Suicide among active military personnel and veterans is a serious ongoing problem that the Department of Defense and other agencies are working to address. Suicide is considered a "wicked problem." Wicked does not mean evil; it means a problem with many interconnected issues and multiple layers, the solution to which [...]
Active duty service members (ADSMs) and military veterans face unique situations and health issues due to their occupation. Avoiding trauma in the military is, unfortunately, inevitable. As a military member, it's a matter of learning how to deal with trauma rather than prevent it. While many active and retired service [...]
The environment for military service members can vary depending on many factors, such as their branch of service, job specialty, location, and deployment status. Military service can be psychologically demanding and taxing for members and their mental health. Service members commonly struggle to balance their mental and physical health with [...]
Unfortunately, stigma holds many people back from seeking help or treatment for a mental illness, substance use disorder (SUD), alcohol use disorder (AUD), or physical pain. Getting treatment or support, whether psychological or physical, is often viewed as a weakness or a flaw in someone—especially for veterans and active-duty service [...]
TRICARE is among the best health insurance options for veterans, active-duty service members (ADSMs), National Guard and Reserve personnel, families, and survivors. Providing its members with free and low-cost health care, TRICARE offers a variety of health plan options such as TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Select, Overseas, Remote, and TRICARE For [...]
When you have a job as taxing as a first responder, it can be common to experience burnout. Dealing with the emotional distress associated with the responsibility of a firefighter, law enforcement officer, or emergency medical technician (EMT) is not always easy. Many first responders don't allow themselves enough time [...]
Survivor's guilt is a psychological condition developed when someone survives a traumatic event that someone else didn't. The emotions associated with survivor's guilt are often distressing and filled with remorse. Surviving a tragic event is typically something you'd be happy about, but it's hard to feel thankful that you're alive [...]
Many veterans return home from scenes of combat that leave them suffering from various degrees of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This mental state leaves combat veterans susceptible to abusing substances, especially alcohol. Veterans who have enlisted in multiple tours of duty and experienced numerous exposures to combat have a greater [...]
First responders, like soldiers exposed to combat, may be exposed to many traumatic experiences. They are present at all natural disasters in our country and other crises, suffering high rates of burnout because of the intensity of their jobs. Treating domestic violence, shootings, and overdoses from addiction, such as opioids, [...]
The ancient Greek word, Ethos, translates to “spirit” or “character” in English. Warrior Ethos is the set of principles among first responders that is the embodiment of their courageous spirit and commitment to their country. It is the representation of the person they are committing to be and the position [...]
