About 1.64 million U.S. troops served in battle in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since their return, many of the men and women who fought for our country have been fighting something even more pernicious than the external foes they encountered in combat: mental illness, internal trauma, and anguish.
Moreover, when soldiers returned home to their communities they faced another enemy, a harmful but subtle one: stigma and discrimination against veterans who have a mental health condition. Many have simply not been able to access care for their illnesses due to various delivery and financial barriers, including the self-imposed fear of being seen as weak. It is estimated that about 60% of veterans with a mental health condition do not seek treatment.
For many veterans, suicide has been all too prevalent, or they are homeless and in the shadows. Let’s honor these men and women on Veterans Day by recognizing the psychological harm that combat can cause; reducing stigma by regarding war-related injuries as mental health wounds of war; and ensuring reliable access to mental health treatments for PTSD, depression, substance use, and trauma.
Counselors have the training and tools to help veterans with mental health conditions. On a daily basis, counselors provide the below services to veterans:
- diagnose mental illnesses with a focus on thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
- screen for substance abuse, PTSD, depression, risk of suicide, other behavioral health issues, and the co-occurrence of these problems
- use online screening tools to assess behavioral health problems among veterans with post-deployment mental health and health care issues
- provide brief interventions, including giving feedback about screening results, describing risks associated with a behavioral health disorder, and advising about ways to begin addressing substance use or mental health disorders
- teach veterans about wellness and coping skills, such as how to return to regular patterns of sleep and exercise, use relaxation techniques, and reconnect with social supports
In recognition of Veterans Day, let’s fight for our veterans by advocating for increased funding in the next Congress and in new administration for key mental health services and programs. That is a battle we can all win.
