Wounds We Can't See: The Mental Health Crisis Among U.S. Veterans
Veterans return home with invisible injuries as real as any battlefield wound. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and suicide affect millions of former service members — yet support is still patchy, misunderstood, or delayed.
Over the last two decades, deployments have become longer, combat has intensified, and readjusting to civilian life has become more challenging. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, in 2000, about 2 million veterans had PTSD or depression. By 2019, that number had climbed to 3.7 million — an 85% increase.
And while PTSD is the most recognized condition, many veterans face co-occurring issues like substance use, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and suicidal thoughts. Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are especially affected, with higher rates of depression, alcohol misuse, and suicide compared to earlier generations.
What’s Causing This?
Military service involves immense physical and emotional strain. Extended time in combat zones, frequent redeployments, and the psychological toll of warfare all contribute to the impact. But what happens after service ends can be just as hard.
Many veterans struggle to adjust to civilian life and can face:
Unemployment or underemployment
Relationship breakdowns
Financial stress
Limited access to care
And for some, there’s a deep sense of disconnection. They return to a society that doesn’t fully understand what they’ve lived through.
Living With It: How Veterans Cope
Coping looks different for everyone, but the first step is often the hardest, and that is the part where veterans ask for help. Veterans benefit most when they receive care from trained providers familiar with military trauma.
PTSD, depression, and anxiety respond well to evidence-based treatments like:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Medication, when appropriate
Peer support can also be life-saving. Talking with others who’ve been there, whether in a support group or through a vet-to-vet network, helps break the isolation. Many veterans also report that regular exercise, mindfulness, and volunteering give them structure and purpose.
We Owe Them Better
These men and women served our country. They kept their promises. Now we must keep ours.
Better access to care. Faster response times. Culturally competent providers. Trauma-informed services. A support system that works before things reach a crisis.
Mental Health Resources for Veterans
VA Mental Health Services: www.mentalhealth.va.gov
National Center for PTSD: www.ptsd.va.gov
Veterans Crisis Line: Call or text 988, then press 1
About the Author
Jamie Hairston is an addiction counselor turned writer who explores trauma, recovery, and mental health in her fiction and nonfiction work. She is the author of Memoirs of a Black Sheep and the founder of Flawed By Design Publishing, a woman- and veteran-owned business offering coaching, editing, and self-publishing support.