Military Veterans Essay

Over the last decade, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have drastically increased the need for effective mental health services and treatment for U.S. veterans and service members, especially those suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Nearly 1.5 million American service members have been deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) since the attack on the Twin Towers in September 2001 (Price, Gros, Strachan, Ruggiero, & Acierno, 2013). Approximately 25% of soldiers and wounded warriors returning home from OEF/OIF present with mental illness due to combat-related violence and other trauma exposure (Steinberg & Eisner, 2015). According to Price and colleagues (2013), OEF/OIF soldiers and veterans are at greater risk for developing mental illness compared to others who served in past military operations.

The U.S Department Veteran’s Affairs (VA) provides a wide range of benefits for our service members, veterans and their families. Some of these benefits include but are not limited to include compensation, disability, education, and home loans. Throughout this paper I will discuss these benefits and the eligibility required to receive them. Eligibility for most VA benefits is based on type of discharge received through the military which is normally all discharges under other than dishonorable conditions.

One of the most common things veterans encounter during the war is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. PTSD is an anxiety disorder that may develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which severe physical harm occurred or was threatened. The most common symptoms of PTSD is difficulty concentrating, lack of interest/apathy, feelings of detachment, loss of appetite, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response and sleep disturbances. The statistics show that at least 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have PTSD. But 50% of those with PTSD do not seek treatment out of the half that seek treatment, only half of them get “minimally adequate treatment.” This issue is very serious because of how much stress it puts on these veterans. With a rehabilitation center these veterans could get the help that they need until they are healthy enough to go out on their own.

This research aims to explore how communicating lived experiences through an art-based intervention can affect PTSD symptomatology. This research seeks to better understand and extend previous art-based literature on veterans with PTSD. If occupational therapists are to utilize this intervention in treating veterans with PTSD research needs to be done on how veterans perceive this intervention when facilitated by an occupational therapist. How can OTs help veterans find meaning in their traumatic experiences through an art-based narrative

Research has shown that most of the U.S. Veterans returning from combat zones do not have Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However anywhere from 20-30% of veterans returning from combat zones has or has had PTSD and/or depressive disorders at some point in their lives (Currier, Holland, & Mallott, 2014, pg. 229). Throughout this paper, ways to combat PTSD and other forms of mental illness will be discussed. Also, ways to combat PTSD and other forms of mental illness will be discussed. Stigma will also be discussed due to many service men and women not wanting to search for help due to being told to be strong and to not complain. Something must be done to prevent and treat mental illness due to large numbers of our service men and

Veterans day means a day of celebration and also sadness. It means remembrance, and for some, memories we wish to forget. Some have died in the fight while others live to seize the day. Some come back unscathed, but those who don’t, carry their scars with proud hearts. We honor them with this day and thank them for fighting for us when we could not.

Going out into the community and asking people what their definition of occupational therapy is, enhanced the fact that there are not only several different definitions of occupational therapy, but many people are unaware of the true definition, role, and impact occupational therapist have on individuals and society. I asked five different individuals if they knew what occupational therapy was and how they would define it. Everyone said they knew what it was, but yet they still seemed to lack important aspects of the definition. The five people I

In the paper you will be able to see the setting, language that is displayed with the people in the office, and the relation there is between the Veterans office and the military. With all of these different perspectives Hymes S.P.E.A.K.I.N.G mnemonics will be displayed.To begin what is Dell Hymes S.P.E.A.K.I.N.G mnemonics? This is a study of different styles of communication, it is based on the speech community, speech situation, speech event, communicative acts, communicative style and the different ways of speaking. In each of these speech examples the veterans office will be able to be displayed. Among this setting, politeness is also a linguistic behavior that will be visible. Politeness is a common linguistic behavior meant to show respect,

The willingness to put one’s life on the line to defend the lives of others is not a quality that many possess. Military personnel make up a mere one percent of the population and protect an infinite number of freedoms average citizens utilize daily. Within the last few years veterans have been returning home in record numbers and are facing transition challenges such as homelessness, unemployment, mental illness related issues, and physical disabilities.

Throughout history, America has shone the bright light of freedom onto the darkness and oppression in this world, and has done so with the help of millions of brave soldiers. From 1776 to 2004, soldiers have and continue to put their lives on the line for the great cause of upholding freedom. Their ultimate sacrifice has allowed the liberty light to shine strong, and to keep you, me, and all Americans safe under Lady Liberty’s arm.

Each day clients engage in meaningful and purposive occupations that can be affected by a multitude of incidents that may either support or hinder a client’s ability to function. Traumatic injuries are just one example of incidents that may hinder a client’s occupational performance. Injury can often times lead clients to experience disruptions in their capacities to achieve full occupational performance. Clients who do experience diminished occupational performance can find support through an Occupational Therapist (OT). The OT will utilize a therapeutic decision making process to determine the most appropriate theory along with the client’s knowledge of his or her own needs and wishes to guide therapy. Employing and supporting the client as an advocate for their own needs can allow an OT to determine theories of practice that are best suited for the client’s return to wellbeing. An OT should first attempt to realize the needs and wishes of a client and once an understanding has evolved of what is meaningful to the client the therapist can assess performance skills and patterns that can be addressed by theories developed specifically for OT.

Gioconda R Saraneiro became the first appointed female captain in the U.S. Naval Medical Corps. Initially appointed a Lieutentant junior grade in the WAVES during World War II in 1943, she left the Navy to teach and start a medical practice. She returned to the Navy in 1949 and retired in 1966. Captain Saraneiro passed in 1983.

Veterans who have been deployed to combat and endured trauma display higher levels of emotional distress and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Yarvis, 2013). Moreover, the exposure to traumatic events over the lifespan relates to issues that impact the individual by a wide range of mental health problems (Briere & Scott, 2012). The VA offers a vast majority of mental health services, however there are particular interventions that are not offered because there aren’t enough medical practitioners certified or exposed to certain therapies. With respect to the patient, this paper will discuss an unsuccessful treatment plan that would have prospered had the veteran underwent an alternative route of interventions. Although a medical team follows the veteran, her PTSD symptoms continue to affect her day-to-day life.

Most veterans will find adjusting to civilian life after combat duty is really challenging. Sometimes, they might feel they are still on their duty in a war even when they are already at home. In order to help them to feel better and keep them in a positive mood, family members can play an essential role. Family members of those veterans should be patient, have more conversations with them and show more understanding and appreciation.

Fighting for your country is hard enough without returning home to face another battlefield, an invisible internal struggle with being home. According to research done by Dr. Patel, almost half of the veterans returning home that were in active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan are coming back with invisible mental wounds that we are still attempting to understand. (Patel, 2015) Many face continuous struggles to reintegrate themselves back into society due to the conditions they are trained under. Understanding the impacts of trauma, more support for caregivers, and a hands on, positive approach to the hidden mental illnesses, society will be better prepared to help veterans transition back to civilian life.