SERVING

Those That

SERVED

1.  Traumatic Brain Injury

According to the Centers for Disease and Control (CDC) Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a brain injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain that can be caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or penetrating head injury.  Combat veterans are especially prone to this type of mental functioning deficit.

      

2.  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD, is among only a few mental disorders that are triggered by a disturbing outside event, unlike other psychiatric disorders such as depression.  Veterans are particularly prone to PTSD.

    

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

  

   

3.  Drug Abuse

Needing desperately to ward off the ill-effects of depression, anxiety, nightmares, and the recurring thoughts of war, many veterans lean toward excessive use of drugs such as Lortab, Vicodin, and OxyContin to ease the discomfort. 

     

4.  Anxiety

The scars of combat and military service are expressed in some veterans in the form of anxiety disorders, such as panic, PTSD, agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive behavior, social phobia, and generalized anxiety.  Some research seems to suggest that nearly 60% of all combat veterans experience acute and chronic anxiety.

      

5.  Social Phobia

Veterans face enormous pressure to conform to the military and life outside of military service.  Veterans with a social anxiety disorder have a general intense fear of, or anxiety toward, social or performance situations around peers and strangers. They worry that actions or behaviors associated with their anxiety will be negatively evaluated by their peers, superiors, and strangers.  Some veterans believe such behavior could be assessed as a sign of weakness, leading them to feel embarrassed. 

      

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

     

      

6.  Panic Disorder

Veterans who struggle with panic disorders tend to experience recurrent unexpected panic attacks in places that remind them of unpredictable situations. Their panic attacks are sudden, and filled with intense fear that happens quickly and reach their peak within minutes. Attacks can occur unexpectedly or can be brought on by the triggers of war and military service.

      

7.  Depression

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) depression is one of the most debilitating conditions on the world, with severe depression rated in the same disability category as terminal stage cancer.  With war stressors, the rigors of military life, and the difficulties many veterans face making the transition to civilian life, many veterans often fall into a state of depression.

    

8.  Acute Stress

To many veterans who experience constant threats to their survival, and witnessing the horrors of war, being confronted with one or more traumatic events can cause acute stress.  Some  events veterans experience can create intense fear, horror, or helplessness. A few traumatic events that can cause acute stress in veterans include: death, threat of death to oneself or others, threat of serious injury to oneself or others and threat to the physical integrity of oneself or others.

      

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

    

9.  Psychosocial Stress
This type of stress experienced by many veterans is due in large part to problems in relationships such on-the-job difficulties with co-workers, marital difficulties, and interpersonal relationships with friends and family members. Research suggests such problems may stem from insufficient social support, loss of employment over and over, loss of loved ones and isolation from others can often lead to this kind of stress for veterans.

    

10.  Adjustment Disorder

An adjustment disorder is an abnormal and excessive reaction to an identifiable life stressor. The reaction is more severe than would normally be expected and can result in significant impairment in social, occupational, interpersonal, or academic functioning.  This disorder is often seen in veterans leaving the military and struggling to adapt to civilian life.

Top 10 Mental Health Disorders Plagued By Veterans