The week before Memorial Day I traveled to Washington D.C. to visit the monuments to our nation's military veterans. The vast Arlington National Cemetery, the profound Lincoln memorial inscribed with his immortal reflections on war and nation, the noble World War II memorial, the Freedom is Not Free advisory on the Korean War Memorial and, finally, the touching and humble Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

While serving their country, military personnel may encounter a variety of terrifying situation. Thousands of veterans have been left scarred by their experiences, leading to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Veteran's PTSD is a significant challenge and a serious issue, but many retired military personnel and their families are unaware of the diagnosis or where to seek treatment. Because PTSD has an impact on mental health and can be hidden, health professionals and other may find it difficult to assess its severity.

Let’s look at some tips and suggestions for assisting veterans and their families who are dealing with PTSD.

Serving your country always comes at a cost, and the brave men and women who serve are well aware of this. Currently, there are nearly 18 million veterans in the United States. Most, if not all, of them report dealing with a variety of mental health issues. Veterans make up a sizable proportion of patients receiving treatment in the country. Regardless, many of them never receive the necessary counseling and assistance for their mental health issues. To assist veterans in overcoming their problems, let us first learn about the most common mental health concerns for veterans.

There are currently over 17 million veterans in the US. Furthermore, far too many veterans in the United States are homeless. Veterans account for nearly one-fifth of all homeless people in the United States. Many NGOs, non-governmental organizations, and not-for-profit organizations have made a commitment to serving veterans. This includes assisting them with financial, physical, and emotional requirements.

Here are some ways NGOs assist the many homeless veterans in the United States.

PTSD is a disorder in which a person has difficulty recovering after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. The condition may last months or years, with triggers that can bring back memories of the trauma accompanied by intense emotional and physical reactions.

Since reporting on the VA hospital scandals that plagued the Veteran’s Administration, this blog checks in with the VA healthcare system every year to report any improvements. This year, rather than rating the system based on metrics used to measure service efficiency, 2,400 veterans were asked about the care they were receiving at the VA hospitals.

In 2020, 2 million women were veterans of the armed forces. Since they accounted for only 10 percent of the total veteran population, they tended to be understudied, if not ignored. The Department of Veterans Affairs predicts, however, that by 2040 women will make up more than 18% of the veteran population and will definitely garner more concern and attention.

We are taught as children that we can trust our parents, our teachers, our religious leaders, the police, the mayor, and the President of the United States. It is their duty to care for us, to mean us well, and to do only good. We can trust them; until we can’t.

Failure to provide timely, effective medical attention for the millions of combat veterans who have served our nation is the scandal that has haunted  the Veterans Administration for the past ten years; veterans dying in corridors and parking lots as they languished on waiting lists; overwhelmed VA hospitals sinking into dereliction as vets begged for help.

How could this happen? Did Congress's fail to provide a robust VA system? Was it the fault of the dedicated medical professionals who work tirelessly in VA hospitals? Were they just "burning out"?

The VA has tested 913,624 veterans and reported 83,527 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began back in March. 4, 223 veterans have died from COVID. Sadly, 66 VA employees have died trying to save their lives.

High Risk Group

Nearly 50% of veterans are 65 or older, which puts them at greater risk of severe illness or death due to COVID-19. Additionally, many veterans are at a higher risk of respiratory illness due to the environments and toxins they were exposed to while on active duty, which also places them in a higher risk group for coronavirus.