Problems Facing Veterans Research Paper

Derrick Luke
Sociology MW-1:00
Dr. S. Nicholas
Nov. 15, 2013
Problems facing our Vets There are many issues facing veterans of all ages and from many theaters of combat. The list is long and can include; trying to find employment after service, transitioning from service, dealing with injuries sustained while in service as well as many mental health issues. Depression and substance abuse as well as PTSD are something many returning veterans deal with on a daily basis. The list of social issues facing many veterans could go on and on and many Americans do not know or understand why so many veterans have these problems following them after their time in service is up. Transitioning from service is difficult and in some ways everyone has
this problem to one degree or another. Many look forward to being able to spend more time with their families and friends. More time to enjoy many of the things that they have missed out on during service, to sleep in when they want or even quit their first job once they get out. Individuals may have questions about their future, such as; how are they going to provide for their families, how are they going to pay the bills, what is the easiest way to get back into school or even if their military training and schools will transfer over to the civilian side. This leads to a lot of anxiety and stress. Each branch has its own transition program to assist soldiers during the process and answer many of these questions but there are still many, many questions that go unanswered or even unasked for a variety of reasons. Once an individual is completely out-processed, they may start to feel uneasy or have a hard time adjusting to the lack of structure and daily routine that they have been use to for such a long time. The new daily routine is a good thing for most individuals but for some it can be a nightmare. The time is service may have made the soldier a complete different person than they were before they entered service and changed the way they look at and deal with different situations and with people. Every veteran goes through some sort of adjustment period. It’s unrealistic to think those who were in the military instantly readjust back into civilian life without any hiccups (VA, 2013). Some of the problems may include anger, difficulty concentrating, trouble sleeping, depression, and often times; alcohol abuse (Treatment of PTSD, 2007). Some treatment techniques have been shown to be very helpful with veterans suffering from PTSD; - Talk to other veterans such as in group therapy or in some cases one-on-one works better - Eat and exercise on a regular basis, it is a widely known fact that exercise releases endorphins and increases serotonin levels. - Learn how to handle insensitive conversations and questions about what happened while deployed. Kids love to ask questions and do not think about how a person feels when asked these sticky questions. - Have a plan before leaving the military (doctor, family or friend a veteran can talk to) - Practicing relaxation techniques and enjoying person time or participating in recreational activities. - Try to get a good night’s sleep every night. - Avoid “quick fixes” that only work for a short time, drinking, drugs, keeping self-excluded from social gatherings (Treatment of PTSD, 2007). What is PTSD?
PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) often occurs after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event that leaves an individual with feelings of hopelessness, such as an accident, assault, natural disaster, or combat. The symptoms of PTSD may include; persistent patterns of anxiety, fearfulness, depression, feelings of guilt, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, irritability, outbursts of anger, or other significant behavior changes (Forrest, Kara PhD and Dr. Edmund Howe, 2009). The RAND Report was the first large scale, non-governmental assessment of American Soldiers mental health needs and has triggered an awareness of the urgent needs for more studies in area. According to the April 2008 RAND Report, the cost to the U.S. of mental health injuries sustained by soldiers alone could rise to $6.2 billion for only the first 2 years of care following deployment. Much of that due to lost productivity and lost lives through suicide (Forrest, Kara PhD and Dr. Edmund Howe, 2009). The Evolution of PTSD World War I was the first time that specific syndromes came to be associated with combat. It had just been assumed that it was due to lack of discipline and being a coward. During World War II a new term was coined, “shell shock”. By the end of the war it the syndrome was termed as a “war neurosis” (Goodwin, 2000). During WWII, psychiatric casualties had increased some 300% when compared with WWI, even though the pre-induction psychiatric rejection rate was 3 to 4 times higher than WWI. At one point during the war the number of men being discharged for psychiatric reasons exceeded the total number of men being newly drafted (Goodwin, 2000). During the Korean War, the approach to combat stress became even more pragmatic due to the work of Albert Glass (1945), individual break downs in combat effectiveness were dealt with in a very situational manner. Clinicians provided immediate onsite treatment with the expectation that the combatant would return to duty as soon as possible. The results were gratifying. During WWII, 23% of the evacuations were for psychiatric reasons, but in Korea, psychiatric evacuations dropped to only 6% (Goodwin, 2000). It finally became clear that the situational stress of the combatant were the primary factors leading to psychological casualty. Surprisingly, with American involvement in the Vietnam War, psychological battlefield evolved in a new direction.
