Military veterans transitioning into civilian life often face difficulties due to the lack of sufficient family support, social support, resilience and positive coping styles. During their life in the military, soldiers are trained to see the military life as normal and safe; therefore, they can find it hard trying to connect with loved ones and non-military society when transitioning. Their experience in the military can also leave them mentally, spiritually or emotionally ill, which can cause stress, depression and other mental or emotional problems during their transition. Soldiers who have successfully transitioned found help from family members, previously transitioned veterans and different veteran affair programs. Programs that focus on building resilience and developing positive coping styles allowed them to work their way around stress and depression. Therefore, encouraging military veterans to participate in programs that lower depression and stress can …show more content…
increase the possibility of a successful transition. For some veterans, support from loved ones and peers had the biggest effect during their transition. Reconnecting with loved ones and their community allowed them to grow mentally, spiritually and emotionally. Military Veterans having difficulties transitioning into civilian life can benefit from programs that help them develop positive coping styles, build resilience and programs that offer social support. Soldiers who develop positive coping styles have a higher possibility for a successful transition than those who do not. According to Roero, Riggs & Ruggero (2015), problem-focused coping, a form of positive coping, can help military veterans remove the source of stress and work their way around obstacles when transitioning. In addition, Roero et al (2015) also discussed how problem-focused coping could result in lower level of stress and depression and help veterans work their way around obstacles that make transition difficult. Eliminating the source of stress and depression can allow them to reconnect and communicate effectively with their families and friends. Cognitive-restructuring coping, another positive coping style, also resulted in lower levels of depression or post-traumatic stress. (Owens, Steger & Herrera, 2009) Individuals who use cognitive-restructuring coping are able to substitute destructive, self-defeating thoughts with optimistic, sustaining thoughts that change views of stressors from threatening to non-threatening. Developing coping techniques that rid military veterans of stress and depression can benefit them with an effective transition. Resiliency programs also play a huge role in decreasing stress and building emotional and spiritual growth for military veterans. Veteran Daniel Smee (2012) shared that building resilience made his transition easy and helped him realize how he could use his experience in the military to assist other veterans with coping and transitioning. (Osran, smee, Sreenivasan & Weinberger, 2010) Some soldiers find transitioning hard because they find lack of purpose in the civilian life. “The interaction between meaning in life and depression also was significant with a stronger inverse relation between meaning and PTSD at lower levels of depression.” (Owens et al., 2009, p.654) Military veterans who place purpose on their combat experience and apply that strategy to their civilian life can easily avoid stress caused by their experience in the military. Osran et al, (2010) discussed how building resiliency helped a 33-year old Staff Sergeant recover from his difficult situation and begin to renew social ties with families and loved ones. Being resilient can benefit veterans by helping them recover quickly from difficult situations. Soldiers who are resilient are able to withstand and accept the difficult situations they experienced in the military. Motivating military veterans to join programs that help them build resiliency enables them to bounce back from their experiences and transition into civilian life. In addition to positive coping styles and resiliency, military veterans need support from their loved ones and peers. Connecting with family members and loved ones can be difficult for military veterans who have been away for years. Renewing this connection can lower the levels of mental and depressive symptoms in military veterans. (Romero, Riggs & Ruggero, 2015) Lowering the levels of stress and depression can help repair them spiritually and emotionally. Family support gives them motivation and a reason to move forward. In addition, Ahern, Worthen, Masters, Lippman, Ozer and Moos (2015) stated that support from previously transitioned veterans or veteran specific support system was a huge factor for most transitioned veterans. For some veterans, disconnection from loved ones who do not share the military experience feel that they can never truly understand them or their experience during service. Guidance from someone who has those shared experiences and understands their experience can benefit them in many ways. Previously transitioned veterans found their way around the same obstacles that make transitioning difficult and can work more effectively with a newly transitioning veteran. Programs that help military veterans develop positive coping styles and resiliency and programs that offer social support can assure them a successful transition to civilian life.
These programs help them with stress, depression and other mental related issues that they may face during their transition. Developing positive coping styles can help military veterans cope with stress and overcome the obstacles that stand in their way. Building resiliency allows them to be able to withstand and accept their combat experiences and be optimistic. In addition to positive coping styles and resiliency, social support plays a huge role in lowering stress and mental illness when transitioning. Support from family members and other loved ones can help them find purpose and move forward with their transition. Military veterans who want a successful transition into civilian life should be encouraged to enroll in programs that help them build positive coping styles, resilience and also programs that offer social
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Veterans have struggles with their civilian life after separating from the U.S Armed Forces. Returning to the civilian life seem to be a big challenge for veterans who have no prior job’s skills for civilian life because they had been influenced from military’s training, have physical and psychological damage.
