Battling the Effects of War
... cannot overcome the effects of their traumatic experience. The families of war veterans can become victims of domestic violence as well. The Miles Foundation has set up a hot-line for domestic-violence victims in the military. Since the beginning of the Iraq War, calls have increased from 50 to more than 500 per month. The fact that the large number of National Guard members are used in actual combat, and that they do not receive the same about of actual training as other members of the military makes no sense to me. When National Guard members tours of duty end, they do not go back to military bases, instead they go back to their homes, and straight back to their families and jobs to pick right back up where they left off. I was shocked to learn that National Guard members are provided mental-health benefits from the VA for only two years following their service. What if recovering from the effects of war takes longer than two years? I don’t think you could place a time limit on recovery, because every case is different. If these soldiers suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and do not find help quickly, they may not receive the help they need. Many people still look at having a mental disorder as taboo, and may not seek out help when it is first needed. It is very sad to me that the National Guard soldiers do not receive the same benefits from the VA as other soldiers, who have indefinite benefits. The National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder’s Department of Veteran Affairs has on-line publications for veterans and their families suffering from war-zone-related stress. They remind veterans to keep in mind that: • It is very common to have problems following exposure to war or other trauma. But traumatic stress reactions often become less frequent or distressing as time passes, even without treatment. • Veterans with PSTD often worry that they are going crazy. This is not true. Rather, what is happening is that they are experience a set of common symptoms and problems that are connected with the trauma. • Problems that result from trauma are not a sign of personal weakness. Many mentally...