Veterans' Mental Health: Understanding the Challenges and Finding Support
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Serving in the military can be a highly rewarding and meaningful experience; however, it may also come with unique emotional and psychological challenges. Many veterans experience mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety, after leaving active duty. These conditions may impact relationships, careers, and overall well-being.
There are strategies and services that can help former service members improve their mental health. These may include mental health services from a therapist, connecting with the Veterans’ Crisis Line, and implementing self-help strategies. In this article, we will examine the mental challenges that military veterans may face and explore strategies and techniques for improving their mental health.
Military service and veterans’ mental health challenges
Military service may involve long deployments, exposure to dangerous environments, and separation from family. These experiences can create intense stress and may lead to mental health conditions, which can vary in intensity and duration. Understanding common challenges may be the first step in recognizing when to seek support.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
PTSD can develop after experiencing or witnessing traumatic events such as combat, accidents, or military sexual trauma. Rates of PTSD may be elevated if a veteran has also experienced a traumatic brain injury. Symptoms of PTSD may include flashbacks, heightened anxiety, and avoidance behaviors. These symptoms can interfere with work and relationships, and, over time, may negatively impact overall quality of life.
Anxiety and depression
Transitioning service members may experience anxiety when re-adjusting to civilian life. They may feel restless or worry excessively. These symptoms might be triggered by combat memories or stress in daily life. Veterans may also experience depression symptoms, including sadness, hopelessness, or a lack of motivation after leaving the military.
Substance use disorder
Another common disorder that veterans may experience is substance use disorder. Veterans may misuse alcohol or other substances to numb pain or self-medicate co-occurring disorders like PTSD. Over time, this can lead to dependence and may worsen mental health symptoms.
Impacts on daily life
For veterans, these mental health challenges can impact daily life. Individuals experiencing PTSD, anxiety, or depression may have difficulties with communication and expressing emotions, making it challenging to feel connected to loved ones or to build relationships. These conditions may also cause veterans to withdraw from friends and family members, increasing social isolation.
Emotional distress from these conditions may be linked to physical impacts as well. Physical impacts of elevated stress and anxiety may include:
- Sleep disturbances
- Chronic pain
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Elevated blood pressure
Common barriers to support
Getting mental health care may not always be simple for veterans, and many face barriers to getting the support that they need. These barriers can delay treatment and allow mental health challenges to worsen over time. Understanding these barriers can help veterans get the support that they need to improve their mental health.
Barriers may vary depending on the individual and their unique situation. Some common barriers to support may include:
- Stigma around mental health: Some veterans may fear that admitting they need help will be seen as a weakness or that it will damage their reputation.
- Lack of awareness about resources: Many former service members may not know what programs and mental health resources are available to support veterans.
- Practical challenges: Barriers like long wait times and limited availability of providers can make it challenging to find support.
- Financial concerns: Although some services are free or covered by VA benefits, others may involve out-of-pocket costs.
The Veterans Crisis Line and other resources
Getting help during a mental health crisis is important, and immediate support may be available through the Veterans Crisis Line and other resources. These services may provide discrete support that can connect veterans to mental health providers or trained responders. Understanding how to use these resources can help veterans get the care they need when they need it.
Connecting with the Veterans Crisis Line
The Veterans Crisis Line is a resource that can be reached by phone or online. It is meant to serve veterans, service members, and their friends or family. When a person calls the crisis line, a trained responder can listen and provide immediate support. They may also provide veterans with local resources if needed.
VA support services for former military members
VA services are provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs and may include counseling and therapy. These services may be free or low-cost and can be obtained through VA medical centers. A benefit of VA health care is that patients can connect with professionals who have experience working with veterans.
Seeking support in the veteran community
Veterans may also find support by connecting with others in the veteran community. Shared service and experiences can help create a unique bond, and being part of a supportive veteran community can reduce feelings of isolation and build trust. There may be peer support programs designed specifically for veterans, and they may include one-on-one peer mentoring or group sessions.
There may also be veteran-focused organizations that can provide opportunities for veterans to connect outside of a clinical setting. Activities like group workouts, outdoor adventures, or volunteering in the community can help veterans build camaraderie and find purpose. For those who cannot attend in-person events, online forums and social media groups can offer support and a sense of belonging.
Self-help strategies
In addition to seeking support services and social connections, there are also self-help strategies that can improve mental health and reduce stress and anxiety. The effectiveness of different self-help strategies may vary depending on a person’s unique personality and situation. Although professional treatment may be an important part of healing, consistent self-help strategies can improve mental health on a daily basis.
