The Veteran's depressive disorder with anxiety and substance abuse is not manifested by occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood, due to such symptoms as: obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical, obscure, or irrelevant; impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with periods of violence); spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including work or a worklike setting); or the inability to establish and maintain effective relationships.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic code, as his impairment does not result in deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.
- Claimed conditions
- Depressive disorder with anxiety and substance abuse
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 6, 2009
- Citation
- 0908451
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
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