Vet Centers…

Some of the most troubling issues that our veterans deal with on a daily  basis are PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), alcohol and drug addiction, homelessness, unemployment, adjusting to life outside the military, and maintaining relationships with family and friends.

The first thing a troubled veteran must do is acknowledge that they have a particular problem and then find a way to remedy it. Finding help can sometimes be a daunting task and this is where local Vet Centers can be of great help.Vet Centers are extensions of the Department of Veterans Affairs and are located in major metropolitan areas of each state.

These centers have counselors that can walk the veteran through the process of getting the proper assistance for their particular problem and getting the benefits and services due them.

Currently the most vexing problem veterans have is PTSD. PTSD can be the pre-curser to the aforementioned problems of addiction, homelessness, unemployment, and deteriorating relationships.

The definition for PTSD as defined by the National Institute of Mental Health is:

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat.

PTSD has been around as long as mankind has been involved in armed conflict, but has been known under other names. During the U.S. Civil War it was known as “seeing the elephant.” During World War I it was known as “being shell shocked.” During World War II and the Korean War it was known as “combat fatigue.” It was after the Vietnam War that the term PTSD became vogue.

The effects of PTSD can lay in wait for decades before rearing it’s ugly head.  Veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan ALL have the symptoms as defined to some degree. Tragically most veterans have not, or are not, being treated for the effects of PTSD.

Up next, the symptoms of PTSD.