The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar and depressive disorders, finding that the Veteran's conditions are not causally or etiologically related to his military service. The Board also found that drug addiction was not incurred in or aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: Service treatment records do not show any pre-existing psychiatric issues prior to service. The March 2011 VA examiner opined that the Veteran's depressive disorder is less likely as not caused by or a result of exposure to combat stress related to his military service, and the February 2012 addendum opinion concluded that the Veteran's impulse control disorder pre-existed his service.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Depressive Disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 31, 2012
- Citation
- 1244446
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 1244446.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD has been dismissed as the claim was granted and effective from February 22, 2023.
- Denied
The claims for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder, memory loss/memory problems, chronic fatigue, sleep difficulties/sleep disturbances, and sleep apnea have been denied. The claim for service connection for residuals of testicular denervation and varicosectomy has been granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's psychiatric disorder, specifically depressive disorder, is rated at 70 percent effective from August 3, 2021. The claim for a higher rating remains denied.
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