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Last week it was remembrance day. We all stood silently for one minute in honour of those we’ve lost in the line of duty, but what about those we’ve lost after they’ve returned home?
This year Australia has lost 50 veterans to suicide, that’s more than we’ve lost in active duty since 1999. These Aussie vets aren’t getting the help they need. This number is alarmingly high.
Kerryn McDonell from the Partners of Veterans Association says it’s so difficult for veterans to find employment because of their military training.
“Everything just seems to flow as it goes in a civilian job, which is probably why a lot of them tend to head towards the police force, fire services, the ambos, etc where there is a structure of what they do and how they do it”.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that can occur after a traumatic event, many veterans are being treated for PTSD, as well as other service men and women and even first response people like emergency services.
The symptoms and effects of PTSD can vary from person to person and it can occur from any form of trauma. It is important to speak to your GP if you believe you or someone you love may be suffering from PTSD as it can lead to self harm in some cases if left untreated.
Ms McDonell was involved in the successful lobbying of WA’s Invisible Wounds: PTSD Awareness Day, which is aimed at spreading PTSD awareness. This day is help annually on the last Friday of May. The Partners of Veterans Association is aiming to make this day nationwide to help reach more people.
On Thursday our PM introduced an initiative with Soldier On, a program aimed at supporting people with PTSD, this new government initiative was launched to encourage the private sector to employ our returning soldiers.
The government has dedicated $24.8 million to improve processes in the Department of Veterans Affairs, and $23.9 million to improve claims services, within the department.
This has been allocated form the 2016-17 budget, but will take 5 years to implement. In response to this time frame, the public have spoken out online fearing more lives may be lost if something doesn’t change sooner.
You can learn more about PTSD by visiting www.partnersofveteranswa.org.au or by contacting your local GP.
If you or someone you care about is experiencing PTSD please seek immediate help from a professional. Lifeline is available to assist in these situations and can point you in the right direction, call 13 11 14.
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