VA Statement on Afganistan

[Berta]

Many of you received this email from the VA ( I hope)

"Veterans from all eras are reacting to the events in Afghanistan, such as the U.S withdrawal and the takeover by the Taliban.

You are not alone.
Veterans may question the meaning of their service or whether it was worth the sacrifices they made. They may feel more moral distress about experiences they had during their service. It’s normal to feel this way. Talk with your friends and families, reach out to battle buddies, connect with a peer-to-peer network, or sign up for mental health services. Scroll down for a list common reactions and coping advice.

Resources available right now
Veterans Crisis Line - If you are having thoughts of suicide, call 1-800-273-8255, then PRESS 1 or visit http://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
For emergency mental health care, you can also go directly to your local VA medical center 24/7 regardless of your discharge status or enrollment in other VA health care.
Vet Centers - Discuss how you feel with other Veterans in these community-based counseling centers. 70% of Vet Center staff are Veterans. Call 1-877-927-8387 or find one near you.
VA Mental Health Services Guide - This guide will help you sign up and access mental health services.
MakeTheConnection.net - information, resources, and Veteran to Veteran videos for challenging life events and experiences with mental health issues.
RallyPoint - Talk to other Veterans online. Discuss: What are your feelings as the Taliban reclaim Afghanistan after 20 years of US involvement?
Download VA's self-help apps - Tools to help deal with common reactions like, stress, sadness, and anxiety. You can also track your symptoms over time.
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) -  Request a Peer Mentor
VA Women Veterans Call Center - Call or text 1-855-829-6636 (M-F 8AM - 10PM & SAT 8AM - 6:30PM ET)
VA Caregiver Support Line - Call 1-855-260-3274 (M-F 8AM - 10PM & SAT 8AM - 5PM ET)
Together We Served -Find your battle buddies through unit pages
George W. Bush Institute - Need help or want to talk? Check In or call:1-630-522-4904 or email: checkin@veteranwellnessalliance.org
Elizabeth Dole Foundation Hidden Heroes - Join the Community

American Red Cross Military Veteran Caregiver Network - Peer Support and Mentoring
Team Red, White & Blue - Hundreds of events weekly. Find a chapter in your area.
Student Veterans of America - Find a campus chapter to connect with.
Team Rubicon - Find a local support squad.
Common Reactions
In reaction to current events in Afghanistan, Veterans may:

Feel frustrated, sad, helpless, grief or distressed
Feel angry or betrayed
Experience an increase in mental health symptoms like symptoms of PTSD or depression
Sleep poorly, drink more or use more drugs 
Try to avoid all reminders or media or shy away from social situations
Have more military and homecoming memories
Veterans may question the meaning of their service or whether it was worth the sacrifices they made. They may feel more moral distress about experiences they had during their service.

Veterans may feel like they need to expect and/or prepare for the worst. For example, they may:

Become overly protective, vigilant, and guarded
Become preoccupied by danger
Feel a need to avoid being shocked by, or unprepared for, what may happen in the future
Feeling distress is a normal reaction to negative events, especially ones that feel personal. It can be helpful to let yourself feel those feelings rather than try to avoid them. Often, these feelings will naturally run their course. If they continue without easing up or if you feel overwhelmed by them, the suggestions below can be helpful.

Strategies for Managing Ongoing Distress
At this moment, it may seem like all is lost, like your service or your sacrifices were for nothing. Consider the ways that your service made a difference, the impact it had on others’ lives or on your own life. Remember that now is just one moment in time and that things will continue to change.

It can be helpful to focus on the present and to engage in the activities that are most meaningful and valuable to you. Is there something you can do today that is important to you?  This can be as an individual, a family member, a parent, or a community member. Something that is meaningful to you in regard to your work or your spirituality? Such activities won’t change the past or the things you can’t control, but they can help life feel meaningful and reduce distress, despite the things you cannot change.

It can also help to consider your thinking. Ask yourself if your thoughts are helpful to you right now. Are there ways you can change your thinking to be more accurate and less distressing? For example, are you using extreme thinking where you see the situation as all bad or all good?  If so, try and think in less extreme terms. For example, rather than thinking “my service in Afghanistan was useless” consider instead “I helped keep Afghanistan safe.”