What was expected from past war experiences and what was prepared for – did not materialize. Battlefield psychological break downs were at an all-time low, 12 per thousand (Goodwin, 2000). It was decided that the use of preventative measures learned Korea and some added situational manipulation had solved the age-old problem of psychological breakdown in combat. As the war continued for a number of years, some interesting additional trends were noted. Although the behavior of some combatants in Vietnam undermined fighting efficiency, the symptoms presented rare but very well documented phenomenon of World War II began to be observed again. After the end of WWII, some men suffering from acute combat reaction as well as some of their peers with no such symptoms at war’s end began to complain of common symptoms. These included anxiety, battle dreams, depression, explosive aggressive behavior, and problems with interpersonal relationships, to name a few. These were found in a five year follow-up and a twenty year follow-up (Goodwin,
2000). A similar trend was once more observed in Vietnam veterans as the war wore on. Both those who experienced acute combat reaction and many who begin to complain about symptoms until long after their combatant role has ceased. What was unusual was the large number of veterans being affected after Vietnam. The pattern of neuropsychiatric disorder among the combatants increased as the intensity of the wars increased. As these wars wore down, there was a corresponding decrease in these disorders until the incidence closely resembled that of pre-war periods. The prolonged or delayed symptoms noticed during postwar were noted to be somewhat obscure and few in numbers; therefore, no great significance was attached to them. However, the Vietnam experience proved different. As the war in Vietnam progressed in intensity, there was no corresponding increase in neuropsychiatric casualties among combatants. It was not until the early 1970’s, when the war was winding down that neuropsychiatric disorders began to increase. With the end of direct American troop involvement in Vietnam in 1973, the number of veterans presenting with neuropsychiatric disorders began to increase tremendously (Goodwin, 2000). During the same period in the 1970s, many other people were experiencing varying traumatic episodes other than combat. There were large numbers of plane crashes, natural disasters, fires, acts of terrorism on civilian populations and other catastrophic events. The picture presented too many mental health professionals working with victims of these events, helping them adjust after traumatic experiences, was quite similar to the phenomenon of the troubled Vietnam veteran. The symptoms were almost identical. Finally, after much research by various veterans’ task forces and recommendations by those involved in treatment of civilian post-trauma clients, the DSM III (1980) was published with a new category: post-traumatic stress disorder, acute, chronic and/or delayed (Goodwin, 2000). Post-traumatic stress disorder treatment can help you regain a sense of control over your life.
With successful post-traumatic stress disorder treatment, you can also feel better about yourself and learn ways to cope if any symptoms arise again. Post-traumatic stress disorder treatment often includes both medication and psychotherapy. Combining these treatments can help improve your symptoms and teach you skills to cope better with the traumatic event — and life beyond it. Antipsychotics may be prescribed a short course of antipsychotics to relieve severe anxiety and related problems, such as difficulty sleeping or emotional outbursts. Antidepressant medications can help symptoms of both depression and anxiety. They can also help improve sleep problems and improve your concentration. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medications sertraline (Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil) are FDA-approved for the treatment of PTSD (Staff,
2011). One-on-one or group therapy may be one way to help deal with PTSD. Sometimes talking to someone you trust or feel comfortable with is a good way to get on the right track to recovery. Group therapy can offer a way to connect to others going through similar experiences. Group therapy may work better once you are more comfortable with yourself and better about the situation. Talking to someone else who has gone through a similar experience may give the veteran a better since of security and that they are not talking to someone who has never stepped foot on a battlefield. Family therapy is another good idea for PTSD patients to consider. It may not be easy for an individual to talk to his/her family members about what they are going through. The individual may not even know what is happening to them and cannot explain it to their families. Family therapy would help their loved ones understand more of what is going on, help keep lines of communications open, maintain good relationships, and help cope with tough emotions on both sides (Staff, 2011). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a relatively new therapy technique. This type of therapy combines exposure therapy with a series of guided eye movements that help the individual process traumatic memories. This behavioral therapy technique helps the veteran safely face the very thing that they find frightening, so that they can learn to cope with it effectively. A new approach to exposure therapy uses "virtual reality" programs that allow individual or groups to re-enter the setting in which they experienced trauma — for example, a "Virtual Iraq" program (Staff, 2011). All these approaches can help soldiers gain control of lasting fear after a traumatic event. The type of therapy that may be best for an individual depends on a number of factors that can be discussed with the soldier and their health care professional. Medications and psychotherapy also can help other problems related to the traumatic experience, such as depression, anxiety, or alcohol or substance abuse. Behavior health issues among veterans may include substance abuse, alcohol abuse, suicide or suicidal tendencies. Few data have been