Tragic events occur not only in the United States, but also all over the world. From these tragic events communities, families, and the government decide to place memorials for people that were lost and as a thank you for people protecting the citizens of the country. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, The Wall, in Washington D.C. is one of these cases. However, what exactly was the purpose of this memorial? The purpose of putting up the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was not only to thank the veterans for their bravery, but to remind future generations about happened during the Vietnam War. Also, the memorial is important to help people and the veterans to accept the fact that the war actually
We see these people everyday; we thank them for their service. There is several holidays to honor them. Some are our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, or even someone that we hold dear to our hearts. They are our veterans of many wars and conflicts that America has been in. We salute them, give them parades, and special parking at different establishments. However, what about those who return from war with nothing? No home, family, and money for whatever reasons. They are homeless veterans.
How did a Vietnam soldier's life change during and after the war. Society had a lot of different views regarding the soldiers and the war. When coming home veterans faced many distinct challenges. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial helped to heal the nation. The Vietnam War had a major impact on the United States and the soldiers who fought in it.
Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder need to receive better care, because post traumatic stress disorder is curable, damages relationships, and veterans made many dramatic sacrifices. The health care for veterans needs to be more easily accessible.
Seal, Karen H., Daniel Bertenthal, Christian R. Miner, Saunak Sen, and Charles Marmar. "Bringing the War Back Home: Mental Health Disorders Among 103 788 US Veterans Returning From Iraq and Afghanistan Seen at Department of Veterans Affairs Facilities." Archives of Internal Medicine 167.5 (2007): 476-82. Print.
Veterans are viewed as the strongest people in the United States. They constantly deal with daily struggles such as disability and unemployment after their services. After serving in a branch of the United States military, many veterans have trouble finding work. While there are, at times, things that need to be overcome for veterans to be able to work, they are often skilled workers and deserve the opportunity to succeed in the civilian workplace.
"The soldier is the Army. No army is better than its soldiers. The Soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country” (-General George S. Patton Jr). Here within our borders we are the lucky ones, we have been blessed with the pleasure of so many brave men and women; to volunteer in the world's greatest military; and put their lives on the line for something that they believe is a moral obligation. But, think of some other countries, that have conscription (the practice of ordering people by law to serve in the armed forces) laws. We as a nation have some laws on conscription, and if you are male and above the age of 18 you have already signed the slip of paper stating that in the time of war; if our great nation re-instated the draft then there is a great chance you will be serving on the frontline of the next Great War. This brings me to my first topic of this page, is it ethical to have a draft? My second topic that I will discuss will be on if it is morally acceptable to "draft dodge". What I mean on the second topic is if you have a right; that morally allows you to not go fight in the war.
The United States has thousands of veterans and many of them suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The care for veterans must be improved. Veteran care needs to be improved because they are not getting the proper care that they need, not receiving credit for their service, and they were willing to pay the ultimate price for freedom, yet people will not pay the price of time to help them.
Originating on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, 1918, the cessation of fighting at the end of World War I would come to be known as Veterans Day. This hallowed day, was thought to be the end to wars, and was reflected upon by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919 as representative of the solemn pride to honor those who died in service of their country. (VA.gov)
Another program that the Wounded Warrior Project operates is called Restore Warriors. This easily accessed online resource is available for any and all veterans who wish to seek mental health treatment. “Restore Warriors features video diaries of warriors sharing personal experiences with combat and operational stress and helpful coping strategies the warriors used to overcome these issues” (Mental Health Weekly Digest). Veteran Stanley Hofferber came to the Wounded Warrior Project after getting a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Stanley was able to find relief through their network, “When I’m sharing these deep, emotional feelings with other warriors, … you can put your hand on that warrior’s shoulder and say, ‘I know … I know.’
The old man moved slowly over to his chair. As he started to sit down, his whole body shook. When he started to talk, the loud room became quiet. We waited silently as he explained his story of his service during the Vietnam War. He told us of his fears and the details down to the sweat rolling down his back. Then the next man spoke about his similar, but yet so different experience during his time in Iraq.
Some of us are probably ignorant of the fact that in the Unites States Senate; a bill 56 (yea)- 41 (nay) declining an act that would have become extremely beneficial to our Veterans.
In the United States, it is practically impossible to walk down most streets without coming across a homeless person. The issue of homelessness has worsened because of the number of veterans back from our most recent wars. They have resorted to homelessness as their only refuge after being unable to maintain a stable home and/or not receiving the treatments they need. But as veteran homelessness demands more attention, especially in California, various solutions are being brought to action. The “housing-first strategy” being offered to homeless veterans and those endangered of becoming homeless, has played a major part in moving California closer to having an end to veteran homelessness in 2015.
With the increase of student veterans entering college communities, the transition process may prove to be difficult. “Leaving the military and enrolling in college can certainly be considered a significant life transition, as veterans move from a highly structured military environment to contexts lacking clear rules or chains of command” (Gilbert & Griffin, 2015). During this time, student veterans are navigating through unfamiliar territory within a college campus, but while reassessing their identity. Student veterans may experience feeling disconnected to their college community. Beyond transitioning from the military into an environment that is unfamiliar, student veterans must cope with having to merge their past to their present. Furthermore, this is a trying time for many student veterans particular due to the rising issues of mental health issues and service-related physical disabilities.