Saturday, April 22, 2017

Dealing With Veterans Struggling With Depression

By Martha Perry


Depression, anxiety and PTSD are on the rise amongst veterans. It is not an uncommon fact these days to read more about veterans struggling with depression. In the past, there was little support for this, and nobody knew what was happening with soldiers who came back from the battlefield. Nobody took care of their mental health.

In the past, there was little support available for people who came back from the war. This was obviously a problem because there are times when a veteran needs a lot of emotional support. It can be difficult for the family because they won't know what they are going through. They may not recognize them anymore because of the way they will be trying to cope.

Of course, in the past it was much more difficult for a soldier to cope in this type of situation. There was little information on PTSD or panic attacks. They often thought that they needed time to adjust to their old way of life. They thought that they had to get a job and get on with life. However, these experiences stay with you for a lifetime.

There were hundreds and hundreds of vets who came back from Vietnam and people found that there was more of a problem that they were having to deal with. There was more support offered. A lot of these vets had trouble coping in the home. They would have mood swings, losing their temper a lot the time. Flashbacks can be set off any point in time.

It is a long, lonely process when you decide to work through this on your own. In fact, many people find that they are not able to adapt to the changes. Coming back to a more tranquil setting after you have had your mind focused on a mission for so long can be difficult to cope with. You will become anxious which leads to depression.

Many war vets would have suffered from a traumatic brain injury. Although they are protected, there are exposed to physical conditions and there are times when they have fallen and rolled on their heads. You may not even be aware of this. Depression can set in here along with other mental disorders. A person like this will not be the same, and learns to cope in various way which are not always healthy.

Vets who get back and try to adjust will often become confused because they don't know why they are feeling in a particular way. They won't be able to explain their mental state of mind. However, this is something that you need to be patient. This is why it is a good idea to work with others that are going through the same thing. A lot of people enjoy connecting with other vets in a group.

Besides actually just being there, you would have found that depression can be caused when you have lost a friend in the battlefield. So many soldiers die every year. You may be wondering more about survivor's guilt. This can make you more and more depressed. This is why specialized therapy is encouraged before it becomes worse, which is so often the case.




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