It should be no surprise that veterans are widely known for experiencing mental health issues once they return from active duty. The extremely stressful situations that arise while on duty is something that the average person cannot begin to fathom. It is these extreme situations that cause military members to develop issues that affect their mental health and possibly even their physical health.
In order to help encourage current military members and veterans to take a more active role in their mental well-being and take a visit to a veteran’s medical center in California, it’s important to know some of the most common, yet misunderstood, facts surrounding veteran mental health.
It Affects More Than You Think
Some people are under the impression that mental health issues are not very common among veterans. However, these crucial mental issues affect more veterans than most people think. It is estimated that approximately 20 percent of all veterans experience some sort of mental health issue after seeing active duty. That means that one in every five veterans is in need of help from the veterans association in Los Angeles in order to help them cope with their newly developed mental health problems.
Not only is this millions of soldiers who are experiencing a mental health crisis, but it is also millions more of military family members who are forced to deal with the emotional, financial, and mental toll that trying to help their afflicted family member puts on them. That is why so many different organizations have popped up that aim to help families deal with this rising issue.
For example, if the family of a veteran that suffers from mental health problems and is seeking treatment at a medical center, then they may be eligible to get some temporary military housing in Los Angeles for free. While this will not help to alleviate the emotional toll that caring for a family member with mental health problems has, it will significantly lower their financial strain.
Most Common Mental Health Issues
Not surprisingly, two of the most common types of mental health issues that veterans will experience are post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. As previously mentioned, veterans often routinely experience horrific situations when deployed on active duty, which can lead to them experiencing various levels of PTSD once they return home. Depending on the specifics of their PTSD, it can lead to them having major troubles doing basic everyday tasks such as driving or sleeping.
If they are lucky enough to avoid PTSD, then there is still a very good chance that they may experience various forms of depression. This is something that affects millions of people, both veterans and non-veterans.
Between these two significant mental health issues, is estimated that over 20 veterans die from suicide every single day. This is why it is so crucial that current military members and veterans who are suffering from any sort of mental health issues seek the proper treatment from VA medical centers.
Why Veterans Refuse Mental Health Treatment
There are many different institutions located throughout the country that provide services that are meant to help veterans deal with their existing mental health issues. However, a major problem is that a significant number of veterans often refuse to seek professional help for their mental health issues. This can be for a variety of reasons, but most of these are preventable and should not be the reason that a veteran lets their mental health issue get worse by not seeking the proper treatment.
One of the most common issues that prevents veterans from seeking professional help is the amount of shame that they have regarding the fact that they are in need of any help whatsoever. Since these individuals have been through some of the most stressful situations imaginable and are widely regarded as being incredibly tough and brave individuals, it can sometimes cause them to feel shame if they are in need of some help to improve their mental health.
A similar issue that can sometimes occur is that the veteran does not want to become part of the stigma surrounding mental health issues. Luckily, this stigma is quickly disappearing in recent years, which makes it easier for military members to admit to themselves that they need help improving their mental health and going out to receive said help.
Having a poor understanding of the treatment options that exist for mental health issues can also be a major roadblock on the path to improving the mental health of veterans. If they do not know of the options that are available to them, then they will obviously not pursue them. That is why it is crucial that veterans and their family members are putting in the proper research to determine every path that they can go down to receive the proper mental health treatments that are needed.
Unfortunately, not all of the factors preventing veterans from seeking mental health treatments are entirely preventable. For example, some veterans will avoid getting mental health treatment simply due to the long wait times that there are to receive the required help. If they know that they are going to have to wait several weeks or even months to receive the level of help that they need, then they might not bother doing it at all.
Another issue that is not very preventable is logistical problems for receiving their mental health treatments such as having to travel long distances. Luckily, this is something that can be solved by using the previously mentioned military housing options in Los Angeles.
If a veteran is in a situation where there are no sufficient mental health treatment options near where they live, then they can apply to be temporarily housed in veteran housing near a medical center where they can receive the help they need. This will eliminate the requirement for excessive travel and will make it much easier for the veteran to see the mental health treatment that they desperately need.
