In the United States, serving in the military is seen as a model of true patriotism, and rightfully so. Service members train for 10 weeks in their transition from civilian to a soldier. They train to be able to endure all the hardships that may come their way. Service members have to be in the best physical shape to serve and because of all that they do, they are thought of as brave and selfless people. Service members make extreme sacrifices to defend our country and act selflessly by doing so; it is fitting that they are seen as heroes by many Americans. Because of all the training that soldiers to do to make them stronger for war, a common misconception people have is thinking that veterans come back from war stronger mentally and physically. Granted, veterans may be in better shape after the war but in …show more content…
We as a nation are not providing adequate treatment centers or doing enough to service the people who are prone to these mental illnesses, especially those who are working hard to protect our country. There needs to be a solution to this prevailing problem and it will start with U.S. citizens making an effort to encourage veterans to attend treatment centers and making the treatment centers more efficient and available. Mental health issues are a real problem for post-war veterans. The most prevalent mental health problem seen in veterans is Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. PTSD is an anxiety disorder that follows the experience of a traumatic event. Of the 2.7 million American veterans that served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, at least 20% were diagnosed with PTSD (Veterans Statistics). PTSD affects everyone differently but the most common symptoms of PTSD include: reliving the event, increased anxiety, and avoiding any reminders of the trauma (Robinson,Segal, Smith). These symptoms negatively affect their life