Military Veterans' Lawyer Blog
Life in the military is so different than civilian life.
Military service requires sacrifice. Sacrifice your civilian counterparts may not understand or even appreciate. Military life when you are deployed to a combat zone is challenging, and even when you’re resting you are never really resting.
One of the very common disabilities I deal with for veterans benefits claims is depression.
Injuries, chronic diseases, or chronic disabilities cannot help, but to wear on a person’s mental state. You worry about how you’re going to take care of your family, how you’re going to take care of yourself, or how other people are going to look at you. Depression is a very real disability from military service.
As a disabled veteran, with a “life changing injury” I understood my injury was not life-threatening, but it completely changed my life. Depression is a very real disability, and just like your injury or disability you need to get help to treat depression. Like any other injury or disability you need to treat this issue.
Depression if not controlled can lead a person to believe the only avenue out is suicide. This is not true. See The Veteran’s Attorney Blog article: https://www.militaryveteranlawyer.com/2009/08/va_psa_by_gary_sinise_1.html
Trying to handle depression alone is not the way to treat depression, PTSD, or any other mental disability. These 3 disabilities are disabilities the VA recognizes for veterans.
A recent publication entitled “Men Get Depression” by the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health may help you, and is attached:
http://www.mengetdepression.com/incl/men_get_depression.pdf
Your military experience started with team work in basic, developed into comradeship with your fellow soldiers, sailors, marines, or airmen, and evolved throughout your career. You were part of a team. You solved problems as a team or with support from your unit.
If you have a feeling of hopelessness, depression, think no one cares, or just do not care anymore, seek professional help, and allow the teamwork with the professional to help you now. Just as you learned from senior service members at basic (like the officers and drill or training instructors were going to give you a choice), allow the professionals to help you with this issue of depression.
Make sure you claim depression as a disability with the VA, if you are suffering from this issue due to your military service. For more information please see: https://www.attorneyforveterans.com/lawyer-attorney-1325495.html or contact us: https://www.attorneyforveterans.com/lawyer-attorney-1423686.html
Remember you are not alone, if you seek help it is there for you, and as a team you can treat and control depression.