Aftercare for U.S. Veterans: How do we repay them? Every day a man comes home from war. Most having left their families as boys or young men trained in tactics and combat but never being trained effectively on stress management or the dangers of PTSD. Going into war soldiers are instructed to choke it down and bury it deep. Once introduced back into civilian life, where emotions are acceptable and tactics are not the answer, how do these men survive? How do they learn to cope? And most importantly how does the U.S. government train them for the next portion of their lives? In October of 2001 Operation Enduring Freedom, OEF, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, OIF, began and since then over 1.8 million troops have served at least one term ("PTSD in Service Members and New Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars," 2009). The Veterans population has increased immensely since the war began in 2001 and the type of warfare witnessed is much different than that of any other previous war. A survey of OEF/OIF Veterans identified major rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, alcohol-related problems, social and family problems, and suicidal behavior. However the most alarming statistic is not about deployment rates or rates of diagnoses, the most alarming fact is that fewer than 10% of those diagnosed with PTSD or depression have received the recommended the mental health treatment upon re-integration into society. The dropout rate at the Veterans Association (VA) PTSD clinics is distressingly high as well when looking into VA records it was found that 68% of OEF/OIF Veterans dropped out of their prescribed counseling and programs prior to completion (Garcia et al., 2014). Because most of these men were deployed mul... ... middle of paper ... ...78. doi: 10.7205/MILMED-D-13-00076 PTSD in Service Members and New Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. (2009). PTSD Research Quarterly, 20(10501835), 1-8. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/newsletters/research-quarterly/V20N1.pdf Seal, K. H., Bertenthal, D., Miner, C. R., Sen, S., & Marmar, C. (2007). Bringing the War Back Home: Mental Health Disorders Among 103 788 US Veterans Returning From Iraq and Afghanistan Seen at Department of Veterans Affairs Facilities. Archives of Internal Medicine, 167(5), 476-482. doi: 10.1001/archinte.167.5.476 VA 2015 budget request fast facts. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://www.va.gov/budget/docs/summary/Fy2015-FastFactsVAsBudgetHighlights.pdf Wounded Warrior Project - Wounded Warrior Project. (2013). Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/
PBS’ Frontline film “The Wounded Platoon” reviews the effects the Iraq war has had on soldiers as they return home and transition back into civilian life, focusing particularly on the rise in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among American military members from Fort Carson Army base (Edge, 2010). Incidents of PTSD have risen dramatically in the military since the beginning of the Iraq war and military mental health policies and treatment procedures have adapted to manage this increase (Edge, 2010). In “The Wounded Platoon,” many military personnel discuss how PTSD, and other mental health struggles, have been inadequately treated (if at all) by military mental health services. Reasons and Perdue’s definition of a social problem allows us to see inadequate treatment of PTSD among returning United States military members as a social problem because it is a condition affecting a significant number of people in undesirable ways that can be remedied through collective action (Reasons & Perdue, 1981).
That is to say that both post traumatic stress disorder and physical disabilities are issues that many soldiers have to deal with once they return home from war. Mental affects on veterans can vary person to person. Events l...
PTSD has been intensely studied to benefit those who have been diagnosed, to get better treatments. There have been many successful cases, where the individual has conquered it. Marcus Luttrell’s symptoms have dramatically gotten better because he is a strong individual with a healthy family to support him. However, there are many people that have been dealing with this burden for years and may never get better. These men and women, who cannot find relief from PTSD, turn to self-harming; military suicides have been on the rise in the recent years and are continuing to increase. This cannot be ignored. The Veteran Administration needs to step up the treatment and recovery programs before this number begins to get out of control.
Bremner, J. "Chronic PTSD In Vietnam Combat Veterans: Course of Illness and Substance Abuse." ProQuest. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. .
Within a recent context, the intangible, and often dismissed damage that war inflicts on a soldier’s mental health, has been reaffirmed and reexamined. The invisible injuries of war, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, and depression, have proven to be as deadly as noticeable damage, such as infections or wounds. This issue of the mental health has been given an increased importance in light of the gruesome influx of suicides and murders committed by unstable returning soldiers. With the potential increase of the United States’ military involvement in the Middle East being a relevant issue, it is incredibly important for all people, from those with direct power to those who have the sole power of their voice, to thoroughly understand the potential long-term repercussions that are involved with war, before committing men and women to fight in this conflict. Most crucially, society must ensure that proper care and services are made easily accessible for returning soldiers, in order to assist with their successful transition back to civilian
Military Pathway (2013) concluded “Military life, especially the stress of deployments or mobilizations, can present challenges to service members and their families that are both unique and difficult”. Hence, it is not surprising that soldiers returning from a stressful war environment often suffer from a psychological condition called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This paper provides a historical perspective of PTSD affecting soldiers, and how this illness has often been ignored. In addition, the this paper examines the cause and diagnosis of the illness, the changes of functional strengths and limitations, the overall effects this disease may have on soldiers and their families, with a conclusion of possible preventative measures and treatment options. All of these findings are backed by extensive research through media, web, and journal references.
