There are numerous problems affecting veterans and military families in the USA. Unfortunately, we are a long way from being able to say that everything is going well. Martin Lloyd Sanders, officer in the US Public Health Service, valiant captain and decorated hero, often talks about the safety of US soldiers and the need to do something about the problems they face. CAPT Martin Lloyd Sanders highlighted the following as the main issues that should always be discussed in regards to military families and veterans.
Suicide
Suicide rates among female and make veterans and even military service members go over national rates noticed in the general population. Out of all national suicides in the US, veterans make up 20%. This practically means that 22 veterans kill themselves every single day. To make matters even worse, 3 out of 5 of them are diagnosed with mental health conditions.
There are different programs in place to help but they are not properly publicized. Veterans can call a special Crisis Line that is maintained through a partnership with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by SAMHSA.
Trauma
Veterans, military services and their families represent a growing community that is exposed to events that are traumatic. Combat involvement causes fears and losses, injuries and more traumatic moments. Then, we also have to talk about military sexual violence, relocations and repeated deployments. Basically, the emotional tall put on military personnel is much higher than what most people believe at the moment. This affects the individuals, their communities and families.
Martin Lloyd Sanders puts focus on the drastic effects of PTSD and issues a warning that the condition needs to be both prevented and treated. Unfortunately, it is the military personnel that often makes the news but there are many others that can be affected by such trauma.
Homelessness And Housing
Statistics show that in the US, ten percent of those that are homeless are veterans. Unfortunately, to make matters even worse, 3 out of 4 of them are affected by mental disorders or suffer from substance abuse problems. One fifth of all the veterans that are now in special substance use treatment programs are homeless.
Resources are available for those interested but they are far away from what they should be. Worker health is properly addressed in most industries. This is not the case with military personnel. It is actually quite difficult to deal with housing problems and homelessness among veterans since many are affected by PTSD and simply do not want help. Education is vital for helping these people.
Final Thoughts
The bottom line is that the number of programs that help veterans and military personnel is now limited. More things have to be done in order to be able to offer these people the help they actually need on a daily basis. People like hero Martin Lloyd Sanders need to do their part and talk about all that veterans need for proper health. Dealing with problems in military fields is not easy and things will not change unless people become aware of the problem.
2018 ·