Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

The human cost our
veterans are paying.

When veterans come back with PTSD and depression, they face even greater challenges at home. Aside from the physical and psychological pain that come with reliving horrific events, there’s a numbness and an inability to reengage in life. Relationships are strained. Normalcy is unattainable. For many, it all begins to fall apart.

Lost jobs

It’s harder for veterans with PTSD to get and hold jobs. For them, the inability to meet financial and family obligations adds to the stress and isolation they already feel. This economy is making it even harder for them. Many service members who are suffering say they do not seek treatment because they fear it could harm their careers.

Homelessness

The V.A. reported that more than 130,000 veterans are homeless on any night. More than double that number experience homelessness over the course of a year. 45% of homeless veterans are suffering from some mental illness. But the reality is much worse – these numbers were collected before the recent economic recession.

Broken Families

Studies show that families where a parent has PTSD are characterized by increased anxiety, unhappiness, marital problems, and behavioral problems among the children. Both male and female veterans with PTSD are more likely to lose their families.

Substance Abuse

People with PTSD are more likely to have problems with drugs and/or alcohol. In an effort to escape the distressing thoughts and feelings associated with PTSD, there’s a real temptation to self medicate. Mix that with the sense of isolation and challenges they face in successfully reintegrating and it can easily lead to abuse and dependency.

Suicide

People who suffer from PTSD and depression are significantly more likely to take their own lives. One hundred twenty six U.S. veterans kill themselves each week – 6,552 each year. Since 2001, more Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have committed suicide than the number of soldiers lost in combat.