The Challenges Of Veterans With Disabilities

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a common anxiety disorder characterized by chronic physical arousal, recurrent unwanted thoughts and images of the traumatic event, and avoidance of things that can call the traumatic event into mind (Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner, & Nock, 2014). About 7 percent of Americans suffer from PTSD. Family members of victims can also develop PTSD and it can occur in people of any age. The diagnosis for PTSD requires one or more symptoms to be present and crucially interfere with living a normal life ("Post-traumatic Stress," 2014). Women usually experience PTSD more commonly than men after being exposed to trauma. Examples of PTSD could be veterans from war experiencing traumatic

What are your thoughts regarding your ability to work with Veterans dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Substance Use Disorders (SUDS), and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a relatively new diagnosis that was associated with survivors of war when it was first introduced. Its diagnosis was met largely with skepticism and dismissal by the public of the validity of the illness. PTSD was only widely accepted when it was included as a diagnosis in 1980 in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) of the American Psychiatric Association. PTSD is a complex mental disorder that develops in response to exposure to a severe traumatic event that stems a cluster of symptoms. Being afflicted with the disorder is debilitating, disrupting an individual’s ability to function and perform the most basic tasks.

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

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has been studied extensively. The majority of the population has experienced an event that was traumatic enough to potentially cause Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder with it also being common for most people to experience more than one event with the potential to induce Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Kilpatrick, Resnick, Milanak, Miller, Keyes, Friedman, 2013). Studies have shown that veterans diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder show an escalation in the anxiety levels that is much greater than soldiers that have not been diagnosed with PTSD as well as higher than the general fit population (Olatunji, Armstrong, Fan, & Zhao, 2014).

Among those who served in the Vietnam War, 84.8% of those diagnosed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder still show moderate impairment of symptoms, even 30 plus years after the war (Glover 2014). As of today, the Unites States has 2.8 million veterans who served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, of those it is estimated that 11 to 20% currently suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. As of 2013, a total of 12,632 veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars are currently diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Glover 2014). Of course it is to be taken into account that these numbers are based on those who admit to experiencing symptoms and seek treatment.

“The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is home to the United States’ largest integrated health care system” (Mason e.t. al 2016). Because of technological and medical advancement, surviving injuries from war has lead to a greater need for post deployment and discharge care. I often hear the phrase “Freedom is not free”; the mental health of our active duty soldiers and veterans is one area that ends up costing America. Some lose time with their families, some are injured physically and mentally, and some lose their lives.

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.

Post traumatic stress disorder is characterized by a history of exposure to a traumatic event. The majority of veterans suffer with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after fighting in war(s). As stated by Galbicsek, “Almost 30 percent of Vietnam veterans have been diagnosed with PTSD at some point in their lives. Between 11 and 20 percent of those who fought in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom suffer from PTSD (Carol, “Galbicsek”). More than a quarter of veterans after fighting for these wars experience PTSD.

Guaranteeing that veterans, their families can retrieve the full range of benefits available to them fighting for the interest of injured heroes on Capitol Hill instructing the public about the great sacrifices of veterans transitioning to civilian life. Offer free professional assistance to veterans, their families in obtaining benefits, services earned through military service are prepared by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) other agencies of government. Offer outreach concerning its program services to the disabled veterans their families specifically. Signifying the interests of disabled veterans, their families, their widowed spouses, their orphans before Congress, the White House the Judicial Branch, as state local government.

Disabled Women Veterans experience a large gap in services compared to their male counterparts. They experience large gaps in healthcare services, transition services, disability compensation, employment, and housing (Disabled American Veterans, n.d.). This gap leads to higher levels of stress and a high level of need among the Woman Veteran population. Little to no treatment groups exist specifically to the Woman Veteran population and the many challenges the population experiences, leaving them socially isolated. Disabled Women Veterans have many needs to address with disabilities ranging from psychological to physical. Their disabilities alone lead to the need for treatment that address their disabilities and the stress that comes with these

In the wake of the wars, our military’s men and women have experienced things that most people cannot dare to dream of. Although some of them are able to transition into the civilian life, many are left with scars that are mentally and physically traumatic. Rick Yount established Warrior Canine Connection in order to help veterans and their families find a service dog to successfully guide and aid veterans to become stronger and to function better. Service dogs have been around for many years helping veterans get back on their feet and helping them with their disabilities. Post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury affect hundreds of veterans each day. Those who suffer from amputated limbs must rely on others and mechanical devices to function.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is "an anxiety disorder, characterized by distressing memories, emotional numbness, and hyper vigilance, that develops after exposure to a traumatic event" (Doyle-Portillo, Pastorino 490). Traumatic events include physical abuse, rape, military combat, death of a close friend or family member, natural disasters, or witnessing events such as terrorist attacks, a violent crime, or a horrible accident (Doyle-Portillo, Pastorino 490). All these different events lead men and women to have nightmares, flashbacks, and tormenting memories, especially the men who fought in the Vietnam War. Around "19% of Vietnam veterans developed PTSD at some point after the war" (Doyle-Portillo, Pastorino 491) from the events they witnessed out in the Vietnamese jungles during combat that it would have been highly unlikely for them not to develop PTSD.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health condition caused by experiencing or seeing a terrifying event. It has been known to affect mostly war veterans but has also affected people who are not veterans. Rape victims and people who have suffered severe abuse have also been diagnosed with PTSD. In most cases, veterans have a higher percentage than others.

In 2004 Operation Iraqi Freedom became the deadliest American military conflict since the Vietnam War. Military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and Vietnam have brought heightened awareness of military related PTSD, as well as the relationship and family problems that accompany the disorder. Studies have shown that 11% - 20% of Veterans that served in Iraq and 6% - 11% of veterans that were deployed to Afghanistan have suffered from PTSD. Veterans of operation Desert Storm suffer at a rate of about 10% and Vietnam veteran estimates have been as high as 30% – 50%.