Veterans receive help.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – According to The National Institute of Mental Health, around 43.6 million adults in the United States with mental health illness, including veterans, were registered last year meaning 18 percent of Americans above 18 years old.
In spite of this, people avoid talking about mental health because they think they don’t need any treatment or that they don’t even suffer from this issue. Because of this, many of these people can spend extended periods of time sometimes even their entire life without knowing that their lives could significantly improve. Therefore, only half of this 18 percent receive treatment.
We should think of the situation when a close relative breaks a leg. You take him or her to the hospital so that the licensed doctor and the entire medical staff can provide the proper treatment. But just because a mental health condition is not visible just as the physical one it doesn’t make it less relevant.
Due to this situation, many Americans, especially veterans and also their families, still perceive mental health conditions as something which is not that important. They rely on their beliefs and think they can solve this issue on their own without seeking not only treatment but also the support of an excellent doctor.
The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs regards mental health conditions just as important as physical ones. Furthermore, VA launched Make the Connection.net, a campaign which has the purpose of inviting veterans to a conversation exercise by presenting stories of veterans who recovered.
What is important to specify, is that 23.1 million veterans never go through a mental health issue. Therefore, they manage to make an easier transition from military service to civilian life.
Nowadays, veteran service organizations, the VA, and community-based organization provide enough resources to help veterans to make a big step towards having a more productive and healthier lifestyle.
Over the past few years the number of veterans which accepted VA’s support has almost doubled from 900,000 to 1.6 million in 2015 and the number in still increasing. It appears to be an improvement because now, they are more and more conscious of the fact that seeking help does not mean that you are weak.
On this Mental Health Awareness Month, veterans are encouraged to understand that there are efficient and healthy ways to make their lives more productive and satisfying.
Image Source: Media Salon