Recovery

While there may only be minutes to save a life, the road to recovery can last a lifetime. The process of reintegrating into their community after deployment is different for every service member. Many veterans who returned from Vietnam encountered a divided country that often did not view them as heroes but as villainous killers. This, alongside the struggle to cope with the experience and trauma of war, contributed to a large section of the community who were largely not understood and in desperate need of help. Twenty years later, veterans returning from multiple tours in the Global War on Terror did not have time to process their trauma before being sent back into battle.

The stigmatization of mental health throughout military history has led to several terms for this type of trauma, such as “Soldier’s Heart” or “Shell Shock” but is most recognizable today as Post-Traumatic Stress (Disorder). Post-traumatic stress is not necessarily limited to returning service members, it can deeply affect families and entire communities. As of 2021, more than 30,000 service members of the Global War on Terror have been victims of suicide, with many estimates predicting that number will only grow–a sign that although the medical community continues to make strides in how veterans’ mental health is perceived, there is still much to be done.