USA Today reported a suicide rate of 19.9 per 100,000 for civilian men compared to rates of 31.8 per 100,000 for male soldiers and 34.2 per 100,000 for men in the National Guard. The system for how we distribute the claims made by veterans in the U.S. is not performing as it should. Soldiers cannot refuse to take medications that the government has deemed “mandatory” without the threat of a court martial. Veterans are not always easily acclimated back into civilian life and sometimes they need extra help financially after they come back, but many cannot get that kind of assistance and are simply living with very little. America’s veterans are not being treated unfairly for the sacrifices they made for this country, because the system meant to help them is currently ill equip to handle the situation. …show more content…
During the time between 2000 and 2011 almost a million veterans were diagnosed with a minimum of one psychosocial disorder nearly half as many had multiple cases. The U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs has annually spent millions of dollars on researching cures for PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) without finding any new way for treatment to commence. The current method for treating this disorder is merely getting them to interact with other people; loved ones, or fellow soldiers are the most common. Many veterans are coming away from war with mental scars that require just as much attention as any physical wound and the United States needs to help stem the tide of this growing
This statistic is not only alarming due to the large amount of suicides, but because the great range means it’s extremely hard to determine the cause of the veteran’s deaths. As veterans return home, it is often hard for them to find a new job and reclaim there spot in the community, due to the constant fear and reminders of war.. The fact that often times veterans feel as if the only way to eliminate their pain is to
On Tuesday October 27, Dr. Brittany Hall gave a talk on PTSD affecting military veteran and active duty soldiers. During active duty soldiers are exposed to a lot of unforeseen events. Veterans and active duty soldiers are serving to protect the country from allies, and place there lives on the line everyday for citizens to continue to have freedom. The aftermath of returning from combat is the devastating blow for a lot of soldiers. Soldiers returning home from combat are not being able to separate civilian world from warzone usually struggle form PTSD.
“An estimated 8% of Americans − 24.4 million people − have PTSD at any given time. That is equal to the total population of Texas” (PTSD United 1). Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has existed since the dawn of time, but only in the past 50 years has it been recognized as an actual problem. However, even now, it is still not always acknowledged as a legitimate condition. As a result, it is not always properly treated.
In Soldier from the War Returning, Thomas Childers writes that “a curious silence lingers over what for many was the last great battle of the war.” This final battle was the soldier’s return home. After World War II, veterans came back to the United States and struggled with stigmatized mental illnesses as well as financial and social issues. During the war, many soldiers struggled with mental health issues that persisted after they came home.
Sufferers of PTSD often isolate themselves from other individuals. PTSD also increases suicidal risk by nearly six times. Furthermore, insomnia, eating disorders, and depression are increased in war vets. Injured war vets also have an increased risk of drug or alcohol abuse as a result of depression, anxiety, or other psychological issues. This can lead to weakened or lost relationships between a war vet and his/her
The most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that among men aged 25-34, Gulf-War era II veterans (veterans who served after September 2001; OIF/OEF veterans) had a higher unemployment rate (6.8%) than did nonveterans (5.4%). This is significant because almost half of all Gulf-War era II veterans are between the ages of 25 and 34. Additionally, OIF/OEF Veterans have high rates of TBI and mental health disorders such as PTSD and depression. Of 289,328 OIF/OEF Veterans enrolled in Veterans Health Administration services from 2002 to 2008, 37 percent received mental health diagnoses, including 22 percent with PTSD, 17 percent with depression, and 10 percent with substance use disorders (Twamley et al. 2013) . TBI is the hallmark injury among OIF/OEF Veterans, with approximately 20% experiencing a mild TBI and 7% of returning Veterans experiencing persistent post-concussive symptoms (Hoge et al. 2008).
Many veterans that have served this country have ended up homeless or in poverty. This nation has struggled with getting a handle of this problem and putting adequate supports in place to resolve the problem. Veterans need to have the right supports in place to prevent this. The veterans’ services need to be comprehensive supports, and in place as soon as a soldier transitions to civilian life.
Lack of Government Support For Affected Veterans According to the article, “Government 's PTSD Treatment for Veterans, Lacking”, “They account for more than 75% of the roughly half a million VA patients receiving treatment for PTSD,” (Zarembo). Many veterans still continue to wait for their treatments, creating issues in their home life and even causing them to commit suicide. The 25% of the patients who are not treated suffer, this is where the government should come to play to help those people by providing more care and supporting the costs. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder should be better treated and better supported by the government to veterans because of the amount of soldiers waiting for treatment, lack of effectiveness in treatment,
Another issue that veterans struggle with when they come back from war is mental illnesses like PTSD. According to “bringing the war back home”, “Of 103 788 OEF/OIF veterans seen at VA health care facilities, 25 658 (25%) received mental health diagnosis(es)”. This disabilities can make getting into the workforce much more difficult and even leave veterans to live on the streets from lack of employment. The solution discovered from this research is that if these mental diseases are caught early enough, the veterans will receive the help they need and be able to continue their normal civilian lives. “Targeted early detection and intervention beginning in primary care settings are needed to prevent chronic mental illness and
Nearly 20 percent of 30,000 suicides are attributed to veterans each year (Cesar, Sabia & Tekin, 2012). This number represents a substantial number of military personnel suffering with mental health problems. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (2011) PTSD impairs one’s ability to function in social or family life, which includes instability, marital problems, divorce, family conflict, and difficulty in parenting (p. 3). PTSD causes much impairment and has many contributing factors; for that reason, it is important to discuss the quality of services available to
In 2007-2008, approximately 36% of VA patients lived in rural areas (McCarthy et al, 2012). Elevated suicide rates among veterans in rural areas have been associated with risk factors such as geographic isolation, economic and social distress, and rural culture. Veterans living in rural areas have reduced access to health services that the VA has to offer. Rural areas also limit opportunities for social integration and social support, thereby increasing the risk for suicide among these veterans. Improvement for Veteran
In my opinion, veterans do receive the care they need, but are not provided equal amount of care. Hopefully, with Donald Trump supporting the veterans, during his presidency he will be capable of providing the veterans more support and equality to benefit the veterans needs as well as their
Bruce Dohrenwend, and his colleagues have done research on the percentage of people affected by PTSD, “The National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS) of a representative sample of 1200 veterans estimated that 30.9% had developed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during their lifetimes and that 15.2% were currently suffering from PTSD”(Dohrenwend et al). Monaco, Perry, and Walowick all experienced these symptoms at one point in Fallen
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in The Things They Carried During the turbulent times of the Vietnam War, thousands of young men entered the warzone and came face-to-face with unimaginable scenes of death, destruction, and turmoil. While some perished in the dense Asian jungles, others returned to American soil and were forced to confront their lingering combat trauma. Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried provides distinct instances of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and reveals the psychological trauma felt by soldiers in the Vietnam War. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD for short, is the most common mental illness affecting soldiers both on and off the battlefield.
" Studies have noticed specific times when veterans are at high risk for suicide, suggesting programs that follow these fluctuations. York, Lamis, Pope, and Egede have developed an approach that is consistent with the VA emphasis on identifying potential projects to improve veteran