As a result of bloody armed conflicts, many veterans face the problem of reintegration back into their societies. In the United States, the population involved in recent military confrontations in Afghanistan and Iraq has amounted to approximately 2.6 million people (Herzog, 2018). Among 58% of those checked by medical professionals, slightly more than half were found to have at least one mental issue (Rozanova et al., 2016). One of the most common psychological problems that veterans suffer from is post-traumatic stress disorder which they are diagnosed with two to four times more often than the general population. Moreover, war militaries often have suicidal thoughts and can be involved in substance use. Therefore, psychotherapists should be aware of the methods that could significantly improve the mental health conditions of veteran patients and assist their successful reintegration back into civilian life.
One of the first issues that should be addressed is a combat-related (mental) injury of the military. The death and suffering that a person has to encounter during one’s service can significantly affect his/her psyche and lead to depression. Professionals should analyze the patient’s experience together with him and help to see the positive sides of life. Veterans should be taught how to deal with traumatic memories, decrease stress through breathing practices, meditation, and sports activities, and develop better sleeping habits. Secondly, professionals should seek to improve the communicative abilities of the patients. Veterans should relearn how to feel compassion, trust, and respect towards fellow civilians. Finally, it is important to motivate a patient to seek new goals in life and constantly support him/her on that path. That would help the veteran gradually switch one’s attention from traumatic past to present and future dreams.
In conclusion, this essay proposed three directions that practitioners can follow in order to improve the psychological condition of war veterans. It was suggested that psychotherapists should help patients see positive aspects of life, be able to control their thoughts, and know how to reduce stress. Moreover, war militaries need professional assistance in improving communication skills in order to build healthy relations with other people. Finally, it is suggested that veterans should be helped to articulate new personal goals in life, which would allow them to abandon their traumatic pasts and concentrate on the present and future.
Reference
Rozanova, J., Noulas, P., Smart, K., Roy, A., Southwick, S. M., Davidson, L., & Harpaz-Rotem, I. (2016). “I’m Coming Home, Tell the World I’m Coming Home”. The Long Homecoming and Mental Health Treatment of Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans. Psychiatric Quarterly, 87(3), 427-443.
Herzog, H. (2018). Do Psychiatric Service Dogs Really Help Veterans with PTSD? WellBeing International. Web.