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Will Roper

Mr. Smith

ELA

16 October 2023

The Treatment of Veterans in America

After returning from the military, veterans struggle to thrive in the United States due to

mental health issues caused from veterans experiences in the military. A Veteran with PTSD

experiences many mental struggles that puts the brakes on living. In The Moon Reflected Fire,

Doug Anderson includes the story of a veteran getting mugged a couple years after returning to

the U.S. after getting mugged, Anderson writes, “Puking up rage I smashed a chair, / Imagining

brain scattered by a crowbar … / I sat on the bench and cried,” (Anderson), highlighting the

impact of war on a veteran's mental state as the veteran can’t move forward after the war.

Veterans with PTSD like the one from the story can’t live normally as PTSD makes simple tasks

harder which causes veterans to fall behind in American society. Another negative effect of war

involves addiction which affects mental health. After American veterans were surveyed on post

war life, researcher Ruth Igielnik found that "One-in-five say they struggled with alcohol or

substance abuse,” (Igielnik), underlines the frequent appearance of addiction which causes a

mental decline in veterans. Being an American Veteran is hard enough with veterans having to

start over, but with the addition of addiction with drugs and alcohol U.S. veterans struggle to live

in American society. Thirdly, veteran’s mental health is impacted heavily after going into action

during war. PTSD can occur in all veterans and cripple them forever as "You may also feel

numb, have difficulty communicating with other people, and even have trouble feeling loving

feelings toward others. You may also find that you feel "on high alert" and irritable all the time,
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making it hard to relax, sleep, or concentrate," (“Wounded Warrior Project ''), emphasizing the

huge difference in mental health in veterans and how it cripples them in American society. With

PTSD veterans can’t live normally with a hard time communicating and sleeping that affects

veterans in the workplace and relationships. Lastly, with the risk of impactful mental and

physical health isssues, veterans are at risk for suicide in America. With rising suicides in

America Veteran Sucide Stats have worked to show that, "Veterans are at 57% higher risk of

suicide than those who haven't served," (“Veteran Suicide Facts”), reiterating the major

consequence of enlisting in war as many veterans not helped mentally which in turn causes them

to take their own lives. Because of little help from others in America veterans are delayed in

society which causes them to have economic troubles, social isolation, and in some cases suicide.

The statistical facts and quotes intensify the poetic idea of mental issues in veterans in the U.S.

and the impact of these issues on veterans well-being. With the many different mental struggles

that veterans experience from being in the military, PTSD, Suicide, and addiction are the main

problems restricting them in American society.