding factor: PTSD symptoms from January 18, 2007 to September 26, 2008 were characterized by severe impairment in social and industrial capability.

Claimed conditions
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
December 17, 2008
Citation
0843592

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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0843592.

What this means for you

A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.

What you can do next

Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).

Related decisions

Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.

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