Hello Sharon and Friends
Thank you very much for highlighting my mental health forum. I believe that it is very important to try to increase awareness about mental illness since there are over 50 million people in the U.S. who suffer with some form of it.
On this Veterans Day I would like to point out the impact of mental illness on our veterans and active service members.
The connection between mental illness and having served in combat is an undeniable reality. There are estimates that as many as 1 in 3 combat veterans returning home from The Middle East War are in need of treatment for a mental illness. Post traumatic stress disorder is the common thread tying all of these veterans together. Many of our returning veterans are not receiving the care and treatment that they need and deserve. The result of this lack of early intervention and effective treatment is adding more and more veterans to the rolls of the Homeless American Veterans. So far, some 15,000 Iraq veterans have already shown up in shelters and soup lines across America and their numbers are continuing to rise at a rate faqster than from any previous war. On any given night in America there are between 300,000 and 500,000 veterans looking for a place to sleep. Many of them suffer from depression, PTSD, alcoholism, drug addiction and a host of other serious conditions that are not being addressed. Many of these veterans have physical disabilities as well as mental. They are missing arms and legs. Some are blind and some have lost their hearing from being in close proximity to exploding IED'S.
I urge you all to write to your congressional leaders and ask them to please provide our veterans with the care they so desparately need and deserve. The following is an exerpt from just one site describing the plight of The American Veteran. There are thousands of sites on the internet where you can learn more and offer your support for these seemingly invisable members of our society.
Suicide Prevention Awareness
Suicide is the 11th most frequent cause of death in the US: someone dies from suicide every 16 minutes. Suicidal ideas and attempts to harm oneself are the result of problems that may seem like they can't be fixed. Together, Vet Centers and VA Medical Centers stand ready to reach out and help veterans at risk for suicide. Seek professional help...Call the toll-free National Suicide Prevention hotline and indicate you are a veteran. You'll be immediately connected to VA suicide prevention and mental health professionals. We can help-- If you feel you are in Crisis--Call the Suicide hotline (1-800-273-TALK), your local VA Medical Center (link to Find a facility) or Vet Center (link to Vet Center) today!
Suicide is not the answer
Are you, or someone you love, at risk of suicide? Get help if you notice any of the following:
- Talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself
- Trying to get pills, guns, or other ways to harm oneself
- Talking or writing about death, dying, or suicide
- Hopelessness
- Rage, uncontrolled anger, seeking revenge
- Acting in a reckless or risky way
- Feeling trapped, like there's no way out
- Saying or feeling there's no reason for living
Returning from War
The newest patients to the VA have been returning combat soldiers, men and women who served in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. (OEF/OIF). In a recent study, Dr. Karen Seal and colleagues at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and USC, reviewed records for over 100,000 veterans, who separated from active duty between 2001-2005 and sought care from VA medical facilities. The most common combination of diagnoses found was post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Young soldiers were three times as likely as those over 40 to be diagnosed with PTSD and/or another mental health disorder. Most mental health problems were first identified during visits with primary care doctors, not with mental health professionals.
Getting help early can prevent PTSD and other problems from becoming chronic. VA is expanding counseling and mental health services to meet the needs of the returning veterans and provide early treatment. For more information on PTSD and its treatment, please visit the National Center for PTSD.
http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/
May a smile follow you to sleep each night,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
and be there waiting,,, when you awaken.
Sincerly, Bill Vanderbilt
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