Post War Issues: Depression The United States of America proudly honors all brave and loyal veterans who dedicated themselves to service. These brave men and women receive medals, speeches, and awards after on leave, giving them the respect that veterans deserve. After the honors and glory however, the needs of veterans have gone unnoticed. New struggles arise when coming home, such as finding a job and living normal lives again. Many veterans returning home significantly struggle with feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and emptiness; these individuals face depression as the largest issue as they return to civilian life. Depression doesn’t just appear as a bout of sadness every now and then. A serious clinical illness, depression can be hard to deal with, especially since it usually comes back again and again for the rest of the veteran’s life. This disease accounts for 14 percent of all veterans, a common illness. The US pays around 66 billion dollars per year for the treatment of this illness. Women tend to have a higher rate of depression than male veterans (Depression). This mental illness can be dangerous to veterans, damaging good health and positivity in an individual. Many veterans struggle with depression because the memories of the horrors and death of combat keep coming back. …show more content…
A veteran named Jeff came home after serving in Iraq. He had severe depression, but didn’t realize that that was his problem. Jeff figured that it was a short time thing that would go away eventually. He started a job where he was away from his family except for on the weekends, and became more and more angry, listless, and guilty. Again, Jeff thought that it was the job that was creating this sullen mood, but his family and friends told him to meet with a psychiatrist. As soon as they met, Jeff’s life turned around and now he returns to normal life