Veterans are eligible to receive disability compensation for both physical and mental health conditions caused by their military service. However, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs rates mental health issues differently than physical ailments, and not all mental health-related illnesses qualify for disability compensation under the VA rules and guidelines. As a veteran, it is important to understand which mental health …

The story unfolds in the popular media with lots of drama and noise: a disturbed veteran has taken a weapon and turned it on Americans. On American soil. The family tells the reporters he came back from the military a changed man. Stories of vets with PTSD and TBI start to circulate. People with media presence take to twitter to talk …

The rate of suicide for female veterans is six times the rate of their civilian counterparts, and there is a very strong association between PTSD, sexual victimization as children and during military service, and suicide. The majority of efforts through the VA focus on the significantly larger population of male veterans, though recent efforts have been made to reach out …

One of the challenges of dealing with PTSD is the difficulty of finding an adequate treatment. There are few medications for PTSD that are FDA-approved. However, relief may soon be easier than you thought. Scientists at George Washington University have conducted research that found that orange essential oils (essential oils are naturally produced by plants) can reduce the symptoms of fear-related emotional …

Veterans with service-connected disabilities, treated or untreated, are frequently in conflict with the justice system. What services are available to veterans who are under threat of incarceration, and what happens to VA benefits when a veteran is incarcerated? The VA has a program called Veterans Justice Outreach Program. It is part of the homeless prevention initiatives, but veterans do not have …

Melissa Walker, an art therapist working with veterans, recently lead a TED Talk about the use of mask-making as a type of art therapy for veterans suffering from combined PTSD and TBI. Melissa works at the National Intrepid Center for Excellence at Walter Reed, and has found that the symbolic nature of masks, the act of putting a face on trauma, on a piece …

Transitioning to life after the military can be difficult, and issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, physical disabilities, and depression compound the problems. Veterans have a suicide rate that is 50% higher than those who have never served in the military. In July, the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) in Washington released the results of a study examining over 55 million Veteran records from 1979 to …

Veterans, who have been hospitalized after suffering a mental health disorder, have a much higher risk of committing suicide. That increased suicide risk increases significantly in the year after they have been discharged from hospital. According to a new study, the suicide rate in the American Army has increased significantly since 2004. Currently, the suicide rate for veterans is higher …