Finally, consider more general coping strategies that you may want to try including:

Engage in Positive Activities. Try to engage in positive, healthy, or meaningful activities, even if they are small, simple actions. Doing things that are rewarding, meaningful, or enjoyable, even if you don’t feel like it, can make you feel better.
Stay Connected. Spend time with people who give you a sense of security, calm, or happiness, or those who best understand what you are going through.
Practice Good Self Care. Look for positive coping strategies that help you manage your emotions. Listening to music, exercising, practicing breathing routines, spending time in nature or with animals, journaling, or reading inspirational text are some simple ways to help manage overwhelming or distressing emotions.
Stick to Your Routines. It can be helpful to stick to a schedule for when you sleep, eat, work, and do other day-to-day activities.
Limit Media Exposure. Limit how much news you take in if media coverage is increasing your distress.
Use a mobile app. Consider one of VA’s self-help apps (see https://www.ptsd.va.gov/appvid/mobile/) such as PTSD Coach which has tools that can help you deal with common reactions like, stress, sadness, and anxiety. You can also track your symptoms over time.
PTSD Coach Online. A series of online video coaches will guide you through 17 tools to help you manage stress. PTSD Coach Online is used on a computer, rather than a mobile device, and therefore can offer tools that involve writing.
If you develop your own ways of adapting to ongoing events and situations, you may gain a stronger sense of being able to deal with challenges, a greater sense of meaning or purpose, and an ability to mentor and support others in similar situations.

AFghanistan
Afghanistan: How Veterans can reconcile service"
READ MORE
VetCenter
Afghanistan: How Veterans can learn from Vietnam Veterans"
READ "

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The VA Blog has a separate statement-

Afghanistan: How Veterans can reconcile service | VAntage Point

 

[Tbird]

Excellent post @Berta my nephew served in the gulf war in iraq and then his son served in Afghanistan. Both difficult tours and I am thankful they made it home, many didn’t. The news from Afghanistan leaves veterans once again with the question “WTF” it’s painful to think of all our brothers and sisters who didn’t make it home and the many wounded. I’m kind of numb, PTSD I think.

the important thing to remember is You Are Not Alone. Reach out to each other.

[brokensoldier244th]

We got it too- we'd been discussing it over the last week or two (not the email specifically- we got it in the same email mass send as everyone else) but we'd been speculating and those of us that read the signs- militarily, because of being there, because of being a student of geography and politics (that's me- unfortunately [fortunately? Ive never figured that part out]), had a pretty lively conversation on this. My dad was a Vietnam veteran that was there with Recon in the late 60s and I watched how it, and DS, and then 9/11, affected him in various ways. I work with a lot of younger cats, though, in their late 20's, some of them, and they have never had to personally or relatively closely, deal with the negative results of our foreign policy before. They don't remember '75, or Nicaragua, or that one time when we gave that guy all the weapons in Iran (like...weren't they the bad guys....? ) etc. It's been a hard weeks or two and I don't even pretend to understand what's going on in the minds of those that are older than me- I can't. 

But Ill listen. 

 

CAS

 

[seminoles]

It only solidified what I already knew and felt, as well as my young adult children.  Thankfully they are sitting their butts in college, they have seen with their own eyes how lovely veterans are treated and then they see this.  NAH

 

[broncovet]

Yes, but, (and this is a BIG BUT), what about the young people, about 18 ish years old, who are considering joining the service?  

We need men and women to serve, but this looks like a huge dis incentive.  I already served (of course), but I am not getting any younger, and methinks our country will STILL need to be defended in the future from terrorists or others who may cause America harm.  

Why would anyone want to "join up" now, since this kinda shows "we dont finish" but lose lives then give up.  

Its kinda already a problem..you see, as many of us older guys dont really feel like the VA "kept the promise" to Veterans.  

We kinda thought the VA was gonna "cover us" when we got an in service injury, and instead we get delays, denials, and lowballed, and, when we finally appeal that, the VA fights us on our effective date(s).  As I have mentioned, these delays, denials, and lowballs resulted in my losing my home.  I applied in 2002..and lost my home in 2005, because it took the VA 3 years to even start compensating me.  I could not keep my home without an income.  I may have been able to save my home with VA pension, but, my VSO did not know, I certainly had no idea, and the VA rating specialists did not figure it out either.  My doctor, in 2005, suggested I apply for pension (he knew I had zero income and was unable to work), because it would take many more months or years to actually get checks coming in.  My VSO led me to think, in 2002, I should have checks coming in 90-120 days.  

The reality was that I saw "0" checks for 1200 days..and, even then, it was only around $431 per month (40 percent), which was "not even close" to being able to keep my home.  So, I am one of the many who does not trust VA, and dont trust VSO's, either.  

[Berta]

I agree that this could have  a terrible affect on our nation' young people ,who want to serve.

I feel this has exacerbated SC PTSD in many of our nation's veterans, who already have had  enough stressors ,as it is.

It is heart breaking.

 

 

 

 

[ShrekTheTank]

I have been having a hard time with this as I did serve durring this time and spent a deployment to Iraq.  It hurts my heart to see the country be taken over and the people there have no choice in what happens next.  It also sucks to see our leadership doing such a poor job of leaving the area.  

I am mad because I lost brothers and sister who will never get the chance to come home because of a war that in my eyes did nothing.  We spent 20+ years and in 3 days they took it back.  This is very disheartening for me.

I really wish the poloticians had to serve so they know what their decisions do to soldiers.  

And the people we have left behind without a way out is crazy.  What happened to the PPPPP?????