The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as PTSD, were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a chronic condition during service and his diagnoses of cocaine dependence and substance induced mood disorder are not related to military service.
The deciding factor: Service connection is not warranted due to lack of evidence establishing a link between the diagnosed conditions and service.
- Claimed conditions
- Cocaine Dependence, Substance Induced Mood Disorder (due to cocaine)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 11, 2010
- Citation
- 1017439
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 1017439.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical opinions and unverified in-service stressors. The Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD, are related to personal assault during service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD with alcohol and cocaine dependence is characterized by delusions, hallucinations, anxiety, depression, impaired memory and judgment, neglect of personal appearance and hygiene. The Board has granted a 100 percent disability rating for the entirety of the appeals period.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and depression, as secondary to a service-connected left shoulder disability, has been granted. However, the effective date remains pending due to the complexity of determining when the benefits should have started.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is rated at a 70 percent disability rating, effective from April 17, 2012. The decision also granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on housebound status starting October 1, 2018.
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