National Veterans Foundation

Time
by Mark Thompson

For the first time in history, a sizable and growing number of U.S. combat troops are taking daily doses of antidepressants to calm nerves strained by repeated and lengthy tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. The medicines are intended not only to help troops keep their cool but also to enable the already strapped Army to preserve its most precious resource: soldiers on the front lines. Data contained in the Army's fifth Mental Health Advisory Team report indicate that, according to an anonymous survey of U.S. troops taken last fall, about 12% of combat troops in Iraq and 17% of those in Afghanistan are taking prescription antidepressants or sleeping pills to help them cope. Escalating violence in Afghanistan and the more isolated mission have driven troops to rely more on medication there than in Iraq, military officials say.

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May 28, 2008
PR Newswire

The Buffalo Veterans' Treatment Court in Buffalo, N.Y. was recently established to address the increasing number of veterans entering the criminal justice system -- more than 300 veterans in 2007 alone. The goal is to reduce the percentage of veterans who suffer from co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders by considering the experience of war before sentencing, and by helping former soldiers find treatment. Over the past two years, several courts, including the Rochester Drug Treatment Court in Rochester, N.Y., began serving veterans through their existing drug court programs. Buffalo established the nation's first court dedicated to the treatment of veterans.

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By ERIN McCLAM, AP National Writer
Sun Jan 20, 11:16 AM ET

LEEDS, Mass. - Peter Mohan traces the path from the Iraqi battlefield to this lifeless conference room, where he sits in a kilt and a Camp Kill Yourself T-shirt and calmly describes how he became a sad cliche: a homeless veteran.

There was a happy homecoming, but then an accident — car crash, broken collarbone. And then a move east, close to his wife's new job but away from his best friends.

And then self-destruction: He would gun his motorcycle to 100 mph and try to stand on the seat. He would wait for his wife to leave in the morning, draw the blinds and open up whatever bottle of booze was closest.

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Knight Ridder
Military.com

Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are increasingly running afoul of the law, bringing the stress of war to Colorado Springs' streets.

Most of it is small-time stuff. But some of the allegations against Soldiers in the past three years have been serious. This month, police said a crime ring of Fort Carson Iraq war veterans was responsible for the deaths of two GIs.

The volume of military-related crime off-post is beginning to tax civilian law enforcement authorities. Felony El Paso County jail bookings for service members have jumped from 295 in 2005 to 471 so far this year. During that time, the number of Soldiers assigned to the post stayed about the same, around 17,500.

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Veterans' Advocates Say Ignoring Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Is A Military-Wide Problem
CBS Evening News With Katie Couric
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2007

Army Spc. Shawn Saunders was proud of his first two tours in Iraq. But midway through his third tour - he snapped.

"If I hear loud noises, I get, I'm real, real jumpy,” Saunders told CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier. “I get paranoid."

"Distraught, lost, confused..." is how Saunders’ father characterizes his behavior.

His parents say his breaking point was watching his best friend die while guarding a checkpoint.

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WASHINGTON — The number of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder from the Department of Veterans Affairs jumped by nearly 20,000 — almost 70% — in the 12 months ending June 30, VA records show.

More than 100,000 combat veterans sought help for mental illness since the start of the war in Afghanistan in 2001, about one in seven of those who have left active duty since then, according to VA records collected through June. Almost half of those were PTSD cases.

The numbers do not include thousands treated at storefront Vet Centers operated by the department across the country. Nor do they include active-duty personnel diagnosed with the disorder or former servicemembers who have not sought VA treatment.

About 1.5 million U.S. troops have served in Iraq or Afghanistan. Of those, 750,000 have left the military and are eligible for VA health care.

The nearly 50,000 VA-documented PTSD cases far exceed the 30,000 military personnel that the Pentagon officially classifies as wounded in the conflicts. The discrepancy underscores the view by military and civilian health officials, such as Lt. Gen. James Campbell, director of the Army staff, that troops tend to ignore, hide or fail to recognize their mental health wounds until after their military service.

USA Today reports startling statistics regarding the number of veterans asking for help with stress from the VA. from the article:

PTSD cases often surface long after troops leave combat. A VA study in 1988, 13 years after the last U.S. troops left Vietnam, showed that 31% of the 3.1 million male Vietnam veterans had PTSD at some point after their service.

The total of mental health cases among war veterans grew by 58% from 63,767 on June 30, 2006, to 100,580 on June 30, 2007, VA records show. The mental health issues include PTSD, drug and alcohol dependency and depression. They involve troops who left the military and sought health care from the veterans department.

Mental health is the second-largest area of illness for which Iraq and Afghanistan veterans seek treatment at VA hospitals and clinics. It follows orthopedic problems and is increasing at a faster rate, the VA says.

Quite Awakening

OUR COMMITMENT TO MILITARY PERSONNEL AND FAMILY MEMBERS

Doctors and staff at The Center for Health and Well-Being are committed to providing support in a quiet and soothing environment for individuals faced with stressful challenges. We are experienced in working with military personnel and their families.

Both doctors have worked extensively with combat veterans and have received specialized training in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Critical Incident Stress Debriefing. This training has prepared us to assist soldiers as they return from months of isolation, harsh surroundings, and combat conditions.

Bob Woodruff of ABC News reports on a little known Discharge status, and questions it's application to returning Iraqi Veterans. From the article:

Donald Louis Schmidt of Chillicothe, Ill., was being treated for posttraumatic stress disorder after his second combat tour in Iraq. His commanders at Fort Carson later decided he was no longer mentally fit and discharged him with personality disorder.

"They just slapped me with that label to get me out quicker," Schmidt said. He said superiors told him "'Everything will be great. Peachy keen.' Well, it's not."

The discharge left Schmidt ineligible for disability pay and benefits. He was also required to return more than $10,000 of his $15,000 reenlistment bonus, but he said no one explained that to him until it was too late.

The Wilmington News Journal reports: Veterans' groups and families who have lost loved ones say the number of troops struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder or other mental health issues is on the increase and not enough help is being provided by the Pentagon and the Veterans Affairs Department.

For some, there are long waits for appointments at the VA or at military posts. For others, the stigma of a mental health disorder keeps them from seeking help.

Floyd 'Shad' Meshad, president and founder of the California-based National Veterans Foundation, has no doubt that military suicides are a growing problem. He said he receives 2 to 3 calls each week from Iraq veterans contemplating suicide - or from their families.