The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD was reopened, and he is now granted service connection for unspecified depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and alcohol use disorder. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of PTSD but does have diagnoses of anxiety disorder, unspecified depressive disorder, and alcoholism which are related to his period of service.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed that the Veteran had current diagnoses of anxiety disorder, unspecified depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder, all of which were linked to in-service stressors. The Board found that these conditions warranted service connection due to their relationship with the Veteran's military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Unspecified Depressive Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Alcohol Use Disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 14, 2019
- Citation
- 19136885
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,515 · Granted: 20% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19136885.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial ratings for anxiety disorder and TBI were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 27, 2019 for the grant of service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no earlier claim document in the claims file and the Veteran did not timely perfect an appeal.
- Denied
The Board denied eligibility to attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in a March 2024 rating decision because the March 2024 rating decision was an initial decision granting service connection for anxiety disorder.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity in Vietnam, and his alcohol use disorder is due to his PTSD. Service connection for PTSD with alcohol use disorder has been granted.
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