Seal, Karen H., Daniel Bertenthal, Christian R. Miner, Saunak Sen, and Charles Marmar. "Bringing the War Back Home: Mental Health Disorders Among 103 788 US Veterans Returning From Iraq and Afghanistan Seen at Department of Veterans Affairs Facilities." Archives of Internal Medicine 167.5 (2007): 476-82. Print.
Hundreds of thousands of United States veterans are not able to leave the horrors of war on the battlefield (“Forever at War: Veterans Everyday Battles with PTSD” 1). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the reason why these courageous military service members cannot live a normal life when they are discharged. One out of every five military service members on combat tours—about 300,000 so far—return home with symptoms of PTSD or major depression. According to the Rand Study, almost half of these cases go untreated because of the disgrace that the military and civil society attach to mental disorders (McGirk 1). The general population of the world has to admit that they have had a nightmare before. Imagine not being able to sleep one wink because every time you close your eyes you are forced to relive memories from the past that you are trying to bury deep. This is what happens to the unfortunate men and women who are struggling with PTSD. Veterans that are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder deserve the help they need.
There are many problems facing veterans that most civilians do not have to worry about. Perhaps the most serious issue facing many veterans is the post-traumatic stress that can haunt a soldier that has experienced the fear of being deployed to a combat zone. This is an issue that most individuals never have to worry about and having these post-traumatic experiences make most veterans more susceptible to substance abuse. According to the Department of Veteran Affairs website (ptsd.va.gov), “Almost one out of every 3 Veterans seeking treatment for SUD (substance abuse disorder) also has PTSD”. This is a startling number when you think about the high number of veterans that have been to war and have some level of post-traumatic stress. Also, we have learned from past conflicts that substance abuse and PTSD have been linked to an increase in suicidal behavior. In fact (Veteran Affairs, 2005) found that, “Veterans over the age of 65 with PTSD are at increased risk for attempted suicide if they also experie...
A catalyst for change within the psychiatric treatment of veterans was the Vietnam War. Soldiers returned from war suffering unmistakable service related psychiatric conditions. (Pols & Oak, 2007) In 1969, veterans were returning from Vietnam War to find themselves suffering from the trauma of war with no resources or treatment to help them manage their mental health. A few key players, including Senator Alan Cranston, fought for the creation of appropriate mental health services, known as readjustment counseling, which would be provided to eligible veterans in “small, community based centers” and was approved after 10 years of battling with Congress to pass it through legislation (Blank,
Mental health conditions, traumatic brain injury, and suicide risk are significantly higher in recent wartime veterans, especially when compared to veterans of the Vietnam and Gulf War periods. The “healthy soldier effect” used to mean that veterans had lower overall mortality rates compared to the general population. However, suicide risk is not included in this effect any longer. Veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn
Looking at subjective norms, many veterans feel there is a stigma attached to seeking out mental health services and are afraid of the outcomes of being diagnosed with a mental health diagnosis. Many service members are not regularly seeking needed care when they have mental health problems and because of that mental health problems can have comprehensive negative impacts on the quality of life and the social, emotional, and cognitive functioning of affected service members. According to the study, Engagement in mental health treatment among
have become a vital feature of the soldier's identity. While having obvious survival value in combat, this mindset is typically highly maladaptive and self-defeating when applied to civilian life. For example, aggressive, split-second decision-making and action are vital in a war zone but similar actions in community life can easily fall under the categories of disorderly conduct, assault, and domestic abuse. Unfortunately, war veterans have a hard time letting go of these behaviors that were once essential in staying alive and unharmed. These existing psychosocial functioning may not adequately assess post-deployment reintegration programs because veterans have unique difficulties resuming their social roles and participating in community
...y need in order to live a happy and healthy rest of their life. Just by reading this article it allows you into a whole new world of the military, something deeper than what we see from the outside world. At first when one reads this article they might find it biased and not very beneficial, but once they present the data tables you see the numbers and it blows your mind to see how many veterans are suffering from posttraumatic disorder. The presentation of the evidence and the way the argument is presented is in a well-organized manner for any reader to follow along. “ Mental Health in Deployed and Non-deployed Veteran Men and Women in Comparison With their Civilian Counterparts,” is a reliable source due to the academic presentation which includes data, personal interviews, qualified sources and a balanced argument that have points that support their argument.
American Veterans experienced war-related trauma in Vietnam.(Friedman, 1998) The war traumas included being on frequent or prolonged combat missions in enemy territory, encountering ambushes and...