The After Serving Active Duty

Combat veterans are among the highest at risk for issues in transitioning form military life to civilian. Many potentially suffer from both physical and/or mental traumas. Many veterans and even active duty services members have allowed the unofficial culture of if you need mental or medical help you are weak. Many military families are also afraid of utilizing family support mechanisms out of fear of

Today, hundreds of thousands of service men and women and recent military veterans have seen combat. Many have been shot at, seen their buddies killed, or witnessed death up close. These are types of events that can lead to Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder ("Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD: A Growing Epidemic. “) Anyone that has gone through a traumatic event can be diagnosed with PTSD but research shows, military men and women are more susceptible to having PTSD (PTSD: A Growing Epidemic.) And, with little help from the US, many Veterans do not get the help they need or get treated for PTSD. Military men and women begin to

There is a common belief that many combat veterans are suffering; many from invisible wounds that affect them in many ways. The challenge that the VA and other government agencies face is determining which veterans need help, there are several factors that affect this, from the individual’s desire to accept help, to the stigma that most veterans have accepted, which is “if they ask for help, they are weak.” During separation from the military it is a critical time for all soldiers, this time provides an opportunity for the military, the VA and our government to intercede and work with men and women while they are still soldiers. Veteran suicide is an epidemic, the number of veterans taking their life daily has been steadily growing, the statistic published by the VA is that twenty-two veterans end their lives every day (Suicide Data Report, 2012); steps have been taken to curb this number but the efforts have been woefully inadequate.

Rates of trauma and mental illness are reported to be disproportionately higher among American veterans, especially those of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The barriers to care after civilian reentry further disadvantage this already vulnerable population. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been the longest sustained US military operations since the Vietnam era, sending more than 2.2 million troops into battle and resulting in more than 6,600 deaths and 48,000 injuries. Veterans are at risk mental health challenges, as well as family instability, elevated rates of homelessness, and joblessness. Veterans have disproportionate rates of mental illness, particularly posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse disorders, depression, anxiety, and military sexual trauma.

Both articles identify the issue of providing mental health services for veterans with an extra emphasis on those that served in Afghanistan and Iraq (OEF/OIF veterans). It is no surprise that returning veterans suffer from both visible/invisible (physical and mental) wounds. Most veterans have this “high” expectation that they are going to receive quality care from both the DoD and VA. Unfortunately reality steps in where veterans are slapped in the face because they are receiving a lack of poor quality care all while jumping through Beuracractic hoops. The challenges faced to access these services include resistance, stigma, lack of professionalism, and geographic and/or regional disparities in the distribution of services resources and/or benefits, and the system simply refusing to change.

This paper is about counselors who choose to work with veterans or those who suffer from PTSD. The topics that will be discussed are the specific job descriptions, the salary one could look to receive, the certification requirements, and the future of this ever growing field.

Imagine as an immigrant one enters into a new life unfamiliar to the culture and the expectations of a new society. Faced with so many challenges and uncertainties, how does one fit into a new environment or align oneself with existing resources for a successful cultural transition? Veterans transitioning into civilian life may experience similar challenges and may require a multidisciplinary approach consisting of improved communication, understanding and the perception of the underlying issues which contribute to the challenges veterans face with assimilating to the civilian life. Although, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most talked about issue with returning veterans, there are many more issues that ensue. For example,

As we learn more about the cause and effect of PTSD we can better equip ourselves to help those in need. It is a process that has a clear beginning but an unclear ending. A person who can function normally for many years after seeing combat may find it increasingly difficult to sit in a classroom day after day. With raising awareness on not only the severity but the scope of impact of mental health disorders it can eliminate the stigma of weakness and get these men and women who have put themselves second much of their lives the help they

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has affected many veterans ranging from the Korean War all the way up to Iraqi War Veterans. There are programs that help veterans cope with PTSD such as VFW posts. But after a recent interview with Will Short (Machinist’s Mate, Master Chief, Surface Warfare, Retired), I discovered that rehab groups for PTSD did not exist. Veterans are left to find some way to cope with their PTSD in any way that they could come up with on their own. Will Short, being a Veteran of sea warfare, thinks that it would be very helpful to people who struggle with PTSD to cope with that through talking to veterans who struggle with the same disorder. Already, there are programs to prevent any veterans with PTSD from committing suicide, but a simple phone number is not enough. It is human nature not to want to be alone through any endeavor, and in that respect, veterans are the same as any other civilian. Veterans, such as Will Short want to relate with someone who understands completely what the other person is going through in PTSD. For a future America, I would like to know that any Veteran struggling with PTSD has someone to turn to when they need help the most. A friend, a comrade, a brother in arms so to