Having a few techniques available can help veterans stay calm and reduce stress in real time. Self-help techniques to reduce stress and anxiety may include the following:
- Grounding techniques: A grounding technique is a tool that helps a person reduce anxiety. Sensory grounding is a common grounding technique and involves a person naming five things they see, four they hear, three they can touch, two they smell, and one they taste. This can help focus a person on the present rather than the past or future.
- Deep breathing techniques: Techniques like box breathing, where you inhale for four seconds, hold for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, and hold for four seconds again, can help a person regain focus.
- Journaling–Writing down thoughts or tracking triggers can be a way to identify trends and monitor progress.
- Exercise: Getting daily exercise can improve both mental health and physical health. Exercise may also improve sleep quality and reduce feelings of anxiety.
- Meditation: Reflective meditation can help relax the mind and body. Techniques may include guided meditations or body scans and focused breathing.
Seeking professional mental health care
For veterans experiencing mental health challenges, connecting with a therapist or mental health professional can be a good first step in improving mental health. A therapist can consider your personal needs and life situation before making treatment recommendations. They can also connect veterans with resources and provide strategies to incorporate into daily life that may improve mental health.
Professional strategies for veterans’ mental health care
Mental health professionals may have many strategies that they can utilize depending on what mental health condition their clients are experiencing. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common technique that may be used to treat several mental health conditions that a veteran may experience. With CBT, therapists can help patients identify and reframe negative thought patterns, which may improve mental health.
For veterans experiencing PTSD, a therapist may also use dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). DBT may provide a coping mechanism for managing intense emotions and flashbacks, which can be a common symptom of PTSD. Dialectical behavior therapy may also include distress tolerance strategies that can help a person manage negative emotions without resorting to unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Mental health care options
There are several mental health care options for veterans, including one-on-one in-person therapy, group therapy, and online therapy. Online therapy can be an effective way to reduce anxiety and stress for many people, including veterans. In a virtual environment, a therapist can incorporate many of the therapeutic techniques that they would use in traditional in-person therapy, including both CBT and DBT.
It can be challenging for veterans, especially those living in rural areas, to make it to an in-person therapy session at a brick-and-mortar office. Online therapy can occur from anywhere with a device and an internet connection. This means that you can get the care that you need from a place where you feel comfortable.
Takeaway
Why do veterans struggle with mental health?
Like anyone else, Veterans may experience mental health concerns for various reasons. However, combat Veterans (and other Veterans) may be at a higher risk for some mental disorders such as major depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
What do veterans suffer from the most?
Research suggests post-traumatic stress disorder is the most common mental health condition among Veterans alongside depression, anxiety disorders, and substance use disorders (e.g., substance or alcohol dependence). Still, Veterans may have other mental health needs as well.
What is a very common reason veterans do not get the mental health treatments they need?
There could be many reasons Veterans don’t receive more resources in terms of the mental health support they need, but stigma around mental health care services is one of the most common reasons.
What mood disorders do veterans have?
Like other individuals, Veterans may experience various types of mental illness, including mood disorders. Even so, some Veterans, including veterans returning from combat, may be disproportionately affected by major depression and other depressive disorders.
Why do Veterans feel depressed?
As individuals, Veterans may feel depressed for various reasons. Among these may include military sexual trauma, being separated from their families during deployment, and seeing combat.
What does anxiety look like in veterans?
Veterans may express similar anxiety symptoms compared to other individuals, including trouble sleeping, restlessness, and panic attacks, for example.
How to identify if a veteran has PTSD?
Only a trained mental health professional is qualified to diagnose someone with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Still, there may be some observable symptoms such as low mood, sleep disturbances, signs of flashbacks, and avoidance symptoms.
What therapy is best for veterans?
It depends on the individual and the type of mental health disorder they’ve been diagnosed with. Examples of effective treatment may include eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), cognitive behavioral therapy, and motivational interviewing, for example. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, some Veterans may benefit from inpatient care at a local VA center. Other treatment options, including outpatient VA mental health care services, may be available.
What type of psychologist works with veterans?
While there may be such a thing as a military psychologist, various types of mental health professionals can work with Veterans, including therapists and licensed professional counselors. In some cases, a primary care provider may even provide medication management services for mental health conditions.
How long are VA therapy sessions?
Therapy sessions at a vet center may last between 30 minutes and an hour, depending on various factors such as the mental health condition being treated and individual preferences.
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