In Honor of Veterans on this Memorial Day Weekend

Mental health issues are social justice and human rights issues. Let's talk about veterans...did you know that

Mental health is one of the top three health issues for veterans?

Returning veterans are not receiving sufficient access, support and resources to quality and effective mental health and substance abuse treatment either through the VA system or elsewhere.
In fact, a large portion of veterans are not even eligible for TriCare for various reasons or they choose not to identify as veterans for the provision of services.

So, where do these veterans go for help? How can they access mental health and substance abuse treatment without stigmatization?

Here are some staggering and sobering statistics from the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA):

• The number of Veterans receiving VA disability rose from 3.03 million in 2009 to 3.16 M in 2010. 
• The number of enrollees in the VA Health Care System rose from 7.84 million to 8.061 million.

• The number of Veterans rated 100% disabled in 2010 was 289,987.
• Those compensated for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is 397,019.

• 1.5 million service members have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• 90% of wounded service members survive their injuries.
• Over 75% of service members report having been in situations where they could be seriously injured or killed.

• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that in 2003, an estimated 56.6% of veterans used alcohol in the past month compared with 50.8% of comparable nonveterans.

• Heavy use of alcohol was also more prevalent among veterans, with an estimated 7.5% of veterans drinking heavily in the past month compared with 6.5% of their nonveteran counterparts.

• An estimated 13.2% of veterans reported driving while under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs in the past year with 12.2% of comparable nonveterans.

• An estimated 18.8% of veterans reported that they smoked cigarettes daily in the past month comapred with 14.3% of comparable nonveterans.

It goes without saying that these figures do not truly reflect the sheer number of veterans (including their families) or the severity of issues because many veterans do not report issues, respond to surveys, access treatment and so forth. Imagine what the actual picture looks like!

We can do better. They deserve it.

Thank you and Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Rae



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Best,
Rae

Is it just me or...is the mental health system mentally ill?

This blog is dedicated to anyone who is working in the allied helping professions: counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, psychiatric techs, psychiatrc nurses, case managers, psychologists, psychiatrists and any other professionals who work in the system but want to change the system from within.

This blog is dedicated to anyone who has received mental health services or has had a loved one receive mental health services and yearn for something better.

This blog is open to all critical thinking, engaged and curious citizens who are interested in learning more and becoming part of the movement.

This movement is revolutionary. It is provocative, controversial,  forward-thinking and progressive.
It calls for a paradigm shift. But we are not alone. Many compassionate, intelligent thinkers from inside and outside the field have paved the way for us. The concepts are not new, but they are not mainstream.  

The message or idea behind my blog is simple: Let's bring dignity, respect, integrity, freedom, responsibility and choice to mental health. I do not believe in the disease/medical model of "mental illness." The absurdities and atrocities that occur in the mental health system include but are not limited to the proliferation of mental disorders in the DSM, the fact that psychiatry is in bed with psychopharmaceutical drug companies as well as the ridiculous health insurance industry and their managed care, better known as "mangled care," not to mention the criminalization and pathologization of entire population segments.

Mental health issues are human rights and social justice issues. 
We must demand equal access to quality, effective, confidential, compassionate, culturally-sensitive mental health treatment for all who seek services.

Thank you for reading the first post to the "Is It Just Me Or..."blog.

Diverse views are always welcome. Open, tolerant minds engaged in dialogue is crucial.
This blog is written in the spirit of positive change/pro-mental health and not a negative/anti-movement. Please pass this along to anyone you think might be interested.
I look forward to hearing from you!

Best,
Raquel "Rae" Ornelas