The Neglected 22 by Allyson

The Neglected 22 by Allyson - April 2023 Scholarship Essay

If I had unlimited time and money I would use my resources to help our veteran community. 22 veterans commit suicide every day, 45 days is how long the wait is, where I am, to see a mental health professional to figure out the best type of therapy for your condition, 21 days is how long they have to wait to actually start therapy, 23% of veterans have PTSD, less then 50% of veterans receive mental health services, 13% of the homeless are veterans, 8.4% of women experience sexual misconduct and 1.5% of men do. Numbers are important because they highlight truth in a way that is undeniable. So if the facts are presented, why then is the community still severely neglected?

We have the capability of taking brain images with an MRI and seeing what changes there are in brain activity. It isn't a tool for a diagnosis, but it is a reference for possibilities and rules out other complications. We have the capability of checking hormones, we have tests that can tell us what mental health medications won't be affective and which ones will be. So we can do a handful of tests before we diagnose and medicate our veterans. We don't utilize modern medical practices at the VA and we are left with a very outdated system that hurts more people then it helps. Why?

Veterans chose to put their life on the line for their country and its citizens. We choose to put the nation above us. We become a community of brothers and sisters that band together to keep everyone safe. When our contract is up, we get abandoned. There is a class that teaches you the basics of finding employment when you leave, but nothing outside of that. We aren't transitioned out to society, and it is very difficult to adapt to the changes. We no longer have a community, we no longer trust our skills, we are judged for our service. I have been told that I am intimidating simply because I am a Marine Corps veteran. I have been asked to make myself more bubbly to better relate with people. I have been told to be less blunt, and find ways to speak without complete honesty. We grow up in a fight environment, and then we are thrown to the wolves and are told to go into flight. How?

I would use my time and money to integrate mental health into military service practices and continue services for the veterans life. We deserve to be heard while we are serving, we deserve to feel safe and protected as we are keeping the nation safe and protected. Give every service member an MRI annually to monitor brain activity, give every service member the test to see what medication reactions they have, track hormones annually, and then take all of the data and formulate a plan to help the service member better themselves. They will perform better, they will handle stress better, the retention rate may rise, and when they do end their contract and get out they will be better aware of themselves. Transition their mental health plan into the veteran sector and find ways to help them gain tools to adjust to a different lifestyle. I would donate money to the non-profits that are providing dogs to veterans, or building tiny homes for veterans. I would donate money to every States many school districts to employ veterans to provide security services while school is in session to protect our kids. Medical conditions are also a common trigger as it takes just as long to see specialists, so I would create a non-profit program that would cover the costs of treatments needed by veterans if they had to go outside the VA for help. No one should have to wait more than 2 weeks for an appointment with their primary care doctor or specialty care doctor. Resources are needed.

In conclusion, I want to find ways to help support out military members and veterans like they support us.