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M6D1 Essay Rough draft

Carlos Lima

Soldiers with PTSD are provided options for proper treatment but often refuse to accept assistance due to disbelief that treatment will work, the negative stigma surrounding getting mental health support, and the inability to recognize they need help.

Knowing the signs and symptoms of PTSD can allow for early intervention and assistance. However, although the opportunities are available, veterans often refuse help for mental health. Many veterans don’t receive assistance because they’re afraid of being judged, they feel unworthy and helpless or, they’ve simply never been diagnosed and are therefore unaware that they have an issue. Even still, those who fail to receive help, knowingly and unwittingly, often turn to addiction and become depressed or suicidal. Whereas those who do receive assistance started with the belief that they could get better.

Of the five million veterans using VA healthcare, only eight percent have been diagnosed with PTSD (Schools, 2018). Those who are undiagnosed endure many failures in their personal and professional life and dealing with these overwhelming catastrophes lead to depression and suicide. The successful PTSD treatment cases began with the recognition that help was needed followed by acceptance and social support (Lacovou, 2013). Sadly, despite the vast number of treatment centers available, about 20 veteran commit suicide each day (Stanley, Rogers, Hanson, Gutierrez, & Joiner, 2019).

The stigma related to getting mental health assistance in the military is that it is a humiliating sign of weakness. Asking for mental health assistance means that something is wrong with you. Most soldiers see older veterans in wheelchairs or fellow veterans with missing limbs and they feel they don’t need/deserve the help as others are worse off than they are (Mosel, 2020). Nevertheless, those who realized they had a problem and reached out for treatment also tended to have strong social support from family, friends, or other Veterans.

While there are several options available to combat PTSD, these options are only effective if they are utilized. PTSD is a lifelong illness and most of the services and programs provided are voluntary. This means the veteran must recognize and accept they have a problem and be willing to get the help they deserve. Unfortunately, many are dealing with mental demons that prevent this from happening.

References

Lacovou, S. (2013). Treating PTSD in Military Personnel: A Clinical Handbook. Existential Analysis, 1, 182.

Mosel, S. (2020, February 13). PTSD in Military Servicemembers Who Have Returned from Combat. Retrieved from https://americanaddictioncenters.org/trauma-stressor-related-disorders/combat-veterans

Schools, D. (2018, July 25). Why Veterans Don't Seek Mental Health Support. Retrieved from https://www.stand-together.org/veterans-dont-seek-mental-health-support/

Stanley, I. H., Rogers, M. L., Hanson, J. E., Gutierrez, P. M., & Joiner, T. E. (2019). PTSD symptom clusters and suicide attempts among high-risk military service members: A three-month prospective investigation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 87(1), 67–78. doi: 10.1037/ccp0000350