Veterans Not Seeking Help Essay

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

There is concern about military service members receiving stigma about getting or needing treatment in the area of mental health. Stigma occurs when individuals view others negatively because they have been labeled or identified as having a deviant behavior against societal norms; deviant behaviors such as mental illnesses or diagnoses uncommon or harmful to others. How does that impact the military? Military men and women alike are termed heroes, warriors, and survivors; this is quite the reputation to keep up. Military members go to war or deploy to hostile combat environments, which many come back with severe mental illnesses and diagnosis that need immediate care. At this point they may not feel like a hero. The terms psychological, mentally ill, PTSD, and behavioral health has gained a reputation as having or being a problem. Being labeled a problem is not what service members want. Many studies are trying to pinpoint the problem and resolve the stereotypes associated with getting treatment. Consequently, an individual’s attitude toward mental health treatment is thought to be affected by other people’s views on mental health care (Held & Owens, 2012).

Throughout history, many veterans suffer after fighting in wars, and millions of veterans have been killed or injured. Veterans do not necessarily get the treatments they deserve without paying a price. Taking care of veterans costs a lot and health care is needed for them. They need health care after serving, in order to treat their problems and injuries. Jobs are also important to veterans because they are jobless after fighting in wars, which leads them to be homeless. It is important for people who need help to get help. As of right now, the government has attempted to help veterans, but it may not be enough.

In today's society where opinion matters, people have been extremely vocal about the lack of support the government has provided to our veterans. Many feel as if the government should do more, while others feel as if they are doing enough. Everyone will have a difference of opinion no matter if they have severed in the military or not. No matter how one may feel, is extremely important to take care of our veterans. As they have sacrificed their lives, time, and family to protect our country. Contrary to one's belief, the government provides a substantial amount of programs, which support the veterans. Honestly more could be done. On any given day you could see women and men standing on the corner holding signs implying they are homeless veterans and will work for food. A few programs the government offers our veterans are funding for mental health services, The Wounded Warrior Project and Vocational Rehabilitation and Education, which will be discussed throughout this essay. When you research the programs, they make it sound as if all proceeds are going towards the best treatment and care money could buy.

This is like a bomb waiting to go off: Family of veterans have to live with fear, hoping that their love one would recuperate, be happy, or simply a civilian again. The Veterans Affairs Department (VA) should put a better effort to better assist veterans, and their family with a better plan to reduce this preventable death. Many veterans find it difficult to admit, control, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), let alone reaching for help; when they do so, they are considered just another number at the VA. At any moment, a veteran?s sacrifice for this country should end

When hearing the term “drug addiction,” certain words might flash across one’s mind. Filth. Slum. Junkie. Crime. There is a dirtiness that these words seem muddled in, as if addiction dwells only in disarrayed and desolate cells in which the corrupt reside. One word that surely hasn’t gone through your head is one of alarming importance: Veterans. Veterans, who have served our country with abnegation, who have seen the worst of humanity, and who have sacrificed their livelihood to preserve others, are often entrapped in a world of drug abuse. To me, and many others, it seems tragic that a hero returns home, simply to get drawn into an addiction.It’s an issue that is often dismissed as a problem low-worth people, but this isn’t always the case;

One of the most serious problems facing all veterans today is the lack of proper healthcare. Soldiers, sailors and airmen are leaving active duty without having proper healthcare to cover their physical or mental injuries. The department responsible for veteran’s healthcare is the Department of Veterans Affairs. (VA) According to The department of Veterans Affairs website, “The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is responsible for administering programs of veterans’ benefits for veterans, their families, and survivors. The benefits provided include disability compensation, pension, education, home loans, life insurance, vocational

1. A social problem that personally resonates with are veterans that are homeless. This is personally important to me because I am a big believer that if someone goes to protect our country that the country should welcome theses veterans back with open arms to unsure they can adjust back to normal life. To help myself better understand the situation that many homeless veterans face I did a quick google search on the topic. After looking at http://www.newsmax.com/FastFeatures/homeless-veterans-facts/2015/06/17/id/651036/ I learned that PTSD is a huge reason why many veterans end up homeless. They are not homeless because they don't care but rather because they are not able to hold a job due to this disorder.

The U.S Department Veteran’s Affairs (VA) provides a wide range of benefits for our service members, veterans and their families. Some of these benefits include but are not limited to include compensation, disability, education, and home loans. Throughout this paper I will discuss these benefits and the eligibility required to receive them. Eligibility for most VA benefits is based on type of discharge received through the military which is normally all discharges under other than dishonorable conditions.

Contrary to the perception that our nation’s veterans are well supported in fact many go without the services they require of which they are

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

Advocating for this health disparity requires increased of supportive power, foundation, and execution of a political strategy (Jansson, 2011). To develop policy change, a coalition of individuals and organizations to support substance use prevention strategies is essential. Members of the coalition will include clinicians and organizations whose purpose is to implement prevention strategies among military-connected youth. The Department of Veteran Affairs provides a variety of services pertaining to military families, and adolescent patients would benefit particularly from substance use prevention. The coalition will have policy makers from schools or health-care organizations consider prevention models for military service children.

When someone is caught with illegal substances, they are disciplined for their actions and given a dishonorable discharge. Everyone should be held accountable for their behaviors, but everyone makes mistakes and should be given a second chance. If someone is struggling with addiction, proper treatment should be administered instead of punishment. Kaie Witkiewitz and Armando X. Estrada (2011) have stated, “When military personnel seek treatment for mental health problems, they may have more latitude to pursue treatment than when seeking treatment for substance abuse problems. Nonetheless, seeking help for either problem carries a potential cost for one’s career, because the command is required to be informed whenever military personnel are undergoing treatment for these issues”. It is not fair for someone who risked their life during a combat deployment and be given a dishonorable discharge for using substances to cope with their emotional and physical pain. Interventions should be given instead of dishonorable discharges. This could possibly give the military a better reputation of helping its personnel. Maybe combat veterans can either be given a medical discharge instead of a dishonorable discharge,

Many challenges still remain as Iraq and Afghanistan veterans seek available access to mental health care. These challenges include the resistance and stigma to seek care, lack of

Is the military doing enough to help with substance abuse issues among soldiers and vets? Addiction in the military has been prevailant throughout the history of wars with soldiers coming home pumped up full of prescription drugs, alcohol and illicit substances. One of the many causes that lead to addiction in the military is the stress of being separated from family. Another cause is extended periods of boredom on a military base and from being in combat. The government has been known to turn a blind eye when soldiers are abusing substances; that is until their addiction leads to breaking civilian