Veterans And Suicide Essay

Mike Haynie takes a stand on how veterans are portrayed to the public through the media. Being a veteran himself, he is well aware of how the media’s reports are focused on displaying the negative side of veterans. Cases like Itzcoatl Ocampo’s, paint veterans to the public as being violent. Awareness on this issue has been raised before. In 1999, President Bill Clinton held a conference to shed light on mental illness and the stigma that surrounds it.

Matt Morrow Mrs. Kane English 18 October 2016 Mental Effects of War When reading All Quiet on The Western Front a major theme is the mental impact war has on each veteran. Although many people die in war, the mental disturbance when coming out alive can be brutal. “According to RAND, at least 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have PTSD and/or Depression.” (Veteran Statistics: PTSD, Depression, TBI, Suicide.

help veterans integrate with civilians (Singh, et al., 2014). Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention from American Veterans (SAV) Act of 2014 was enacted in response to the perceived neglect of the veteran care especially PSTD. The bill derives its name from Clay Hunt, who took his life while battling postwar depression and trauma, and how his frequent trips to VA facilities did little to alter his mental conditions. Unfortunately, he was unable to bear the trauma and decided to commit suicide (Singh, et al., 2014). Before Clay Hunt’s death, his mother notes that he had voiced constant concerns over challenges he had trying to book an appointment with the doctors, and concerns about the quality of treatment.

In the New York Times article Death of a Marine, Bob Herbert discloses a story regarding a young man who participated in the Marines. Jeffrey Lucey of Massachusetts enlisted in the army instead of going to college. Despite his parents’ disapproval, he still joined. When Jeffery turned 22, his unit was one of the first to mobilize in the Iraq War. The damage that impacted Jeffery in Iraq included, explosions “just short of blowing out your eardrums”, damaged nerves, nightmare hallucinations and above all else, PTSD.

Suicide is an ongoing issue throughout the world, and is more common in younger teens then older people. In the year of 2021, the suicide rates for maryland were 9.7/620 deaths. While this is not a large number, it still is very sad to see that over 600 people are feeling the need to do this. Within the ages of 10-24, suicide is the 3rd overall leading cause of death, and throughout the state, suicide is the 16th leading cause of death for all people. These numbers of deaths are increasing, but not by a drastic amount which is still sad.

Pease uses the article to inform people about military veterans’ suicide risks. About fifty percent of veterans explained the readjustment of civilian life is a real struggle. Pease commented “There is the disorientation, change of status, a search of identity, and purposeful meaning of life again.” Most veterans who have psychological and physical injuries has difficulties of resuming their normal lives. The Pew Research Center did a survey that suggested PTSD veterans’ lives are more intense than the veterans who never suffered from PTSD.

In Jane Brody’s alarming article, “War Wounds That Time Alone Can’t Heal” Brody describes the intense and devastating pain some soldiers go through on a daily basis. These soldiers come home from a tragic time during war or, have vivid memories of unimaginable sufferings they began to experience in the battle field. As a result these soldiers suffer from, “emotional agony and self-destructive aftermath of moral injury…” (Brody). Moral injury has caused much emotional and physical pain for men and women from the war.

The return from war is quite a difficult process for the integration in society given harsh environmental conditions they have been involved in the war. Reintegrating back into society is a difficult task after the release from military duty. Different factors affect the reintegration with the civilian society including the difference in the education, interpersonal relationship and employment experiences. Considering that the veterans are military officers relieved of their duty after serving the nation in a war, the integration with the civilians presents a different environment that may influence their coexistence, especially in consideration to the law.

Another issue that veterans struggle with when they come back from war is mental illnesses like PTSD. According to “bringing the war back home”, “Of 103 788 OEF/OIF veterans seen at VA health care facilities, 25 658 (25%) received mental health diagnosis(es)”. This disabilities can make getting into the workforce much more difficult and even leave veterans to live on the streets from lack of employment. The solution discovered from this research is that if these mental diseases are caught early enough, the veterans will receive the help they need and be able to continue their normal civilian lives. “Targeted early detection and intervention beginning in primary care settings are needed to prevent chronic mental illness and

People rarely hear or men dying in war but there are constantly deaths regarding suicide. It has become a common situation, “ I've never known any dead man killed in a war. Killed jumping off buildings, yes,” (Bradbury, 91). Suicide ties into the bigger problem that because of all the distractions they aren’t able to take a minute to actually find themselves and see that they are

A constant watch over mental health issues of all military servicemen and women has gone under the radar in the past few years due to a lack of knowing how unrecognizable the problem just might be. The magnitude of this problem is enormous. A recent report finds that the estimates of PTSD range from 4 to 45 percent for those soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan (Cesur, Sabia & Tekin, 2012). Research suggested that other serious medical issues are likely to accompany the PTSD diagnosis, such as cardiovascular disease, and chronic pain (Frayne, et al, 2010). Compiling mental health issues, physical ailments along with family reintegration can prove overwhelming for a returning veteran.

The True Weight of War “The Things They Carried,” by Tim O’Brien, brings to light the psychological impact of what soldiers go through during times of war. We learn that the effects of traumatic events weigh heavier on the minds of men than all of the provisions and equipment they shouldered. Wartime truly tests the human body and and mind, to the point where some men return home completely destroyed. Some soldiers have been driven to the point of mentally altering reality in order to survive day to day. An indefinite number of men became numb to the deaths of their comrades, and yet secretly desired to die and bring a conclusion to their misery.

Vietnam War veterans represented 9.7% of their generation, and nearly half of the homeless veteran rate fought in Vietnam. The brave men and women that fought in this gruesome conflict signed their life to the federal government to protect and serve this great and powerful nation, and in return there were nothing but hateful, cruel acts towards them, such as called names like “baby-killers” or “murderers”, and even being spit on and trash thrown at them. Let alone the verbal and physical abuse, what made matters worse was that veterans couldn’t find work, after all the training, the experience, no one wanted them, which led most veterans to depression, anxiety and drug and alcohol use, because they felt like they couldn’t do what they had to do to support their family. However, would the homeless, drug and alcohol usage, and unemployment percentages be lower if America actually welcomed them home? These are the hardships Vietnam veterans had to go through when they came home, as heard from Wellston City Council Member and Airman Doug Wright, and what would be different if America wasn’t so hateful towards them and welcomed home the way they should’ve been.

In the United States, serving in the military is seen as a model of true patriotism, and rightfully so. Service members train for 10 weeks in their transition from civilian to a soldier. They train to be able to endure all the hardships that may come their way. Service members have to be in the best physical shape to serve and because of all that they do, they are thought of as brave and selfless people. Service members make extreme sacrifices to defend our country and act selflessly by doing so; it is fitting that they are seen as heroes by many Americans.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, is a mental disorder that most often develops after a veteran experiences a traumatic event. While having this illness, the veteran believes their lives are in danger. They also may feel afraid or feel they have no control over what is happening. If their feeling does not go away, the symptoms may disrupt the person 's life, making it hard to continue daily activities.