reported on illicit drug use among OEF and OIF veterans, but one study of VA healthcare users reports that more than 11 percent of OEF and OIF veterans have been diagnosed with a substance use disorder (SUD)—an alcohol use disorder, a drug use disorder, or both. In addition, the data available for alcohol use show that some veterans use alcohol to self-medicate (Behavior Health Issues Among Afghanistan and Iraq U.S. War Veterans, 2012). VA data show that almost 22 percent of OEF and OIF veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also have an SUD. In addition, a recent national study of OEF and OIF veterans receiving VA health care was the first to show that those diagnosed with mental disorders, particularly PTSD, were notably more likely to receive prescription opioid medication for conditions related to pain than those with no mental health diagnoses. They were more likely to have co-occurring SUDs, to receive higher-dose opioid regimens and early refills, and to take the opioids for longer periods of time. These veterans were also at higher risk for adverse clinical outcomes. Studies show that alcohol misuse and abuse, hazardous drinking, and binge drinking are common among OEF and OIF veterans. Veterans sometimes drink alcohol as a way to numb the difficult feelings and erase the memories related to their war experiences. For example, increased combat exposure involving violence or human trauma among OIF veterans was linked to more frequent and greater quantities of alcohol use than was less exposure to such combat (Behavior Health Issues Among Afghanistan and Iraq U.S. War Veterans, 2012). Young Veterans who joined the military after high school and went off to war are at a disadvantage when competing for civilian jobs with peers who did not serve. Vets often do not have easily translatable civilian skills, nor do they have the network of civilian business and social contacts that other young people have. Unless they apply with companies who place a priority on hiring Veterans, they are in a tough spot competing with other job seekers. Despite the obvious difficulty young veterans have at finding post-service work, veterans overall have experienced a lower rate of unemployment year-to-year than non-veterans since World War II, a trend that continues even through modern harsh economic times and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Bureau of Labor statistics. In July of 2012, the general population had an unemployment rate of 8.3 percent, while all veterans were unemployed at a rate of 6.9 percent. According to statistics compiled and submitted to congress by vetjobs.com, the VFW 's online job board, that gap has remained largely unchanged for the last 35 years: in 1986, veterans were unemployed at a rate of 5.1 percent, non-veterans at 6.4 percent; in 1996, it was veterans at 3.9 percent, non-veterans 4.8 percent; and in 2006 it was veterans at 3.8 percent and non-veterans at 4.1 percent (Norman, 2013). A breakdown of the statistics shows that there also is reason for concern about young veterans. The White House and others have estimated that as much as one million military members will enter the civilian workforce in the next 5 years as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down. Already, Gulf War II-era veterans currently have a slightly higher overall unemployment rate than everyone else: 8.9 percent. Younger veterans aged 20 to 24 are also singled out as having particular problems finding jobs. In 2010, they had a 20.6 percent unemployment rate, compared to 12.3 percent for the general population. While the sample size of young veterans in most official surveys is so small that the percentages can swing several points in both directions month-to-month, it is clear younger veterans have a particularly hard time with employment (Norman, 2013). While veterans often enter the civilian workforce underprepared, there are a plethora of programs to help them make the transition -- so many, in fact, that it would take weeks of research and several pages just to find and list them all. The Department of Defense, the Department of Labor and the Veterans Administration all offer transition and employment programs to veterans of all age groups. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are nearly 23 million veterans in the United States today. Of those 23 million, approximately 131,000 are or have been recently homeless. A third of all homeless citizens in America are Veterans. These veterans, the overwhelming majority of which are men, have served in conflicts spanning from the Second World War to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Remarkably, nearly half of the homeless veterans today served in Vietnam (Sweeney, 2009). It has been said that the military consists of the “best of the best” in way of men and women serving, yet statistics like these might raise questions regarding how and why these same persons of excellence became plagued with so many hardships when they left military life? Furthermore, what can be done to help troubled veterans overcome difficult times?
There are entire departments in the Veteran’s Affairs off dedicated to end homelessness of veterans by 2015. Some might say that goal by that date is entirely unobtainable, but the VA’s programs provide individualized, comprehensive care to Veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless (Blakely, 2011). With the number of military service member who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan that are getting out or have recently left the service rising, the number of homeless vets is sure to rise too. Veterans put their lives on the line everyday of their service contract, be it stateside helping after a natural disaster or overseas deployed defending American’s right to freedom, not because they want to but because they chose to. They however did not choose to want to live with PTSD, homelessness, or not being able to find a job. Most are afraid to talk about their problems because of stigmas associated with the disorders or how they will be treated while in service or out in the civilian sector.
Bibliography
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