Page 684 - Total War on PTSD Final

Report about VA Mental Health services, Veterans often experience “[p]erceptions that as a result of accessing mental health care they will be viewed negatively by others such as peers or employers. For example, Veterans may feel that by accessing mental health care they will be perceived as weak or having lost control.” Feelings of fear of being perceived as weak are enhanced by a culture that rewards bravery and heroism.
So, how do we take a population that is hardwired toward not asking for help, to do in fact just that? There is no simple answer to this question. Of course, if there was, there would presumably be no need for this conversation. Since that, unfortunately, is not the case, here is an overview on some additional things we can do that will collectively make a difference.
First, it’s important to understand that Veterans’ suicides are not a new topic, but one that we, as a society, did not begin to understand until very recently. Although issues pertaining to Veterans’ suicides have received increased media attention over the last several years and were even labeled an epidemic this past year, Veterans have struggled with suicide, suicidal thoughts, and mental health ailments for generations. During the Civil War, for example, many Veterans died by suicide based on what they experienced during the war, but also from the economic hardships they experienced afterward. And, some killed themselves before going into battle, for what is speculated as fear of being unable to live up to honor and bravery expected of them during the fight. Despite the number of soldiers who suffered as a result of their Civil War service, the pressure of war and its impact on mental health were seldom studied until World War I, when it was observed that large numbers of Veterans exposed to combat returned with “shell shock.” PTSD, as a diagnosis, did not emerge until after the Vietnam War, and clearly, Veterans
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