The Board granted service connection for unspecified bipolar and related disorder, chronic fatigue (including hypogonadism), joint and muscle pain, all as secondary to stimulant abuse disorder and alcohol abuse disorder.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's conditions were found to be due to his substance abuse disorders, which in turn were linked to his service-connected psychiatric condition. The evidence supported the claims for these disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- unspecified bipolar and related disorder, stimulant abuse disorder (secondary to unspecified bipolar and related disorder), chronic fatigue, including hypogonadism (secondary to stimulant abuse disorder and alcohol abuse disorder), joint and muscle pain (secondary to stimulant abuse disorder and alcohol abuse disorder)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- June 2, 2025
- Citation
- 25007420
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 Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a head injury, headache disorder, erectile dysfunction, left earache disorder, chronic fatigue, right shoulder disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, right foot disorder, GERD, and left shoulder disorder, as the evidence did not support current diagnoses of these conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including cervical spine, chronic fatigue, and various nerve damages, as the evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to in-service events.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including inadequate VA examinations and failure to obtain etiological opinions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hypertension, a right knee disorder, a left knee disorder, a neck disorder, and chronic fatigue. The claims for obstructive sleep apnea, headache disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder were remanded.
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