Veterans with PTSD: Why doesn't the government really help them?

in health •  7 years ago 

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As i sit here applying for jobs yet again, i start to question if spending a 1/3rd of my life in the military was worth the issues i face afterwards. As a military veteran i have personally questioned how to deal with some of the issues i face on a daily basis that were added to my life over time as i served my country with pride, but after the fact when i ask for help from the government i feel like the pride is not equally returned, the default statement is always along the lines of are you thinking of harming yourself or are you thinking of harming someone else and they quickly write a script for some sort of mental health drug push me to the side in hopes of never questioning the treatment and any followup request for treatment seems to take 10x longer to get appointments or visits for.

I have personally lost multiple close friends over the years to suicide after serving their country and struggling to survive the world afterwards..... or they just flat out end up homeless unable to cope with normal people on a daily basis. This thing that they call PTSD is not something spoken about when your local recruiter is giving you the sales pitch about joining the military or listed on military commercials as a possible side effect.....maybe it should, heck they force the drug companies to add the side effects... why not the same in this aspect....

I wish there was better treatment for veterans in the USA, i always hear the words from non-military people we get so many benefits for serving, but what they dont understand is the hoops and hurdles we have to face to get a simple answer about any of these benefits and in most cases it takes less time and effort to just get a job and pay for other benefits.

A example of poor treatment: I have developed extreme teeth grinding since about year 5 in my military career, i have to wear mouth guards every night when i go to bed because otherwise i grind the surfaces of my teeth away in my sleep as i have random nightmares every night requiring me to have my teeth repaired every year due to cracks caused in my teeth, but when i ask for help from the government, they tell me i cant get help for my teeth, because apparently they see no connection between my nightmares and anxiety issues with my teeth grinding, instead they will give me a random appointment and ask me to speak to a mental health counselor and want to load me up on multiple drugs that turns me into a zombie with barely any ability to have normal function as a default response. I just don't understand it....

Anyways thats my thoughts for tonight.

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So sorry to hear this. Wish the government would take veterans seriously. I'm not a veteran but I can relate to the grinding due to my anxiety condition. It seems hard for a lot of people to be taken seriously when mental health, ptsd or trauma is involved. All the best to you.

thank you

First Thank You for joining and doing what you thought was right for America. I am one of those people who have never been in the service but I am old enough and aware enough to know our vets hardly get anything they need. I have my thoughts on why that is but those thoughts won't make you feel any better. You have been blessed to have a mouth guard. Many don't I bet. I pray you are blessed enough to have a home. If not, I pray that you will in short order. I have a dream that every vet will have a home and food and someone to love them. May that dream come true for you. The Only thing that ever helped me fill the hole in me that kept me being a zombie was the real Jesus-Yeshua of the Bible... Not the one you find in Religion or Churches. Being a walking dead is only being eaten by the evil one and we don't have to do that. We are beautiful beings with beautiful souls and it's time we all say "Get Behind me Satan"