Many veterans are unable to leave behind the trauma of Vietnam and psychologically return home. They struggle with a variety of extremely severe problems that neither they nor their families, friends, or communities knew how to understand

Intervention strategies that are best suited for veterans when a social support from other soldiers, friends and family members. The family council will help strength the family bond and relationship satisfaction, and lower divorce rates than individual treatment. “Crisis counselors can refer clients to marital counselors or provide it themselves for increased treatment effectiveness” (Kanel

The leading psychological condition of a returning veteran is post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. The Mayo Clinic defines PTSD as a, “Mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.” PTSD has been known to affect the lives of many returned veterans as they try to re-enter into society. Some of the more common symptoms of PTSD include, “recurring memories or nightmares of the event(s), sleeplessness, loss of interest, or feeling numb, anger, and irritability (What is Post traumatic Stress Disorder).” This can really affect the way people live their day to day life. There are people who cannot go a whole day without having an episode or panic attack. Some can’t even be around other people without it triggering bad memories, making it impossible for them to leave their homes. Other complications of PTSD include, “Increase your risk of other mental health problems, such as: Depression and anxiety, issues with drugs or alcohol use, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts and actions (PTSD).” This disorder is more common than most may realize and is so commonly not diagnosed or treated due to how they felt their peers would see them or even the potential damage to their careers. Nbc news wrote that, “Only 38 percent to 40 percent of those who indicated

In the past, veterans who disclosed suffering from signs of PTSD encountered a great deal of ignorance and bias. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (n.d.), veterans who had the illness were often considered weak, were rejected by comrades, and even faced discharge from military service. In fact, even physicians and mental health specialists often questioned the existence of the disease, which of course led to society’s misconception of PTSD in general. Sadly because of this existing prejudice it appears even today soldiers are still worried to admit having PTSD symptoms, and therefore they do not receive the proper support they need. While individuals are assured that their careers will not be affected, and seeking help is encouraged, most soldiers see it as a failure to admit having a mental health illness (Zoroya, 2013). Educating military personal of this illness, and making sure no blame is put on the veterans who encounter this disease is therefore vital.

The main preventive areas are breaking down of the family, social withdrawal and isolation, employment difficulties, and substance use/abuse (Iraq War Clinician Guide, 2004).The prevention of family breakdown begin with soldiers returning home after war. The families and soldiers experiencing problems with deployment and helping the solider and family adjust is the initial part of helping the family. Preventing the family breakdown, teaching communication conflict resolution, anger management, and parenting skills, allows for a stronger support and decrease in symptoms(Iraq War Clinician Guide, 2004). The prevention of social withdraw and isolation is vital because PTSD greatly influences social functioning (Iraq War Clinician Guide, 2004). The initial anticipation of social withdraw and isolation is helping the soldier create new social relationships with a variety of other people, colleagues, family, relatives, friends (Iraq War Clinician Guide, 2004). Preventive measures allow for social isolation to be addressed early before it becomes a problem. Employment problems are a factor for prevention, preventing job turnover helps in many areas, self-esteem and creating relationships (Iraq War Clinician Guide, 2004). Anger, authority difficulties and irritability cause job turnover and steady employment attributes to reduction of social impairment and functioning and finical stress. The

Twenty-two veterans a day, every hour kill themselves. On January 25, 2016 my cohorts and I were afforded the opportunity to take a sneak peek into one of the only crisis hotline centers in the United States. This call center receives about 22,000 calls a day. The firm Crisis Hotline Veteran’s Press One allowed us to see how counselors deal with their crisis calls. The film gave me a new found respect for those professionals working in the crisis hotline arena. The film lets us hear different story’s from counselor’s working in the crisis center. These stories were told from the counselors’ point of view.