Affected Veterans

Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder (PTSD) is a brain disorder that is caused by stress and some sort of trauma. This disorder can be influenced by life occurrences such as being in a war, abuse, assault, natural and unnatural disasters, military combat, and even accidents. PTSD affects the lives of 8 million people worldwide, including children! This disorder is known for being more prone to women than men. There is also some evidence that it runs through families, or can be passed down from generations. PTSD is frequently accompanied by other disorders such as depression, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders, just to name a few. Unfortunately, veterans,

"1 out of 10 veterans alive today was seriously injured at some point while serving in the military." (Morin). While any of those ten veterans could have a hard time re-entering regular civilian life, the injured one will most likely struggle. Military personnel struggle most coping with service-related injuries when returning, which can affect them by developing PTSD and finding it difficult to maintain a full-time job.

PTSD is a major topic in today's society and it has been since the beginning of combat. The veterans have been in combat for many years constantly fighting. There are bombs going off, constant gunfire, and such dramatic events. In today's society while at combat people experience unimaginable things right in front of their eyes. And this can cause some permanent damage to that person. People in today's society were not giving these veterans coming home from the war the treatment they need and well-deserved. However, the treatment of these veterans has been getting worse as time goes on. These veterans come home expecting glory and end up being treated very poorly.

Many veterans are coming home with a psychological disorder. “Between 2000 and 2011 nearly one million veterans were diagnosed with at least one psychological disorder and almost half had multiple disorders, according to a 2014 report of the Institute for Medicine” (Quigley). With almost one million veterans diagnosed with at least one psychological disorder, more veteran’s hospitals need to be built to help treat the ill. In addition, there has been an increase in veterans in need of mental health services. “There has been a surge in demand by veterans for mental health services since returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq, with some local providers in California reporting increases of 40 to 60 percent in the numbers of veterans seeking mental health services” (Quigley). Because California had a massive increase in the number of veterans in need of mental health services, more veterans’ hospitals were needed to treat the mentally ill. Since more and more veterans are seeking health services, more veteran’s hospitals are needed to treat the ill.

Mental health issues are a real problem for post-war veterans. The most prevalent mental health problem seen in veterans is Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. PTSD is an anxiety disorder that follows the experience of a traumatic event. Of the 2.7 million American veterans that served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, at least 20% were diagnosed with PTSD (Veterans Statistics). PTSD affects everyone differently but the most common symptoms of PTSD include: reliving the event, increased anxiety, and avoiding any reminders of the trauma (Robinson,Segal, Smith). These symptoms negatively affect their life

In the recent years, the number of mental health professionals providing for the military has dwindled, there is almost no combat-specific psychologists left, and the wait time to be treated for a mental health issue by the Department of Veterans Affairs has drastically increased. Examining MilitaryOneSource and the Department of Veterans Affairs, two of the most highly regarded military health providers, the lack of mental health services for veterans and active duty members has diminished and has resulted in a multitude of veterans going untreated or even ending their own life instead of receiving the help they

Helping our veterans should be mandatory because of their sacrifice. Even though some people believe war veterans acquire enough from the Government, others believe they deserve more for their services. Veterans of the United States of America should not be homeless since they fought for our country with a sense of bravery and commitment. Therefore, the Department of Veterans Affairs should be reconstructed, also expanded to meet the growing need of our veterans.

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.

Today there is an outrage in our Veteran community of how terrible the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and their lack of caring and funding for our heroes. In this paper I will give facts on how terrible this problem really is, whether it is our homeless Veterans, Veterans who die waiting for help from the VA because they cannot afford other healthcare, or the horrid waiting times in order to get any help.

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.

First the effects on soldiers everyday life the hidden effects. Veterans suffering from ptsd/tbi are on part of that 1% that don’t get the help they deserve and killing themselves for no reason due to the fact they are denied help due to lack of funding. One way we know that everyday life of american soldiers are hiding their effects is not telling their families. The leading component of american soldiers hiding

It may come and go over the years too. The significant impact of PTSD on the lives of veterans afflicted gives doctors a greater understanding of this illness. With knowledge about PTSD, returning veterans can seek the early diagnosis and treatment they need, giving them a chance to recover. Many veterans have spoken and stressed that the PTSD will never go away, even with treatment, group therapy, counseling, or medication. Awareness and understanding can also help and support the families. An estimated 7.8 percent of American Veterans will experience PTSD at some point in their lives, with women at (10.4%) twice as likely as men (5%) to develop PTSD. About 3.6 percent of U.S. adults aged 18-54 (5.2 million people) have PTSD during the course of a year. About 30 percent of the men and women who have spent time in war zones experience PTSD. An additional 20 to 25 percent have had partial PTSD at some point in their lives. More than half of all male Vietnam veterans and almost half of all female Vietnam veterans have experienced clinically serious stress reaction symptoms.” PTSD has also been detected among veterans of other wars. ("PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress

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

A constant watch over mental health issues of all military servicemen and women has gone under the radar in the past few years due to a lack of knowing how unrecognizable the problem just might be. The magnitude of this problem is enormous. A recent report finds that the estimates of PTSD range from 4 to 45 percent for those soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan (Cesur, Sabia & Tekin, 2012). Research suggested that other serious medical issues are likely to accompany the PTSD diagnosis, such as cardiovascular disease, and chronic pain (Frayne, et al, 2010). Compiling mental health issues, physical ailments along with family reintegration can prove overwhelming for a returning veteran.

Being in the military often puts a toll on the men and women who fight for our freedom mentally, resulting in PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs the only benefit guaranteed to veterans for PTSD is access to a Peer Support Group. Other organizations such as Real Warriors offer advice to seek out medical help through speaking with a VA approved medical doctor to confirm PTSD and then become eligible for