Signs of Mental Health Issues
for Veterans/Service Members
Here are some of the signs that you could benefit from some support with your mental health:
You get less than 8 hours of sleep at night (give or take).
I ask many of you about sleep, and you say that it’s fine. It rarely is.
Here are signs your sleep isn’t fine:
- You get 4-6 hours of sleep. Sure, you may be one of those people who doesn’t need much sleep – but that would mean that you’re not living on coffee and Red Bulls.
- It’s taking you longer than 20 minutes to fall asleep.
- You can fall asleep fine but wake up most nights at 3am and can’t fall back asleep.
- You’re not going to bed until 3am, because you were up playing video games or watching movies. Is it possible that you are avoiding going to sleep?
- “Passing out” is a more accurate description than “going to sleep.”
You have bad dreams/nightmares more than twice a year.
You may not remember your dreams. That doesn’t mean you’re not having dreams.
- Are you waking up drenched in sweat?
- Does your partner say that you seem distressed in your sleep?
- Does your partner say that it’s dangerous to sleep next to you and/or to wake you up?
If so, there’s a good chance that you’re having nightmares.
You often hear: “I’ve told you this 3 times. How do you not remember?”
The person is probably not gas-lighting you.
You’re probably having problems with your short-term memory.
A lot of you don’t even realize it because you have learned to write everything down.
People frequently “make” you angry.
- You go from being calm to being in a full-on rage in a split second.
(And later get confused/embarrassed about why you were so angry.) - You often believe your anger is completely justified because the other person is so f***ing incompetent.
You are NOT a pleasant dinner date.
- When you go to a restaurant, you will only sit facing the door.
- You know where all the exits are.
- You track anyone who appears suspicious.
- You know which chairs and barstools you will smash over heads, if you need to protect yourself and others.
- You eat quickly. If your date is taking too long to finish a meal, you’ll get increasingly irritated.
No. This isn’t “just part of your training.”
You usually turn down invitations or cancel plans.
This may be for a variety of reasons:
- You don’t have any energy.
- You can’t stand being around people.
- Your stomach feels off.
- You have chronic pain.
- You can’t keep up physically.
- You don’t know who will be there.
- It may be crowded.
- Nothing seems appealing anymore.
You feel lazy because you have no motivation/energy.
I don’t think this needs further explanation, but it does warrant a comment:
When you are dealing with mental health issues, it is a lot of work to get through every day. You may not acknowledge it, but that doesn’t lighten the load that you carry around all day, every day.
You are doing the best you can to survive. Give yourself some grace.
If you experience any of these symptoms for an extended period of time,
it may be helpful to talk to a mental health provider.
“Pull yourself up by your bootstraps”
IS NOT ADVICE.
It’s a reference to the absurd:
to doing something that is impossible.
Access the support that you deserve.
Learn more about the claim process and how to successfully receive the benefits you earned.
Access free resources for mental health treatment, financial assistance, housing, etc.
Symptoms vs Diagnoses
There are a variety of mental health diagnoses, each with their own set of symptoms. To further complicate things, there are a lot of overlapping symptoms between diagnoses. AND, our understanding (and therefore the diagnoses and their sets of symptoms) is always evolving. Nothing is clear cut.
Getting Treatment
I tried describing symptoms that I see in the more commonly diagnosed mental disorders. Please remember that you don’t need to have a mental disorder nor do you need to have any specific symptoms for you to get treatment. There are so many stressors that happen in our lives. Oftentimes, mental health disorders are associated with an “abnormal” reaction to something. There are plenty of times when you may have emotional difficulties that are a “normal human response” to a situation. Some parts of life are just inherently difficult.
You always deserve support. Accessing help isn’t a sign of weakness. It is a skill to use your resources. There are many free and paid resources available to help you improve your mental health. Access them.
Applying for VA Disability
Although VA Disability Benefits may increase your access to healthcare at the VA, it is different than getting treatment. You may have symptoms of mental disorders, but it is possible to have some symptoms of mental disorders without “meeting the full criteria” for an actual diagnosis. The Veteran Disability Benefits process is currently set up so only diagnosable mental disorders can be service-connected.
Even if you aren’t eligible for service-connection, you still deserve treatment, and you still have many resources available to you.
If you apply for VA Disability Compensation for a mental disorder, you do not need to know what your diagnosis is. Your job is to present your symptoms, and it’s the examiner’s job to use their professional expertise to determine if you have a mental health disorder.
If you are wondering if you might be experiencing a diagnosable mental health disorder, it may help to take an online screening test. Mental Health America offers free, confidential Mental Health Screeners on the most common diagnoses.
Mental Health Screeners are short questionnaires that can give you more information about whether you may have a specific diagnosis. The results of the screeners are not meant to be diagnoses, but they can give you a better sense of whether you might have a diagnosable mental disorder.