Swords to Plowshares

Mental Health: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, Suicide (pdf link):

Veterans face innumerable mental hazards while serving in the armed forces. Typically, upon their return home from a deployment, military personnel and their families encounter a myriad of issues. The anticipation of homecoming often causes idealistic expectations and pressures of reunification. This coupled with potential separation from the military and pending transitions into civilian life often cause feelings of anxiety, anger, and resentment between a service member and their family. Moreover, personnel and veterans recently returning from combat may, at the very least, struggle to assimilate back into a civilian lifestyle. It is not uncommon for veterans and personnel to experience sensitivity to loud noises, difficulty sleeping, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.

The nature of military efforts often exposes combat veterans to violence and death. As a result, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have relatively high instances of mental health disorders. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are “signature” injuries of recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.