Veterans Day: PTSD and TBI
November 11, 2024, is when Americans will celebrate Armistice Day, more commonly known as Veterans Day. The roots of this day date back to 1918, when the world was engulfed in a great war.
The Alliance of the United Kingdom, France and Russia was pitted against the Central powers comprised mainly of Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. The United States exercised relative neutrality at the beginning of the conflict.
However, in April of 1917, President Wilson declared war on Germany. American troops landed in Europe to join the ranks of the Allied powers.
By 1918, the war waged on, and U.S. soldiers faced a new threat to their lives. The Spanish Flu, first identified in U.S. military personnel in the spring of 1918, presented a challenge to the health and well-being of all the troops. At the time, there was no vaccine nor any kind of antibiotics to treat our American troops.
Unsanitary conditions in the trenches did not help. Dysentery, cholera and typhoid fever also spread. And yet, American soldiers fought through some of the worst conditions imaginable to preserve peace and harmony on the planet.
At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice agreement between the Allied powers and Germany went into effect, putting an end to World War I.
The United States sustained more than 320,000 casualties from the conflict, including over 53,000 Americans killed in combat. This number of American fatalities ranks as the third highest death total from a war in our country’s history, behind the American Civil War and World War II.
Additionally, 43,000 American soldiers died because of the Spanish Flu, which spread across battle lines affecting both allied and enemy forces.
Moreover, the psychological toll of the war caused great harm. Because the conflict forced troops to endure entrench warfare, many soldiers faced severe artillery bombardments. The intense shelling caused great emotional distress, and soldiers began to develop unusual psychological disorders that were labeled as “shell shock.” Those who suffered from “shell shock” could be admitted into a hospital to receive treatment and recover.
Over time, these injuries, more commonly known today as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), have continued to impact our servicemen and servicewomen.
One study from the Department of Veterans Affairs finds this: in World War II, three veterans out of 100 who survived experienced PTSD at one point in their life. Of those who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom (post-9/11 era), 29 out of 100 who survived experienced PTSD at one point in their life. My theory as to why we have more coming home with PTSD and TBI is because medicine has gotten better and more of our warfighters survive battlefield injuries to return home.
It is great that we are saving more soldiers, but we also need to recognize they need additional assistance when they come home.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, between October 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024, almost 2,000 of veterans housed returned to homelessness. The VA also engaged more than 42,000 unsheltered veterans.
The National Veteran Suicide Prevention Report finds a slight increase in veteran suicide rates, particularly in veterans aged between 18 and 34 years old.
New treatments continue to be studied and developed. Just this year, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it was exploring the use of psychedelic compounds in treating PTSD and depression.
Ecstasy and molly are two drugs that are often used for illegal and illicit purposes. But both are amongst the potential drugs being tested in these psychedelic-assisted therapies.
I am supportive of exploring new therapies and alternative medicines to treat our veterans and assist them in recovery and reintegration into civilian life.
Some veterans in Virginia’s Ninth District may struggle getting such treatments due to the distances they must travel to see an approved doctor. I will continue to advocate for reforms in telehealth to make treatments and mental health services more accessible to our veterans who live in rural areas.
As we come together on the 11th to honor our veterans, I will not only consider their service to the military, but also their roads to recovery and treatment.
Happy Veterans Day.
If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. Also on my website is the latest material from my office, including information on votes recently taken on the floor of the House of Representatives.
