Homeless Veteran Population

When on deployment, the soldier could spend several months away from their homes and families. Because of this, mental illness usually emerges. In fact, “AR soldiers who deployed multiple (two or more) times were significantly more likely than those who deployed once to screen positive for depression and alcohol concerns” (“Impact of Deployment”). Among symptoms of PTSD, depression and alcoholism are also present in many soldiers after deployment. Another study concludes that, “11% to 17% of combat veterans are at risk for mental disorders in 3 to 4 months after return from combat duty” (“Impact of Deployment”).

Veterans and our soldiers are coming home from war or getting out of the military and when they get home they can’t afford rent or they have a mental disease from war. Homeless veterans tend to experience homelessness longer than non-veteran homeless. This should not be happening to our soldiers. This is very undesirable for our troops to come home and becoming homeless. They fight for our freedom and our rights and we repay them by becoming homeless.

Pride is a feeling that many military service members feel when they put on their uniform everyday. Those dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the stigma that comes with it tend to feel vulnerable. Some of the issues suffered by Veterans with PTSD include, mental health, depression, anger management, and substance abuse issues. Stigma is problematic, the feeling of judgment causes many service members to not seek the treatment they need, this can lead to suicide. With an increase in deployments due to both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Veterans were returning home with both physical and mental issues.

Throughout Homer’s The Odyssey the after-effects of war, both on veterans themselves and their loved ones are shown. The events during war and the effects of war worsen the mental health of those involved in it. The way that war changes people as depicted in The Odyssey by having detrimental effects on their mental health is similar as compared to today’s world, however veterans are more emotionally closed and more recognized to have to deal with trauma caused it than depicted in The Odyssey. War changes people in The Odyssey mainly through affecting their mental state.

The co-existence of the veterans in the society is a challenging task as many are affected by the mental health problems depending on the level of military influence on the individuals. The influence of the military institution in taking the obligation of recognizing the severity of alcohol and post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) helps the development of the society. The majority of victims adapts the use of alcohol as a way of self-medication. The rising effects of posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol dependency in society depend on the personal life management by the returning veterans in

As the war continued, it took a physical and psychological toll on the soldiers involved. The average age of the soldiers was 21, and a third of them were drafted. Soldiers began to distrust their government and their reasons for being there. They lost unit morale and grew irritated. During this time period, many soldiers began looking for methods to help them forget the horrors and tragedies they saw in battle.

After the Vietnam War, the American military returned home to find that they were not greeted with the upmost respect that they deserve. Instead, a profuse amount of Vietnam veterans were shunned and neglected. Many of these veterans suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which was not nearly as understood as it was after the Vietnam War. As a result of how the Vietnam veterans were treated and cared for, countless amounts of people have donated their time and money to help prevent another aftermath like the Vietnam War’s.

Many of the military 's veteran benefits for employment and education have also suffered from a lack of funding and support. Employers are required by law to hold the jobs of soldiers and reinstate a veteran into their job upon their return from service, yet many veterans who have sustained physical and psychological injuries find it impossible to return to their previous employment. The GI Bill has helped many returning veterans go to college and seek better employment. However, this benefit is disappearing. The U.S. Army, in order to offset the large cost of the Iraq War, has asked new recruits to pay $100 a month, or $1200 in their first year, to receive educational benefits.

Death of a loved one can cause Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder because it is for someone to live without a person who used to be very frequent

Homelessness is one of the major problems faced by the United States, and is believed to have become a serious problem since the 1980s during Ronald Reagan’s presidency (1981-1989). This time period was characterized by a lot of budget reductions which led to the poor becoming poorer. Consequently, many among the poor population became homeless. Simultaneously, many mental-health hospitals were deinstitutionalized, which saw many of the released patients joining the homeless population (Abad). As a result, mental illness became one of the detrimental causes of homelessness, especially among the adult population.

Veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) have high rates of unemployment and mental health disorders. In addition, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common injury among OIF/OEF veterans, often leading to cognitive impairments and post-concussive symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and difficulties with cognitive and functioning. TBI and comorbid psychiatric conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) limit cognitive readiness for civilian employment and may lead to impaired job performance. These conditions all serve as potential barriers for OIF/OEF Veterans entering the workforce.

One of the foremost social issues in the United States has been homelessness. Homelessness often overlap between poverty and unemployment. Annually, an estimate of 2.3 and 3.5 million individuals experienced homelessness. “Although, difficult to measurement, it appears that more people- especially families- are becoming homeless, sleeping in shelter, living in their cars, and taking up residence in tent communities” (). Sanna () article address issues of homelessness along with it’s relations to unemployment and poverty.

Physical and mental injuries affect a veteran's chance of getting a job drastically. These veterans have serious injuries that they suffered from defending and fighting for our country. Now when they return, they find that their injuries are causing them to be put at a disadvantage in the job market. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans says that “47,725 veterans are homeless on any given night”. That is around 9% of all homeless people and more than half of that 9% is between 18 and 30(Faq About Homeless Veterans).

The average lifespan in the United States is approximately 78 years. Isn’t it crazy that one singular event that may only last 10-15 minutes can radically change that life? Many people experience these events that cause a dramatic switch in the path of their life. I had one of these life changing events at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on a trip to Washington D.C. when I was in 6th grade.

The vulnerable population that sparked my interest are the homeless population. The homeless population is growing at an incredible alarming rate. According statistical data from National Coalition for the homeless, “there are over 3.5 million homeless Americans, it includes approximately 1 million children of these more than 300,000 are homeless children on any given night.” Some include street children, runaway teenagers, young adults who might have been thrown out of their homes or released from jail are most visible living in our cities streets, towns, subways, underpasses and highways.