Here’s a listing of some of the scars from serving our country that many Veterans face:
- Adjustment difficulties
- Crying, stress, panic, loneliness
- Problem-solving, decision making, memory and cognition problems
- Irritability and anger; expression of terrible anger that may include violent outbursts
- Easy access to or familiarity with guns and other lethal weapons
- Becoming emotionally numb to survive; shutting down; active avoidance of trauma-related thoughts and feelings
- Loss of interest in activities or people; feeling detached or estranged from loved ones; dissipation of some basic human emotions like empathy; building a wall against others with lack of trust
- Marital difficulties; acts of physical and verbal violence toward partner; lack of communication in family, absence of family support
- Frequent nightmares and other sleep disturbances related to war zone traumatic stress
- Child-rearing difficulties
- Employment challenges
- Anxiety and panic disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is the most prevalent psychiatric disorder arising from combat; flashbacks, or triggers or intrusive thoughts that are unwelcome memories or re-experiencing of past traumatic events
- Fight-or-flight reaction to a life-threatening situation
- Numbing with alcohol or drugs; problem alcohol or drug use to cope with stress reactions
- Criminal activity to support illegal drug use
- Thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts and violent behavior
- Survivor/survival guilt – self-blame, guilt, shame
- Major depression
- Comorbid psychiatric and medical disorders and substance abuse
- Cancers or other medical conditions due to exposure to chemical agents; can include a range of toxic substances such as chemical and biological warfare agents, vaccinations for botulinum toxoid and anthrax, infectious diseases, depleted uranium, oil well fires, pesticides, chemical agent-resistant coatings (CARC) paint and a combination of these exposures
- Homelessness