Veterans Advocates Call for Better Treatment for “Invisible Wounds”
Jan 12, 2022
Tampa, FL (Law Firm Newswire) January 12, 2022 – Members of the armed services face a wide range of dangers related to their service. And while veterans who suffer visible injuries—such as gunshot wounds and amputations—are revered as heroes, these injuries only account for a small fraction of those suffered by service members. The term “invisible wounds” describes traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and other moral injuries to the psyche. While these conditions often cause a similar level of impairment to physical injuries, those who suffer from them are not treated the same.
The concept of invisible wounds is nothing new. However, given the duration of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom have borne the brunt of nearly two decades of combat and suffered historic levels of brain injury. The result is that the rate of suicide among veterans has never been higher, as thousands of former service members are left in the lurch when seeking treatment for mental health issues.
Recently, the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University released a study looking into the rate of veteran suicide. The study illustrates that the suicide rate among post-9/11 veterans and service members ages 18-34 has ballooned to 2.5 times that of the general population. This represents an increase of 76 percent since 2005. More specifically, more than 30,000 veterans who served since 9/11 are estimated to have committed suicide. This compares to the 7,057 who died in combat operations over that same period of time.
The report noted that the increased rate of suicide is due to multiple factors, including risks inherent to fighting in any war, such as high exposure to trauma, stress, military culture and training, continued access to guns and the difficulty of reintegrating into civilian life. The study also concluded that the “sheer length of the war has kept service members in the fight longer, providing more opportunities for traumatic exposure, and fueling a growing disapproval and ignorance among the public that has only enhanced veterans’ difficulty finding belonging and self-worth as they reintegrate in society.”
Florida veteran’s benefits attorney David W. Magann weighed in on the recent study, noting, “any of the factors that have led to the high rate of veteran suicides can be addressed through Veterans Affairs. Unfortunately, there is both a lack of adequate benefits as well as a commonly-held misunderstanding among veterans about the available benefits. While the VA can undoubtedly step up its game in terms of providing resources for veterans suffering from invisible wounds, veterans must be proactive in seeking out and applying for the benefits that are currently available to them.
Attorney David Magann is a Florida Veterans’ benefits lawyer with extensive experience helping veterans, service members, and their family members obtain the benefits they are entitled to. Magann also helps veterans deal with the unique legal issues they face after leaving the service. As a proud Marine Corps veteran, Magann has overcome many of those issues himself and takes pride in helping fellow veterans. Magann handles social security disability, estate planning, veterans’ law and personal injury law out of his Brandon and Tampa offices. He can be reached at http://www.tampaveteranslawyer.com/.
David W. Magann, P.A.
Main Office:
156 W. Robertson St.
Brandon, FL 33511
Call: (813) 657-9175
Tampa Office:
4012 Gunn Highway #165
Tampa, Florida 33618
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